What Empire State Ride does

Empire State Ride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable cycling organization headquartered in Buffalo, New York, that produces an annual seven-day, 500+ mile bike ride from New York City to Niagara Falls. Founded in 2015, the organization directs 100% of rider-raised funds to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for cancer research and patient-care programs. Since inception it has cumulatively raised more than $12 million for the beneficiary institution.

The core "product" is the multi-day endurance ride itself, supported by a peer-to-peer fundraising platform, rider training resources, and a year-round donor engagement program. Riders commit to fundraising minimums in exchange for participation, with tiered incentives including the Excelsior Club for fundraisers exceeding $10,000. Operations are lean — 1–10 employees — and sponsorship revenue (e.g., Timberbuilt, Port X Logistics, Uniti Solutions) supplements rider-raised contributions.

The business model is a hybrid charitable-event model: revenue is generated through (a) individual rider fundraising commitments, (b) corporate sponsorships, and (c) ancillary donations. There is no traditional pricing or SaaS revenue line; gross funds raised by riders are the primary success metric. The 2025 ride mobilized roughly 250 riders, including 53 Excelsior-level participants, and generated approximately $1.9 million for Roswell Park.

Name

Empire State Ride

Legal name

Roswell Park Alliance Foundation

Website

https://empirestateride.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Cycling Event Fundraiser

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling Events (Road Races, Gran Fondos, Sportives) (MPAKAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures (THAJABAF)

Keywords

• Charity cycling event
• Cancer fundraising ride
• Peer-to-peer fundraising
• Nonprofit endurance event
• Cancer research donations

Headquarters

HQ city

New York, New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Participant Fundraising: Individual riders commit to raising a minimum of $3,500 for the weeklong event. These funds go directly to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to support cancer research and clinical trials. For every dollar donated, Roswell Park leverages an additional $23 in external grant funding.
2. Registration Fees: One-time registration fee of $100 (until Dec 31, 2025) or $200 (from Jan 1, 2026 onwards). Optional add-ons include charter bus transportation ($150) and massage therapy ($50 per 30-minute session).
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Presented by sponsors (Timberbuilt, Port X Logistics) and sponsored by partners (Uniti Solutions) provide financial and in-kind support for the event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Empire State Ride is a 7-day, 500+ mile charity cycling event that takes riders from New York City to Niagara Falls each summer. Participants register as riders and commit to raising a minimum of $3,500 in pledges, with 100% of net proceeds directed to cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event is organized annually by the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and combines multi-day endurance cycling with peer-to-peer fundraising.

Product overview

Empire State Ride is a fundraising-focused cycling event platform centered around a seven-day, 500+ mile ride from New York City to Niagara Falls. The core product is the annual weeklong cycling event, supplemented by the ESR MyHub mobile app for donation collection and progress tracking, the online fundraising dashboard for participant management, and alternative participation options including the 500+ Mile Hometown Challenge and Two-Day Ride. Premium fundraising tiers include the Excelsior Rider Program for top fundraisers ($10,000+) and the Igniting Cancer Breakthroughs campaign supporting cell therapy research, with Scientific Advisory Committee grants enabling high-performing riders to designate funds to specific research projects. The platform integrates with the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation for donation processing and provides training plans, fundraising toolkits, and community resources to support participant success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Empire State Ride (annual charity cycling event)
• Empire State Ride Sponsorships

Quantifiable outcome

• For every $1 donated, Roswell Park leverages an additional $23 in external grant funding
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• TimberbuiltflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented by sponsor of Empire State Ride. Timberbuilt is a major presenting sponsor providing significant brand visibility throughout the event and marketing materials.
• Port X LogisticsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented by sponsor of Empire State Ride. Port X Logistics is a major presenting sponsor with logo placement and brand association with the event.
• Uniti SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsored partner of Empire State Ride 2026. Provides brand visibility as a sponsor during the event.
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe sole beneficiary of Empire State Ride fundraising. All funds support cancer research, clinical trials, and facilities at Roswell Park. ESR is organized by Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves4 records

Direct peers

• Prouty (Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center): The Prouty is one of the oldest and largest community-based cancer charity cycling events in the US, raising money for Dartmouth Cancer Center. Comparable to ESR as a multi-day, peer-to-peer fundraising ride benefiting a single NCI-affiliated cancer center.
• Pelotonia: Pelotonia is a multi-day cycling fundraising ride benefiting cancer research at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Direct peer to ESR: regional, multi-day, beneficiary-concentrated cancer research ride with peer-to-peer fundraising model and team-based rider culture.
• Closer to Free (Smilow Cancer Hospital): Closer to Free is the signature cycling fundraiser for Yale's Smilow Cancer Hospital. Directly comparable to ESR as a regional cycling ride benefiting a single academic cancer center, with similar team-based peer-to-peer fundraising model and Excelsior-tier donor recognition.
• Cycle for Survival: Cycle for Survival is the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center indoor team cycling fundraiser, with similar peer-to-peer fundraising minimums and 100% proceeds-to-research mission. Comparable to ESR as a cancer-research-cycling brand, though delivered as indoor spin events rather than an outdoor endurance ride.
• Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC): The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge is the most prominent multi-day charity cycling fundraising ride in the US, raising funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Directly comparable to Empire State Ride in model: long-distance, peer-to-peer fundraising cycling event with tiered rider commitments benefiting a single cancer research institution.
• Ride to Conquer Cancer: The Ride to Conquer Cancer is a multi-day, long-distance charity cycling event benefiting cancer research across Canadian provinces and Australian states. Directly comparable to ESR in format (multi-day endurance ride), fundraising minimum structure, and cancer-research beneficiary model.

Broad incumbents

• V Foundation for Cancer Research: The V Foundation is a leading cancer research grant-making nonprofit with a portfolio of signature fundraising events including cycling components. Comparable to ESR as a beneficiary-side cancer fundraising organization with national donor reach and competitive corporate sponsor overlap.
• Livestrong: LIVESTRONG is the largest cancer survivorship nonprofit with a long-running, well-known brand in cancer-cause fundraising, including its own multi-day cycling events. Comparable to ESR as a broad cancer-cause fundraising incumbent that overlaps in donor mindshare, sponsorship overlap, and cancer-mission messaging.
• American Cancer Society (Charity Bike Events): The American Cancer Society runs multiple charity cycling and endurance events across the US benefiting cancer research broadly. Comparable to ESR as an incumbent cancer-cause fundraiser with multi-event programming, broad corporate sponsorships, and overlapping donor and rider pools.

Emerging players

• Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Endurance Events: MMRF operates signature endurance fundraising events including a Tri-State cycling ride benefiting a single cancer research institution. Comparable to ESR as a specialized, single-institution cancer fundraising ride with peer-to-peer model and tiered fundraising commitments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/empirestateride?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmpireStateRide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empirestateride
• Instagraminstagram.com/empirestateride/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Empire State Ride