1. Matt Grattan
Director, Community & Economic Development University at Albany

2. Innovate 518
The Capital Region’s Innovation Hot Spot led by UAlbany, in partnership with CEG and RPI
Access to: angel investors ● private equity and venture capitalists ● connections to banks and various forms of grant resources ● facilities
Assistance with business functions including: accounting ● finance ● marketing strategy ● legal issues and regulatory compliance ● mentoring ● tech transfer and commercialization ● presentation and pitch prep sessions ● intern and student support ● networking events ● executive leadership and employee recruitment ● approved vendor lists
Innovate 518 drives commercialization within New York State’s Capital Region by leading the development of a supportive innovation infrastructure and connects entrepreneurs to the start-up ecosystem
A collaborative effort of incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces and entrepreneurial service providers building a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity in the region. The program shares best practices, networking, mentoring, educational, and financial resources to better assist start-up companies.
Incubation services are provided to client companies virtually, or in existing spaces based on their needs and geography.
Innovate 518 and its network of 18 affiliated partners are located throughout eight counties in the Capital Region. Together we address the diverse emerging and established industry sectors, all with a focus on getting start-up products to market.

4. Our affiliated partner network has helped more than 300 start-up businesses generate sound business models and customer development practices.
In the first round of Hot Spot funding, Innovate 518 certified eight startups that accounted for 12 jobs and $430K in investment.
Innovate 518’s partners have been able to attract investment capital from outside the region, and has connected and convened entrepreneurs and innovators in downtown areas.
In 2017, Innovate 518 launched its website, as the “go-to” resource for entrepreneurs in the region. Here they can find information on available programs, events, workshops, and tools that can help them achieve commercialization and growth.

5. Through its affiliation, Albany Law School and the University at Albany developed an online tutorial called “Corporation in a Box” for early- stage technology start-ups leveraging Albany Law legal education services to support Innovate 518.
The tutorial, resides on the Innovate 518 website ( and provides an interactive experience to ensure businesses incorporate at the optimal level for their specific business and personal needs.
Additional tools and resources to assist companies in applying for SBIR/STTR applications through the Small Business Administration were also developed as part of future phases of the collaboration.

6. AutoX
AutoX is an online platform, focused on car dealerships, that tackles sales, marketing and data solutions.
Its aim is to make car purchases less complicated and more efficient through a four-step process: find a car, choose financing, get protected and drive happy.
The project, now in a pilot phase focused on developing funding.
UAlbany Innovation Center and Innovate 518 provide resources in the areas of CTO development, customer validations, preparing for business plan competitions, linking them to investor and customer netoworks.
Treebu
Treebu, located in Albany, NY, is an internet-based community-building platform dedicated to helping people understand how to pursue their interests within their local environments.
Treebu works from a place of personal interest to motivate individuals to pursue what they want to do in life.
With the help of UAlbany Innovation Center and Innovate 518 resources, Treebu developed a commercialization plan, including fundraising, attraction of a CTO, legal resources to address corp structure and intellectual property. Also they were connected to investors and investor networks nationally.
ecoLong
ecoLong is an environmental science and renewable energy high-tech company based in Albany, NY, providing products, site prospecting, performance monitoring and production forecasting to help make the unpredictable, predictable.
UAlbany Innovation Center at Innovate 518 resources have helped ecoLong drive towards commercialization by linking them to sources of funding, customer discovery, pitch prep assistance, and assistance in submitting grants.