ESD Announces 43 More Companies Choose to Grow in New York State and Commit to Creating 640 New Jobs

ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 23 -- New York Empire State Development issued the following news release:

Empire State Development today announced that 43 businesses will expand in or locate to New York State, partnering with colleges and universities to spur economic growth across the state. These 43 businesses have committed to create more than 640 new jobs and invest more than $15 million statewide.

"From life sciences to advanced manufacturing, industrial engineering to green-tech, more and more companies are finding New York State is a great place to grow their business," said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. "These 43 companies will create hundreds of jobs for New Yorkers in dynamic, innovative industries while generating millions in revenue for local economies throughout the state."

"The business partnerships SUNY colleges and universities have cultivated as a result of this program continue to bring academic and research benefits to our students, faculty, and staff while also driving economic development in every region of the state," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "Congratulations to each of the SUNY colleges and universities welcoming new business partners as a result of today's announcement."

These businesses will create jobs in key industries, including: biotechnology; craft beverages; computer/information technology; data processing and hosting; industrial electronic engineering; green technology; high technology; imagining/optics; life sciences; manufacturing; research and development; software development; value added processing; and agribusiness and food processing.

The 43 companies announced today are sponsored by the following New York State colleges and universities: Broome County Community College; Clinton Community College; Dutchess County Community College; Erie Community College; Hudson Valley Community College; Mount Saint Mary College; New York University; Schenectady County Community College; SUNY Albany; SUNY Cobleskill; SUNY Downstate Medical Center; SUNY Plattsburgh; University at Buffalo; and University of Rochester.

The following businesses have joined START-UP NY:

University at Buffalo - 238 new jobs

3AM Innovations, LLC is a high-technology startup company graduating from the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus Incubator. 3AM Innovations will create a product and service that will save firefighter lives by locating and tracking firefighters inside a burning building using a proprietary ad-hoc network that instantly transmits this data to incident command for review and monitoring. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $130,000.

Acudex, Inc. is a new biotechnology business developing a novel technology platform for the detection of immunological markers, primarily for new biomarkers for autoimmune and other immunological non-autoimmune disorders. The company intends to license patented technology from the University at Buffalo. The company will create 11 new jobs and invest $340,000.

Asarasi, Inc. is a 43North competition winner headquartered in Connecticut that is expanding its corporate presence into New York State. Asarasi creates eco beverages using organic maple tree filtrate waters, producing value-added products for NYS Maple farmers and pioneering the recovery of a renewable and sustainable source of fresh pure water. The company will create 11 new jobs and invest $25,000.

Bounce Imaging, Inc. is a new to New York research and development company and a 43North competition winner. Bounce Imaging is developing a 360-degree tactical camera that will provide first-responders with critical intelligence as they enter dangerous spaces. The end user will get an instant 360/VR video right to their smartphones. The company will be marketing this patented hardware and software technology to security and safety firms, law enforcement, and the military. The company will create five new jobs and invest $25,000.

Dive Pool Systems, Inc. is a 43North winner that is engaged in research and development activities in Canada, doing business as Formarum. Formarum has created a valuable family of technical intellectual properties, relating to the design of highly efficient, low cost, miniature and in-line hydro-turbine systems, capable of producing electricity from the flow of fluids in small to medium pipes. Using this core enabling technology, Formarum has developed its first commercial product, Dive Smart Sanitizer, a self-powered and self-contained swimming pool water treatment system. The company will create 25 new jobs and invest $790,000.

HigherMe, Inc. is a new information technology SaaS cloud-based company and a 43North competition winner. HigherMe is developing a suite of software to help retail and service employers use data and video to help find, screen and hire hourly employees more efficiently. The company will create eight new jobs and invest $25,000.

interactiveX, Inc. is a new educational technology company. The company's primary product delivers educational content that creates an interactive experience for students and teachers alike in classrooms. interactiveX will build a proprietary compiler that will allow teachers to create interactive course lectures, improving the classroom learning experience for students of all ages. The company will create nine new jobs and invest $48,300.

LenderLogix LLC is a new early stage IT company that has created a software platform to help mortgage bankers identify and cultivate stronger relationships with real estate agents by aggregating data from across the real estate spectrum and delivering it to mortgage lenders through the company's website and mobile app, all designed to help close loans faster. The company will create 13 new jobs and invest $53,000.

