July 31, 2023

Summer Cookout Sells Out; HELIXintel Raises $11MM Series A

BootSector and TechBuffalo's summer cookout hits 75+ registrants. HELIXintel closes an $11MM Series A led by National Grid Partners.

Here's what's happening in the WNY Startup Community, brought to you by BootSector.

Summer in Full Swing

It's hot, hot, hot in Western New York. But a little heat doesn't slow down the startup community! We've got a great recap for you this week. And as always send us your thoughts, questions, or ideas using the button below. Send BootSector Your Feedback!

BootSector Spotlight

Take a look at some highlights from groups that are Powered by BootSector!

Startup Speaker Series is a Hit!

The first session of the a Startup Speaker Series (led by Asif Hossain (404 Link Removed) and Kamal Patel (404 Link Removed) and Powered by BootSector) was a huge success. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming speakers!

Powered by BootSector Headlines

Groups Powered by BootSector are making movies. Check out these items!

Good Neighbor Fund adds Nicole Hunter to its list of LPs in Denver. - Buffalo AgTech Meetup is looking for hosting locations for its next meeting.
Jack Greco talks about B2B marketplaces and running startups on the Sobremesa Podcast

Startup Community Events

Looking for something entrepreneurial to do? Why don't you come out to these upcoming events?

Startup Community Cookout

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-cookout-tickets-676671632067

Last call for the Startup Community Cookout sponsored by TechBuffalo and BootSector! Over 75 people have registered and we're going to have to close registrations soon.

Seating is available but limited, so if you want to guarantee yourself a seat feel free to bring your favorite camp chairs. Click the image or this link to register →

This Week's Events

Better Together - Powered by BootSector - Monday, July 31 from 7-8:30pm on Zoom.
Buffalo Startup Coffee - Powered by BootSector - Tuesday, August 1 from 7:30-9am at HANSA
Buffalo Cannabis Network - Powered by BootSector - Wednesday, August 2 from 8:30-9:30am at 505 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY.
Summer Cookout - Powered by BootSector - Thursday, August 3 from 5-8pm at The Foundry.

And here's a few other startup community events to check out this week:

Email Marketing 101: Conversion Strategies for Startup Founders - Monday, July 31 from 1-3pm online.
Twenty Startups, Twenty Lessons - Tuesday, August 1 from 1-2pm online.

But wait, there's more! You can see all of the WNY Startup Community Events on BootSector's Venture Herd Calendar. Click the button below to see more! Check here for more events!

Startup Funding

Looking for news on fundraising opportunities or recent raises. We got you covered!

HELIXintel Closes a $11MM Series A Round

Congratulations to the HELIXintel team that successfully closed an $11MM Series A Round last month! National Grid Partners, the corporate venture and innovation arm of National Grid, led the round. Earlier investors, including Munich Re Ventures, Stellifi, Motivate Ventures and others, all participated in the round.

FuzeHub Deadline Extended - August 10, 2023

https://fuzehub.com/commercialization-competition-2/

FuzeHub's 2023 Commercialization Competition application period is now open. Finalists will pitch live during the NYS Innovation Summit at the Saratoga City Center on October 16 & 17.

Awards are up to $50,000 each; one company has the chance to win an additional $100,000 for a grand award of $150,000. Get more information here:

MARL 5G Accelerator - August 15, 2023

https://www.f6s.com/marl-accelerator-fall-2023-cohort

MARL 5G Accelerator's Fall 2023 Cohort applications are now open! If you or someone you know is interested in participating in a founder-focused, deep tech accelerator, apply here → Is there funding news that we missed? Let us know!

BootSector's Gives

BootSector believes in Giving First. So here's what we're giving this week.

Free Day of Coworking at Serendipity Labs

Join Serendipity Labs for a free day of coworking on August 9 in celebration of International Coworking Day. Enjoy complimentary mocktails while connecting with like-minded professionals, fostering collaborations and networking opportunities. Click here for more details (404 Link Removed)

BootSector's Asks

Once you give, it's ok to ask. So here's what BootSector is asking for this week.

This week, we're asking you to come hang out! BootSector and TechBuffalo are throwing an awesome community cookout. Come hang out and see what all the excitement is about! Sign up to hang out with BootSector!

Startup Jobs & Future Employees

BootSector is always on the look out for job opportunities in the Western New York Startup Community. Post your openings on the WNY Community Slack → ! And let us know if you have a position to fill using the button below.

Job Openings

From Buffalo Inno:

Contract Backend Engineer at Squire
Principal Product Designer at Jerry
Business Systems Analyst at Odoo
Claims Examiner II at Centivo
Financial Controller at Viridi Parente
New England Sales Manager at CleanFibre
Maintenance and Reliability Manager at CleanFibre
Bookkeeper and Grants Manager at Bounce Imaging
Customer Success / Account Management Specialist at LenderLogix
Senior Accountant at PostProcess Technologies
ERP Business Analyst at Odoo

From Buffalo Bridge:

Backend Engineer at AireXpert
Full Stack Engineer at AireXpert
Accounting Manager at Circuit Clinical
Senior Data Scientist at Jerry
Customer Success Manager at Squire
Data Analyst at HelixIntel
Data Engineer at HelixIntel
Controller at HelixIntel

From WNY Startup Community Slack:

Cloud Security Engineer at Studio X
Senior Front End Engineer at Studio X
Staff Front End Engineer at Studio X
Senior Data Scientist at Studio X
Marketing Manager at JMS Technical Solutions
Business Development Representative at Blackbird.AI

Got a job you want to post? Send it to BootSector!

Reverse Job Opening

We're trying something different this week and want to highlight some excellent people that are looking for a project in the startup community.

Meet Tom Miller (404 Link Removed) :

Hello! I am Buffalo born and raised, moved back during Covid and looking to get more involved in the community. I'd like to offer my help to anyone in anyway I can. I am a Product Manager with experience at various robotics companies in Boston and San Francisco. If I can make a connection, offer advice, or anything else, please don't hesitate to ask.

I am also looking for a new opportunity in Product Management for companies focused on climate, real estate, robotics, or any other tech/science. If anyone has any leads on openings or interesting companies I would greatly appreciate you sharing them with me. Thanks. I'd love to connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasemiller716/

Parting Thoughts

Building Your Startup Castle in the Sky

There's no such thing as an overnight success with a startup. Success often seems distant or impossible to attain, leading us to reduce our effort in reaching it. All that work for little or no result.

But Henry David Thoreau once said "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Instead of focusing on how far you've got to go, focus on the progress you've made toward your aim. Setup some measuring times for yourself. Write down yearly wins, capture quarterly improvement, record your monthly accomplishments, and pick out a few weekly victories to focus on - no matter how small.

Do this and you'll see the progress you've made, generate confidence, and motivate you to keep driving ahead.

Jordan Walbesser Executive Director, BootSector Share this mailing list with your friends!