Launch NY

What Launch NY does

Launch NY (legal entity: Launch New York, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit venture development organization and U.S. Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), founded in July 2014 and headquartered in Buffalo, NY. The organization provides free pro bono mentorship, business development support, and seed-stage equity capital to high-growth potential startups across 36 counties of Upstate New York, operating partner sites in Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse, Binghamton, and Albany.

Core offerings are organized under the InvestLocal Financing Programs, which include a Nonprofit Seed Fund (grant/donation-fueled evergreen vehicle), Limited Partner Fund I ($5.425M, vintage 2019), Limited Partner Fund II ($15.775M, vintage 2023), and an Investor Network SPV providing 432+ accredited investors digital access to portfolio companies at $10,000 minimums. Entrepreneurship support is delivered through a network of 35+ in-house Entrepreneurs-in-Residence augmented by a national mentor network of 400,000+ subject-matter experts, using the Business Model Canvas methodology. Complementary programs include the ECO Incubator (cleantech, funded by NYSERDA), Founders Go Big (under-resourced founders, funded by JPMorgan Chase), and a SSBCI Technical Assistance Program providing legal/accounting/financial advisory services.

The business model combines nonprofit grant and donation revenue (CDFI Fund, JPMorgan Chase, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, KeyBank Foundation, Empire State Development, banking partners) with for-profit LP fund management fees and carry. Services to qualifying startups are provided at no cost. Since inception, Launch NY has mentored 1,950+ companies, funded 110+ portfolio companies, supported 10,000+ jobs, and seen portfolio companies raise $1.9B in follow-on capital — a 39x multiplier on initial investment.

Name

Launch NY

Legal name

Launch New York, Inc.

Website

https://launchny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Launch NY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and U.S. Treasury-designated CDFI that provides free pro bono mentorship and seed-stage equity capital to high-growth startups across 36 counties of Upstate New York, operating InvestLocal Financing Programs including two LP funds totaling $21.2M and a 432-investor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Development Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Institutional Capital Introduction (LP/Family Office/Endowment Matching) (FSAEALAI), Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Venture development organization
• Seed stage investing
• Startup mentorship programs
• Community development finance
• Nonprofit venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. CDFI Fund Awards: Federal funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund supporting seed investments to startups in underserved communities.
2. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: Support from organizations such as JPMorgan Chase ($250,000 grant), Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, and banking institutions to fund the Nonprofit Seed Fund as an evergreen source of seed capital.
3. Limited Partner Fund Investments: For-profit investment funds including $5.425M Limited Partner Fund I (vintage 2019) and $15.775M Limited Partner Fund II (vintage 2023) generating returns for Limited Partners.
4. Investor Network SPV Management: Free membership for first 500 accredited investors with opportunities to invest $10,000+ per company in Launch NY portfolio companies, generating management fees and carry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Launch NY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit venture development organization and U.S. Treasury-designated CDFI that provides free pro bono mentorship and seed capital to high-growth potential startups across 36 counties of Upstate New York. Its core offering is the InvestLocal Financing Programs suite — comprising a Nonprofit Seed Fund, two for-profit Limited Partner Funds (LP Fund I $5.425M in 2019 and LP Fund II $15.775M in 2023), and an Investor Network SPV connecting 432+ accredited investors to portfolio companies — augmented by Entrepreneurs-in-Residence mentorship using the Business Model Canvas approach.

Product overview

Launch NY operates as a venture development organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of startup support services rather than a single unified product. The core offerings center on the InvestLocal Financing Programs suite, which includes the Nonprofit Seed Fund, Limited Partner Fund I ($5.425M), and Limited Partner Fund II ($15.775M) for equity investing in Upstate NY startups. Complementary programs include the ECO Incubator for cleantech startups, Founders Go Big for under-resourced entrepreneurs, and the SSBCI Technical Assistance Program providing legal, accounting, and financial advisory services. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence mentorship provides free pro bono guidance augmented by a 400,000+ expert network, while the Resource Navigator and Entrepreneur's Tool Kit offer searchable resources and downloadable business planning assets. The Investor Network SPV connects 430+ accredited investors with portfolio companies seeking capital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Founders Go Big: Program helping traditionally under-resourced entrepreneurs move from concept to capital by combining expert guidance, tailored support, and a strong peer community
• ECO Incubator
• InvestLocal Financing Programs
• Technical Assistance (TA) Program