Omantec, LLC is an existing medical device business that is expanding its operations in Cheektowaga. Omantec will be commercializing its patented wall mounted mechanical lift device that enables the movement of limited mobility patients for personal hygiene and therapeutic purposes. The device will assist in-home caregivers, as well as provide new solutions for hospitals, nursing homes, and other skilled care facilities in meeting the requirements of the Safe Patient Handling Act. The company will create 20 new jobs and invest $30,000.

Oncolinx Pharmaceuticals, LLC is a new research and development bio-technology company and a 43North competition winner. The company, in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute, is developing targeted cancer immunotherapies called antibody-drug conjugates (ACDs). Oncolinx carries a patented, immune-activating drug payload called the Azonafide that is directed to the cancer, thereby avoiding many of the side effects associated with traditional forms of chemotherapy. Oncolinx is partnered with 14 leading pharmaceutical companies and is planning to enter clinical trials with Roswell Park Cancer Institute in mid-2017. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $105,000.

PathoVax, LLC is a pre-clinical life sciences company and a 43North competition winner. PathoVax is advancing a patented virus-like particle vaccine platform, with its lead candidate demonstrating complete protection against all cancers and disease caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). PathoVax will be conducting internal research and external collaborations to expand its vaccine platform into novel infectious diseases and oncology indications. PathoVax will create 16 new jobs and invest $955,000.

Qoma, LLC is an existing computer technology company that develops and supports advanced analytic systems to facilitate information discovery, detect trends and patterns, uncover relationships, and put events in context for customers in the financial services sector. The company will create three new jobs and invest $75,000.

Rx Tracker Corporation is a new research and development IT company that is developing a software and support enterprise system servicing DEA registrants by providing the standard operating procedures and supporting software products used for the maintenance and record keeping of controlled substances compliant with federal and State regulations. The company will create nine new jobs and invest $178,500.

StartSmartR Capital Corporation (SCC) is a new research and development IT company that will be licensing its exclusive technologies and providing software development services to subsidiary companies. SCC's employees will identify and analyze potential companies that have exceptional but underutilized and/or new technologies that can be enhanced with SCC's "Collective Intelligent Innovation Technology". The company will create 16 new jobs and invest $173,000.

Tactiva Therapeutics, LLC is an existing early stage company involved in the production of engineered T-cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumor. Tactiva will initiate clinical trials within the next year, and is also involved in the discovery of mutational tumor antigens as targets for future therapy. The company will make significant investments in building renovations and equipment and increase staffing to carry out the discovery related activities of the company, as well as the conduct of clinical trials in multiple tumor types. The company will create 18 jobs and invest $1.1M.

UltraCell Insulation, LLC is a Buffalo-based company and a 43North competition winner. UltraCell is launching a proven technology for converting recycled corrugated cardboard into a high performance building insulation, and is planning to add pilot production and full-scale production sites in the Buffalo area with substantial planned capital investments and jobs. The company will create 20 new jobs and invest $25,000.

Vivacelle Bio, Inc. is a new biotechnology business that is developing and commercializing VBI-1, a novel intravenous resuscitation fluid based on phospholipid nanoparticles with a unique mechanism of action used to reverse the consequences of hypovolemic shock. This product will be used to treat injured military warfighters and patients in hospital emergency, operating rooms and rural clinics. The company will create six new jobs and invest $100,000.

WeDidIt, Inc. is a software development business expanding in Buffalo and a 43North competition winner. WeDidit is developing a SaaS platform for non-for profit organizations to raise money through fundraising or donor research. The software platform aggregates donor data so that an organization can automate its prospect research and launch highly targeted fundraising campaigns. The company will create 10 new jobs and invest $25,000.

SUNY Downstate Medical Center - 90 new jobs

BioHealthWays, Inc. is a new ophthalmic medical materials and devices research and development company that is developing artificial vitreous substitutes for use in patients treated for sight-threatening eye diseases. Vitreous is a natural substance that fills the inside of the eye that must be replaced during a vitrectomy, a surgical procedure to treats disorders of the retina and vitreous. The company will create 14 new jobs and invest $135,000.

Call9 is a new company developing software that will enable physicians to perform point of care testing (labs test, EKG's and ultrasounds) from a patient's bedside to remote off-site physicians. The software will be used by medical groups to deliver urgent, emergency and palliative care to skilled nursing facilities, assistant living centers and home care agencies. The software also has its own electronic medical records and charting system and will help avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. The company will create 25 jobs and invest $150,000.

