FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syracuse, N.Y. – The 10th Annual SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum featured 21 emerging technology companies from throughout the state on Tuesday, May 18 in Syracuse, N.Y. More than 140 investors, service providers and other community members registered to attend the event, which is Upstate New York’s premier venture capital forum.  

 Companies receiving special recognition at this year’s event include:

• Best Presentation – Brand-Yourself.com, a Syracuse company that specializes in on-line reputation management.
• Most Promising Technology – ADispell Inc., a Rochester biotech development company that develops new treatments for Alzheimer’s
• UNYTECH Most Innovative Technology – Propulsive Wing, a company in Syracuse that is developing unique unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform.
• Most Likely to be Funded – Hibernaid, a Troy life-science company developing innovative drug therapies for heart attack and stroke. 

The SmartStart UNYTECH Venture Forum is presented by the Center for Economic Growth and is made possible through the generous contributions and support of a number of public and private contributors. Many upstate research universities also played an active role in recommending high-potential spin-out companies and contributing promising spin-out technologies to this year’s program. 

Sponsors:

Syracuse University & enitiative; UVANY; CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity; CNY Business Journal; NYSTAR; Bond, Schoeneck & King; Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti; Hodgson Russ LLP; Hoffman Warnick, LLC; Marjama Muldoon Blasiak & Sullivan LLP; NYSERDA/STEP; New York State Science & Technology Law Center; Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR); Berkshire Bank;  Excell Partners; Greenhill SAVP; Pam Silverstein; Pattison, Sampson, Ginsberg & Griffin, P.C.;RPI; Syracuse University, Case Center; Ulster Savings Bank 

About the Center for Economic Growth:

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is a regional economic and business development organization dedicated to attracting high-tech talent and companies and to providing innovative services to bolster local businesses in New York state’s Capital Region and Tech Valley. CEG receives significant financial support from the NYS Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a public benefit corporation that helps grow New York’s innovation economy with its support of high technology development and commercialization through academic and business partnerships, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). CEG serves as NYSTAR’s designated Regional Technology Development Center for Tech Valley, one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country assisting local manufacturing and technology companies with generating new sales, creating stronger operational infrastructure and overcoming barriers to growth. CEG is based in Albany, N.Y. Visit www.ceg.org for more information. 

About UNYTECH:

UNYTECH is a collaborative effort among leading research institutions in the Upstate New York region including Alfred University, Binghamton University, Cornell University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, State University of New York, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, and University of Rochester, and regional economic development agencies and venture capital firms., Universities in Upstate New York contribute immensely to the intellectual capital and high technology economy of the region. The eleven participating universities together have research and development expenditures over $1 billion. Research carried out within these universities translates into commercially viable products and services.