30 Tech Hot Spots in New York

30 Tech Hot Spots in New York

Things like business accelerator programs, industry incubators, maker spaces, and co-working spaces. It’s all part of New York’s efforts to boost the states tech profile and to attract new businesses to set up shop in the State.

So think again. You may be missing out on a great great opportunity to help your little startup get some much needed assistance to get to the next stage of product development. Or maybe your brilliant idea could use some engineering coaching, and some air under its wing, to make it off the drafting board.

New to startups? No matter. Beginners are welcome. Just find a hot spot and/or incubator near you and step right up.

You will find New York State’s official locations for “Incubators and Innovation Hot Spots” extend from one end of the state to the other. Inside, they all have a common mission: spur economic development, support innovative ideas, and foster collaboration with academic and industrial resources.

No, the tech incubator concept is not a Silicon Valley invention. In fact, the business incubators were in New York, one of the earliest dating to 1959. That’s when Joseph Mancuso opened the very first one in Batavia, New York.

New York is making big investments in attracting and helping businesses – especially tech businesses – take root here. The state’s not just being a helpful landlord, it’s also acting like a venture capitalist, helping startups secure financing, especially in upstate locations not in the heart of Tech Valley.

The Innovate NY Fund, for instance, has attracted more than $370 million in combined investments in 81 companies, according to the governor’s office, which said the investments have created or retained 2,250 jobs.

The following list of designated Empire State Development Innovation Hot Spots and Incubators represents New York’s extensive network of resources and it commitment to spur economic development by supporting innovative ideas, and by fostering collaboration with academic and industrial resources.

30 Tech Hot Spots in New York

Capital Region

Innovate518
Type: Innovation Hot Spot; collaborative effort of incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurial service providers
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Funding assistance, tax incentives, mentorship, pitch prep, legal resources, student venture resources
Innovate 518 is the designated Capital Region Innovation Hot Spot. The program connects early-stage startups with financial, informational, and networking resources.

Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center (BACC) | Albany Medical College
Type: Incubator with STARTUP-NY designation
Manufacturing Sectors: Biomedical
Services: Facilities, networking, education, tax incentives, access to industry executives and business service experts
BACC, located at Albany Medical College, provides an environment of support for entrepreneurs who are developing and improving biomedical innovations.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Innovation Hub
Type: NYS Certified Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Technology, engineering, science
Services: Funding assistance, business development assistance, economic development agencies, business professionals and other service providers
The hub at RPI focuses on connecting entrepreneurs with academic and industrial resources for networking and collaborative efforts.

Tech Valley
Type: NYS Certified Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Advanced Manufacturing
Services: Commercialization assistance, access to world-class facilities and equipment, prototyping resources, mentoring, education, outreach programs
The incubator makes it easier for manufacturers to access multiple resources by pulling regional assets and business development programs together into one unified program.

The Manufacturing Incubator at Tech Valley Center of Gravity
Type: Incubator that provides tools and resources to encourage collaboration between makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Facilities, access to academic and industrial resources, networking, workshops and social events
The incubator at TVCOG boosts manufacturing innovation by providing businesses with access to prototype development resources and networking opportunities.

Central Region

Central New York Innovation Hot Spot
Type: Innovation Hot Spot that is part of the Tech Garden program
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Access to early-stage funding, coaching and mentorship resources
This hot spot is a 21-member consortium that is a stepping stone to the STARTUP-NY program, which helps incubators take advantage of tax incentives and gain access to business development programming.

Central New York Biotech Accelerator
Type: Certified Business Incubator that is an affiliated partner with The Tech Garden
Manufacturing Sectors: Biotech
Services: Wet labs, services, mentorship, education, access to biotech equipment, and facilities, networking with biotech experts
CNYBAC, located in Syracuse, provides acceleration services and access to industry-specific development resources to growth-oriented companies.

Finger Lakes Region

Finger Lakes Innovation Hot Spot
Type: Innovation Hot Spot that provides growth services
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Access to funding and consulting resources, business and product development services
This hot spot, led by High Tech Rochester (HTR) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RTI), supports the growth of small to mid-sized manufacturers.

