Launch New York, Inc.

Launch New York, Inc., will pilot an Investor Network to increase equity capital access in Upstate New York through its project, “Building Inclusive Capital Access Through an Investor Network”. The project is designed to accelerate the growth of Upstate New York’s investment and entrepreneurial community by augmenting traditional equity capital sources with a syndicate representing a diversity of investors and seed stage investment opportunities. The Investor Network will provide open access to all accredited investors and the full array of entrepreneurs in the local ecosystem regardless of demographics, affiliation with a specific organization, geographic location, or industry sector. The open access approach will connect both existing and new stakeholders through outreach, education, dedicated investment expertise, syndication leadership, and collaboration. The project seeks to recruit 300 accredited investors – ultimately targeted to grow to 1,000 investors – who have an affinity for funding relatively small amounts (<$10,000) in individual startups in Upstate New York. As a result, the project expects 12 companies to receive funding via special purpose vehicles in the first two years, with up to 56 new and follow-on investments in the Investor Network’s first five years.