Big news for Year 10 portfolio company FoodNerd: the Buffalo-based, woman-owned startup has officially opened its new 30,000 sq. ft., FDA-registered manufacturing facility in Clarence, NY. The state-of-the-art space will allow the company to scale production of its plant-based toddler snacks and create new jobs in Western New York. The ribbon-cutting event brought out strong
Jaxon Stuart of Space Station recently stopped by 43North to share his expertise on what sets standout consumer brands apart — from compelling storytelling to smart retail strategy. As a partner at Space Station, co-founded by creator and entrepreneur Shonduras, Jaxon has backed industry-shaping brands like Graza, Olipop, and 43North portfolio company FoodNerd (Y10). During
Top Seedz (Y7) has been named Best Seed Cracker in the 2025 Good Housekeeping Best Snack Awards. This national recognition highlights the company’s commitment to clean, simple ingredients and crave-worthy flavor. Made from pantry staples like sunflower and pumpkin seeds, Top Seedz crackers have become a favorite among health-conscious snackers. Built in Buffalo and backed
We’re incredibly proud to share that 43North President Colleen E. Heidinger has been selected for the Kauffman Fellows Class of 2025 (KF30) — becoming one of Western New York’s first-ever Kauffman Fellows. The Kauffman Fellows program is a highly respected global network of top-tier venture capital investors, designed to accelerate innovation by developing the next
Circuit Clinical (Y6) has merged with Lightship, bringing together two leading innovators in clinical trial delivery. This strategic move positions the combined company to better serve the evolving needs of sponsors, CROs, healthcare systems, and—most importantly—patients. For founder Dr. Irfan Khan and the Circuit Clinical team, the merger marks a significant step toward building a
Call for Founders to Grow Businesses in Buffalo for Cut of $5 Million in Investment Finalists to Face-Off at Live In-Person Pitch Event in October New York State announced that applications are now being accepted for the seventh year of 43North, the $5 million startup competition that attracts world-class entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in
ACV’s IPO is an incredible feat by any standards – even the Silicon Valley ones; so for a home-grown Buffalo tech company to hit this milestone, it is a monumental achievement, and its impact will be equally as remarkable in our region. So before we officially turn the page on this chapter, we sat down
2020 looked like a year to retreat on the surface, but for 43North, it’s been a year marked by great momentum and the type of traction that turned things we only dreamed about when we started in 2014 into reality. This year, our portfolio companies raised over $150 million in venture capital, walked away with
Repost from the Buffalo News About $19 million worth of checks are in the mail to small businesses in Erie County chosen for grants from a Covid-19 relief program. The “Back to Business” program has started notifying 1,366 businesses that their money is coming. The recipients are among 5,000 small businesses that applied for grants and were
Repost from Buffalo Business First The message has been plastered on buses, billboards and the airwaves. Erie County businesses heeded its call. A shade more than 5,000 small businesses applied for Erie County’s Back to Business relief program, which is seeking to award $20 million in grants this month. Erie County turned to 43North to
Starting a company is filled with ups and downs. Products and features don’t always work, customers may have no interest in something you thought was extremely valuable or a global pandemic might completely change the way the world does business. Part of being a strong founder is knowing when something isn’t going to work and
Re-post from Buffalo Business First Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant may have seemed like an unlikely match for Buffalo. And it may have seemed like the trajectory of their company, Squire Technologies, would succumb to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the duo continues to make an important mark in Western New York – most recently as the first Buffalo-based entrepreneurs