Cornell Food Innovation NYS Certified Business Incubator | The Technology Farm
Type: Certified Business Incubator adjacent to the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
Manufacturing Sectors: Food, Agriculture
Services: Access to research and development resources, networking opportunities with academic and industrial experts
The Technology Farm sits in the middle of a 72-acre apple orchard and has enough open space to support new buildings. This incubator has a very business-friendly “IP-Free Zone.”

Rev Ithaca Startup Works
Type: Business Incubator and Workspace
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Mentoring, workspace, start-up resources, Hardware Accelerator program, prototyping, networking with investors and contract manufacturers
Rev Ithaca is a partnership between Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins-Cortland Community. The incubator focuses on working with companies that have the potential to create new jobs in the region.

Long Island Region

Long Island Innovation Hot Spot | LIHTI
Type: Innovation Hot Spot and High-Tech Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Technology
Services: Research and development, business growth resources, networking, access to facilities and equipment
The Long Island High Technology Incubator (LIHTI) is a non-profit organization that supports and stabilizes early-stage, high-risk, high-tech businesses.

Stony Brook University NYS Certified Business Incubator | LIHTI
Type: Certified Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Technology
Services: Research and development, business growth resources, networking, access to facilities and equipment
The Long Island High Technology Incubator (LIHTI) at Stony Brook University has 40+ suites and a total of 62,000 square feet of space.

Entrepreneurship & Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) at New York Institute of Technology
Type: Business Incubator and Accelerator
Manufacturing Sectors: Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Energy and Green Technologies, Bioengineering and Medical Devices
Services: Testing and research labs, data center, maker space, incubator and workspaces, education, access to business and industrial resources, networking
ETIC’s mission is to be a catalyst for economic growth and to help regional businesses increase their competitive advantage.

Mid-Hudson Region

Mid-Hudson | BioInc @NY Medical College
Type: Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Biotechnology
Services: Business services, wet lab, research and development, shared workspaces, strategy services for conserving capital and getting funding
Hudson Valley’s BioInc@NYMC is the only biotechnology incubator in the region. The program has several services and resources for entrepreneurs and startups.

NYS Clean Tech Certified Business Incubator | iCANny
Type: Certified Business Incubator with commercialization and acceleration services
Manufacturing Sectors: Energy, Cleantech, Fintech, Medtech, Information Technology
Services: Mentoring and advising, business resources, development and commercialization services, funding, prototyping
iCANny supports both start-ups and mature enterprises by providing multiple business services, including a curriculum to commercialization.

The Accelerator Powered by the Orange County IDA
Type: Certified Business Incubator and Accelerator
Manufacturing Sectors: Fashion design and production, bottling, technology, artisan manufacturing and artisan foods
Services: Below-market occupancy costs, workforce training, mentoring programs, networking and social events, high-tech plug-and-play environment with SMARTT Pods and a host of other resources
The Accelerator, located in New Windsor at Stewart International Airport, focuses on bringing manufacturing to the mid-Hudson Valley. The facility has 10,000 square feet of office space with utilities included.

Mohawk Valley Region

Mohawk Valley | thINCubator
Type: Business Incubator and Accelerator
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Ideation boot camps, coworking facilities and incubator space, equipment, meeting space, networking and social events, business coaching, acceleration services
The thINCubator fosters creative collisions by providing workspace, resources, coaching, and a collaborative environment for entrepreneurs.

Mohawk Valley Farm & Food Business Incubator (FFBI)
Type: Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Farm and food businesses
Services: Business and planning services, legal support, education and networking, mentoring, product processing and development, access to capital
The incubator supports new and developing farm and food businesses by providing a variety of business and training resources as well as product development facilities.

Griffiss Institute Certified Business Incubator (GI)
Type: Certified Business Incubator and Laboratory Workspace
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Coaching, business training, education and seminars, government contracting assistance, workspace and facilities support
GIBI, located in Rome, NY, partners with thINCubator and other regional resources to connect and support entrepreneurs in the local area.

New York City Region

New York City CUNY Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Type: Innovation Hot Spot and Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Networking, commercialization, mentoring, business services, assistance with funding
The CUNY Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship promotes faculty entrepreneurship and fosters collaborations with business and industry.

Brooklyn Biotech NYS Certified Business Incubator
Type: Certified Business Incubator with state-of-the-art facilities
Manufacturing Sectors: Biotechnology
Services: Wet lab, office space, specialized research facilities and equipment, networking, collaboration spaces
This incubator is an NYS tax-free zone that helps early-stage companies develop, test, and commercialize biotech innovations.

Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator | Pratt Institute
Type: Hub for Ethical Fashion and Design
Manufacturing Sectors: Fashion and Design
Services: Mentoring, small-run apparel production, no minimum knitting services, digital fabrication services, showroom space, retail sites, sustainable strategies consulting
The Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator helps designers turn their ideas into successful businesses.

Entrepreneur Space Incubator
Type: Business Incubator with commercial kitchen space
Manufacturing Sectors: Food
Services: Office space, commercial kitchen, business counseling, classrooms, networking, assistance with food inspections and licensing
This incubator helps food entrepreneurs with business creation services and marketing efforts in addition to providing affordable commercial kitchen space.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Type: Medical school with top-funded research institutes, centers, and laboratories
Manufacturing Sectors: Medical
Services: Business, research, and development support to help companies commercialize their products
The Icahn School of Medicine advances the art of medical research and care by providing an environment that encourages collaborative learning, social concern, and scholarly inquiry.

NYDesigns at LaGuardia Community College
Type: Economic Development Program with Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Design, fabrication, technology and maker spaces
Services: Private studio space, mentoring, networking, coworking spaces, prototyping, fabrication lab
NYDesigns is dedicated to helping design and hardware tech start-ups succeed. In addition to its other services, the program has a 5,000 ft² fabrication lab.

NYU Tandon School of Engineering Future Labs
Type: Certified Business Incubator with Future Labs
Manufacturing Sectors: Technology
Services: the Future Labs are an ecosystem of incubators – one focuses on data companies (Data Future Lab), another on digital (Digital Future Lab), one on veteran startups (Veterans Future Lab) and the last one is for companies looking at urban sustainability, clean tech etc (Urban Future Lab)Collaborative work spaces, networking, business and administrative support services, access to talent
This program helps companies gain access to markets and customers through its close-working relationships with several valuable NYC-based organizations.

North Country Region

North Country Innovation Hot Spot
Type: Innovation Hot Spot
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Centralized hub for business, ideation, and commercialization services
This hot spot utilizes the existing infrastructure in the region and provides a central point of resources and support for entrepreneurs in the North Country.

Southern Tier Region

Binghamton Incubator Program
Type: Business and Student Incubators
Manufacturing Sectors: Multiple programs focused on various manufacturing fields
Services: START-UP NY tax-free program, research and development, prototyping, specialized laboratories, business resources, access to talent through internships and co-ops, networking
Through its three incubator programs, Binghamton University provides start-ups and emerging companies with targeted resources and services.

IncubatorWorks
Type: Business and Manufacturing Incubators (multiple locations)
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Ideation, testing, limited production, business resources, research and development, access to industry experts, networking, tax incentives, access to funding opportunities
IncubatorWorks is a part of START-UP NY and provides direct support and services from multiple universities across New York.

Southern Tier Startup Alliance
Type: Alliance of multiple Business Incubators
Manufacturing Sectors: All with emphasis on Hardware and Clean Energy
Services: Workshops and programming, 1:1 mentoring, tax benefits, collaboration, acceleration, business resources, access to funding opportunities
In 2015, STSA helped 350 start-ups obtain a combined total of 10 million dollars in funding.

Western New York Region

Western New York | WIN: WNY Incubator Network
Type: Innovation Hot Spot
Manufacturing Sectors: All
Services: Networking, sharing best practices, mentoring, education, financial assistance, tax incentives, pitch prep, SBIR / STTR Assistance
WIN is a collaborative effort of incubators and entrepreneurial service providers that are managed via the University of Buffalo.

The Innovation Center at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
Type: Organization of anchor institutions from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
Manufacturing Sectors: Medical, Biotechnology
Services: Access to world-class clinicians and researchers, networking, business resources, workspaces, mentoring, programming
The BNMC fosters communication and collaboration of academic, industrial, and community resources that are located on the 120-acre Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Fredonia Technology Incubator (FTI)
Type: Certified Business Incubator
Manufacturing Sectors: Arts and Technology-Based Startups
Services: Administrative and business services, mentoring, networking, professional consulting, educational opportunities, access to capital, workspaces
FTI has assisted 20 start-ups that have created over 60 jobs in the Western New York region.

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