DrinkSavvy, Inc. is an existing research and development company that is expanding. The company will develop colorimetric chemical sensors that detect analytes, such as drugs, pathogens, bacteria, and explosives, for real-time detection in field use, without the need for secondary analysis using lab equipment or spectrometer. The chemical sensors will be embedded in plastic stirrers, straws and cups and provide a colorimetric signal to the consumer in order to prevent consumption of illicit drugs and ensuing drug-facilitated sexual assault and crime. The company will create 15 jobs and invest $362,000.

Fesarius Therapeutics Inc. is a newly formed life science company that will develop engineered skin replacement products using patented microsphere hydrogel technology invented by its co-founder Dr. Jason Spector. The tissue products, initially target at the dermal replacement market, which utilize proprietary, patented technology. Fesarius Therapeutics technology will materially increase the efficacy of dermal replacement products over current existing products. Poor wound healing is a frequent and costly complication across a wide array of medical and surgical specialties. The need for an alternative to one's own tissue for repair has existed as long as reconstructive surgery itself. The will create six new jobs and invest $70,000.

Kinnos Inc. is an existing bio-technology company that aims to raise the standard of infectious disease decontamination through its patent-pending Highlight technology. Highlight is an additive that greatly improves visibility, guarantees complete coverage on surfaces, which fades in color to provide real-time feedback when decontamination is done. Kinnos is developing new technology to expand its platform to wipes and hand sanitizers to be marketed in hospitals for daily disinfection to prevent hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance. The company will create 17 new jobs and invest $100,000.

Lucerna, Inc. is an existing New York State biotechnology company that is developing new RNA-based research tools for industrial and drug discovery applications. Lucerna has an exclusive license of a proprietary fluorescent RNA tagging technology that overcomes existing RNA imaging technologies and is a platform technology that can be adapted for different markets and applications. The company will create two new jobs and invest $70,000.

Parkside Scientific Inc. is a new preclinical stage drug discovery company that focuses on developing novel first-in-class small-molecule drugs for a variety of cancers and inflammatory diseases that work through epigenetic modulation of gene expression. Parkside Scientific will combine cutting-edge science with efforts being made to establish NYC as a biotech hub. The company will create three new jobs and invest $20,000.

Mirimus, Inc. is an existing bio-technology company focused on developing preclinical research tools for drug discovery. Mirimus genetically engineers animal models with the unique capability of reversible gene silencing for use in research by academic labs, biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Through genome editing and reversible gene silencing, the technology helps scientists discover the effects of different diseases and potential treatment prior to drug development itself. The company will create eight new jobs and invest $240,000.

Hudson Valley Community College - 74 new jobs

deFacto Global is a software development company in Connecticut that will be relocating part of its operations from Connecticut to Troy, NY. The company sells financial analytic products (defacto Planning) to medium to large corporations located throughout the U.S. and ten countries. One area of growth for the company is predictive analytics. The company will create six new jobs and invest $318,000.

Incentivate Health, LLC is an existing software company that is expanding. Incentivate Health is a digital health company that will design a cloud-based HIPAA-compliant member/patient engagement and incentive service for risk-bearing healthcare organizations. The service is a web portal with bi-directional patient text messaging capability and a subscription based member incentive.The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $86,000.

Velan Studios, Inc. is a new software development company that will create and publish video game software for consumer devices such as home consoles, websites, mobile devices, and virtual reality. The company fosters innovation concepts that lead to discovery of breakthrough interactive entertainment experiences. The company will create 41 new jobs and invest $3,550,000.

Velan Ventures is a corporate headquarters that provides leadership talent, innovation, financial functions, marketing, research and development, and operations management to digital entertainment and smart devices companies. Velan Ventures will incubate new innovations lacking fully formed business plans and actively work with entrepreneurs to build up businesses. Velan Ventures employees will play key advisory roles for New York's Digital Gaming Hubs and will provide leadership talent to small companies such as Velan Studios and Lottery Rewards. The company will create eight new jobs.

Broome County Community College - 69 new jobs

Southern Tier Technologies is a new engineering business in the industrial electronic industry with a focus on energy efficiency. Southern Tier Technologies designs, develops and manufactures power equipment for process industries to control costs, reduce emissions, energy use and improve safety. Power Factor Correction (PFC) will be the company's first product completely designed and manufactured in its facility, and is designed to reduce customers' electricity bills by eliminating reactive energy charges. The company will create 69 new jobs and invest $258,000.