Products and services

• InvestLocal Financing Programs A suite of equity investment programs providing seed funding exclusively to Upstate NY startups, including a Nonprofit Seed Fund (grant/donation-fueled evergreen fund), Limited Partner Fund I ($5.425M, vintage 2019), and Limited Partner Fund II ($15.775M, vintage 2023) for early-stage companies across the 36 Upstate NY counties.
• Investor Network SPV A Special Purpose Vehicle providing 432+ accredited investors direct digital access to Launch NY portfolio companies and other Upstate NY startups seeking funding, with minimum investments of $10,000 per company, free membership for the first 500 accredited investors, quarterly updates, K-1s, and virtual pitch sessions.
• Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Mentorship Free, personalized pro bono mentoring provided by experienced Entrepreneurs-in-Residence augmented by a national network of 400,000+ subject matter experts, using the Business Model Canvas approach to prepare startups for investment readiness.
• ECO Incubator A cleantech-focused incubator program initially funded by NYSERDA supporting Upstate NY startups developing clean energy, efficiency, and resilience solutions with mentorship, capital access, and industry connections. ECO 2.0 continues sector-specific support for cleantech ventures.
• Founders Go Big (FGB) A program launched in 2020 with JPMorgan Chase funding to help traditionally under-resourced entrepreneurs move from concept to capital through expert guidance, tailored support, and peer community, including personalized 1:1 mentoring, group workshops, MVP funding connections, and peer community.
• SSBCI Technical Assistance Program Specialized technical assistance funded by the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) providing no-cost legal, accounting, and financial advisory services to help Very Small Businesses and Socially/Economically Disadvantaged Individuals access equity capital and strengthen operations.
• Resource Navigator A searchable directory of 400+ funding opportunities, programs, and resources for startups and investors, sortable by category, region, and focus area including Climate Tech, IT/SaaS, Medical/Healthcare, and more.
• Entrepreneur's Tool Kit Free downloadable PDFs, spreadsheets, and curated external resources for business planning including Business Model Canvas templates, pitch deck elements, financial models, and funding guides.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39x follow-on funding multiplier for portfolio companies
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Village Capital: Impact-focused venture capital firm using peer-selection models to back startups solving systemic challenges. Closely aligned with Launch NY's CDFI mission, under-resourced founder focus, and emphasis on returns-plus-impact.
• gener8tor: Midwest-based accelerator and venture fund running cohort-based programs with seed capital and mentor networks. Directly comparable in mentor-driven, cohort-style seed investing for underserved geographies.
• Idealab: Long-running venture studio creating and funding early-stage technology companies with founder support. Comparable as a structured creator/funder of seed-stage startups with embedded mentorship.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing capital and business advisory to underserved entrepreneurs. Closely analogous CDFI peer in structure, mission (equity to underserved founders), federal funding model, and regional economic-development focus.
• 43North: Buffalo-based startup competition and accelerator operating a $5M+ annual prize pool for high-growth startups, often co-investing with Launch NY. Most directly comparable peer given shared Upstate NY geography, founder-support model, and active investor network.
• High Alpha: Indianapolis-based venture studio and seed fund building B2B SaaS startups with structured operating support. Comparable in providing integrated mentorship, capital, and operational infrastructure to early-stage founders outside coastal hubs.
• New York Ventures (Empire State Development): State of New York's venture capital arm co-investing with Launch NY via the $30M SSBCI Pre-seed/Seed Matching Fund Program. Directly comparable as a state-backed seed investor operating in the same geography and often the same deals.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network providing mentorship-driven seed capital to early-stage startups. Comparable as a structured accelerator/seed investor but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach than Launch NY's regional model.
• MassChallenge: Global nonprofit startup accelerator with sector-specific programs. Comparable mission (nonprofit, equity-free support, mentor-driven model) and CDFI-adjacent nonprofit structure, but operating at significantly larger scale.

Others

• NYSERDA: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; initial funder of Launch NY's ECO Incubator program. Adjacent as a state program partner providing sector-specific funding for cleantech portfolio companies rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Launch_NY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@launchny9897
• Facebookfacebook.com/launch-ny-1036796123011680
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/launch-ny
• Instagraminstagram.com/launchny

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments200 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Launch NY