Empire State Development on Friday announced 16 businesses will startup, expand or locate in Western New York, partnering with local public colleges and universities to spur economic growth across the state. These companies have committed to create more than 200 new jobs and invest approximately $5.5 million over the next five years.
"From life sciences to advanced manufacturing, software development and green-tech, more and more companies are finding New York state is a great place to start or grow their business," ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky said. "These businesses have the potential to create hundreds of jobs in Western New York in dynamic, innovative industries while generating millions in revenue for the local economy."
"As I shared in my inaugural State of the University System address this week, two themes of my vision for the system include innovation and entrepreneurship, and increase and expand partnerships. This is an example of these themes at work," SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson said. "The partnerships between our campuses and these businesses are producing academic benefits for faculty and students, while simultaneously driving innovation-based economic development in New York state."
The 16 businesses, which are sponsored by the University at Buffalo, Fredonia and Buffalo State College, will create jobs in key industries, including: biotechnology; computer/information technology; film post-production; green technologies; life sciences; research and development; software development; and value-added processing, agribusiness and food processing.
The following businesses have joined START-UP NY in Western New York:
Buffalo State College
•Utilant LLC is an existing, expanding software development company. Utilant helps insurance carriers and vendors leverage efficiencies and manage loss control through its modern software. The company will be releasing a new version of its product, expanding and creating an integration engine to allow interoperability with other insurance systems. Utilant will also begin offering a new service of a leased development team, which will include project managers, business analysts, developers and quality assurance resources. The company will create 55 new jobs and invest $460,000.
Fredonia
•Original Crunch Roll Factory is a food manufacturing company that produces frozen foods by combining raw materials to create a finished product that is then frozen, packaged and sold to restaurants or food service operations, both directly and through a network of distributors. Original Crunch Roll factory will create 20 new jobs and invest $2,500,000.
University at Buffalo
•Airis Pharmaceutical Solutions Inc. (APS) is a software development company that helps clients to meet federal compliance standards for controlled substances and develops products such as a single-user based software system. APS will create 15 new jobs and invest $45,000.
•ALIGN ResultsPRO LLC is building a cloud-based health care data analytics software tool. The new tool will track performance outcomes in the skilled nursing facility industry (SNF) to improve quality of care outcomes and overall operational performance. The company will create six new jobs and invest $20,000.
•Buffalo Health Inc. is an R&D subsidiary startup company related to a large pharmacy chain in South Korea. Buffalo Health's U.S. R&D operations will develop new high-quality active ingredients for over-the-counter and nutrition supplements, to be manufactured in the U.S. for sale primarily in the Asia-Pacific market. The company will create 16 new jobs and invest $76,000.
•Digital Surveillance Solutions Inc. (DSS) is a security systems integration business that designs, builds, deploys and supports sophisticated IP video and access control systems. DSS will create five new jobs and invest $130,000.
•Global Security IQ LLC is an IT startup company that will develop, implement and manage information security solutions for small to medium businesses, providing compliance assistance and improved overall security. Global Security IQ will mitigate cyber risk by building "Cyber Threat Intelligence," offer monitoring services, and creating educational programs. The company will create four new jobs and invest
•Guidepost Web LLC is developing software tools to automate required processes for those engaged in supporting the developmentally disabled. These tools will elevate the service quality of new inexperienced staffers so that they provide more comprehensive guidance. The company will create 15 new jobs and invest $30,000.
•Horvatis Corp. (HC) is an R&D startup that will build geospatial information systems to serve the agriculture sector. HC will provide 3-D data collection, data storage and location data processing services to the agriculture industry for the purposes of targeted and automated systems used in agriculture in New York state. HC will create three new jobs and invest $30,000.
•INANO VISION Inc. is a new biotechnology company expanding to the U.S. from Canada. The company will develop, manufacture and sell a handheld medical device in ophthalmology, which can remotely measure and monitor fluid pressure inside the eye. INANO VISION will create five new jobs and invest $45,000.
•Memory Fox LLC is a new subscription-based web service for capturing, curating and sharing family history, including stories and photos, via a mobile application. Memory Fox is the first to offer a fully integrated web and mobile platform for collecting family stories. Memory Fox will create three new jobs and invest $10,000.
•Peeva is an early-stage R&D technology company developing a universal radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader and a cloud-based data access system to read and store important identification and medical information for pets. Peeva's universal scanner is able to record, analyze and catalog a pet's tracking implant (microchip) regardless of brand, frequency or encryption. Peeva is also building a scalable level of secure cloud-based access to a pet's medical history information, based on the classification of user. The company will create 10 new jobs and invest $37,000.
•Platinum Engineers LLC is expanding to the U.S. from Canada and will focus on wireless and web-based monitoring sensors and controllers that will integrate existing independent, low-tech sensing and control devices to communicate collectively in an enterprise mesh network connected to the cloud. Platinum Engineers will create 10 new jobs and invest $30,000.
•RepHike LLC is developing a marketing software monthly subscription "platform as a service" for companies to create and manage referral marketing programs. RepHike's platform will link customers with college marketing clubs and other social groups, driving customer sales and raising brand awareness through highly curated networks of students. The company will create 10 new jobs and invest $30,000.
•Syte Logix Inc. is a new life science software and service company expanding to New York from California. Syte Logix Inc. provides a cutting-edge visual technology that allows customers to understand new insights into their clinical data, ultimately enabling them to make more accurate and effective clinical decisions and transform their business. Syte Logix Inc. will create ten new jobs and invest $63,000.
•TROVE Predictive Data Science LLC produces advanced predictive analytics software solutions for the electric utility industry. TROVE's new platform helps their clients put their own data to productive use in predicting customer behaviors and solving specific business problems. Trove will be expanding its operations to enter new industry verticals as well as staff to support a growing utility business practice. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $45,000.