Erie Community College - 56 new jobs

BlackRock Fund Advisors is a new business to New York State that is part of Black Rock, Inc., a global investment management corporation based in New York City. BlackRock Fund Advisors will establish a data center to house the corporation's mission-critical infrastructure systems for internal business as well as client data. The Amherst Data Center will replace the corporation's data center in Needham, Massachusetts. The jobs created at the Amherst Data Center will support core technology, business unit and corporate operations with emphasis on information security, computer science, corporate planning, quality control and operational efficiency. The company will create 50 jobs.

3480 Group, Inc. is an existing research and development company that is expanding. The company is focused on broadband access to socioeconomically distressed areas and designs ODAS (outdoor distributor antenna systems)/IDAS (indoor antenna systems) using RF engineering. 3480 Group, Inc. will be developing a scalable renewable energy system (solar, wind, hydrogen cell technology) that can power telecommunication towers in rural and off-grid locations. The company will create six new jobs and invest $33,000.

Schenectady County Community College - 31 new jobs

Elysium Industries Limited is a Canadian research and development firm that aims to produce safe, cost-effective, and carbon conscious energy through the development of liquid fueled, molten salt reactors. Elysium will design, test, manufacture, and commercialize molten salt reactors to cater towards corporations and governments with intensive energy needs. The company will create 12 net new jobs and invest $500,000.

Update Captain is an existing high-technology, cloud-based software-as-a-service company that provides solutions for businesses to work more collaboratively and efficiently on team projects. Update Captain's technology is designed to remove the busy work of collating and rewriting information by providing a simple platform for group members to collaborate and significantly reduce the time it would typically take to get a job done. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $45,000.

SUNY Plattsburgh - 26 new jobs

Resolute Forest Products is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including market pulp, wood products, tissue, newsprint and specialty papers. The company owns or operates over 40 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and South Korea, as well as power generation assets in Canada and the United States. Resolute is establishing a U.S. principal office on the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh to support current manufacturing operations in nine states. The company will create 26 new jobs and invest $26,000.

New York University - 14 new jobs

Bubbl, Inc. is an existing, formative stage high-technology company developing digital products and software for media companies and video content creators. The company uses a proprietary video processing architecture to enable fan-interaction with video without any lag time. Bubbl's technology is an additive enterprise solution for media companies and content publishers. The company will create 14 new jobs and invest $36,000.

Dutchess County Community College - 12 new jobs

Precision Component Manufacturing, Inc. is a new manufacturing company. The company will manufacture and assemble precision mechanical and optical components. These assemblies are used by government and private industries in products such as space imaging systems, remote piloted vehicles, and guidance systems. In addition to high volume precision machining, CNC (computer numerical controlled), the company specializes in ultra-precision ceramic and diamond turning, vacuum evaporative metal deposition and precision laser alignment processes. The company will create 12 new jobs and invest $2,907,000.

Clinton Community College - 10 new jobs

Biotech Energy, Inc. is an existing green technology company that is expanding in Plattsburgh. Biotech Energy provides fuel sales, energy surveys and audits, design, and engineering required for the manufacturing, installation, training, commissioning and service of biomass energy systems. The company will create 10 new jobs and invest $30,000.

University of Rochester - 8 new jobs

Clerio Vision, lnc. is an existing early stage, start-up company developing and commercializing a novel, permanent, non-invasive vision correction technology that alters the refractive index of the cornea. The company will create eight net new jobs and invest $515,000.

SUNY Albany - 7 new jobs

TruWeather Solutions, LLC is a new business that will be providing a 24/7 Weather Forecasting Operations Center to support TruWeather Solutions and its customers with weather related data. TruWeather utilizes a team of technology and operations experts to analyze weather and water data and develop locally specific, real-time technology solutions that assist customers in decision making as it relates to weather and water sensitive events. The company will create seven new jobs and invest $260,286.

Mount Saint Mary College - 4 new jobs

Graft Cider, LLC is a new manufacturing company that will produce hard cider from New York apples, with a focus on producing ciders stylistically similar to European dry ciders fermented with wild yeast. The company will create four net new jobs and invest $590,000.

SUNY Cobleskill - 3 new jobs

Serious Brewing Co. LLC is a new to New York farm and craft brewery that will brew a variety of beers, including four different products using New York State-grown grains and hops. Initial brewing capacity will produce up to 40 batches per year, equating to 260 barrels, (8,030 gallons), largely for wholesaling; and will add additional brews after year two as it seeks to double its output. The company will create three new jobs and invest $645,000.

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