$5 Million up for Grabs at Buffalo’s Premier Startup Competition on October 10

Governor Kathy Hochul on Sep 16th, revealed the 16 semi-finalists for the 10th annual 43North startup competition, marking a decade of investing in innovative companies and fostering entrepreneurial growth in Buffalo, New York. These semi-finalists will converge in Buffalo on October 10th to pitch their game-changing ideas, competing for one of five $1 million investments and the chance to scale their businesses in one of the nation’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems.

This year's semi-finalists span a diverse range of industries, including edtech, fintech, AI, foodtech, healthtech and more. The selected companies hail from across the U.S., including San Francisco, Austin, New York City and Boston. The semi-finalists also include three Buffalo-based companies.

“43North's startup competition continues to attract the brightest and most innovative entrepreneurs from around the world, solidifying Buffalo and Western New York as a dynamic hub for startup growth,” Governor Hochul said. “As we celebrate a decade of commitment and impact through New York State’s support for 43North and initiatives aimed at bolstering innovation, like the CHIPS and Science Act, we are doubling down on our investment in economic development. Congratulations to all the semi-finalists, and we look forward to seeing them compete in Buffalo on October 10th as they aim to elevate their businesses to new heights.”

Narrowing down the hundreds of applications to just 16 semi-finalists was no small task. A panel of over 60 investors and industry experts from across North America rigorously reviewed applications, engaged with founders and aided in selecting this year's top contenders. These semi-finalists are competing to join a remarkable group of past winners who are driving economic growth in Buffalo and the region, creating jobs, and shaping the future of our community.

The 43North business accelerator is funded by New York State and receives support from Empire State Development to operate competitions. Following a successful return in 2023, the $25,000 People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, will once again be decided by a live audience vote during the finals event on October 10.

Buffalo's reputation as a thriving startup city continues to grow, with 43North playing a pivotal role. The accelerator doesn’t just offer funding; it provides mentorship, office space, access to a wide network of investors, and resources that help startups scale effectively. Over the past decade, 43North has invested in 69 companies, 52 percent of which have remained in Buffalo. The portfolio features 50 percent of companies led by founders of color and 26 percent led by female founders.

43North President Colleen E. Heidinger said, “As we mark our 10th year, we’re proud to introduce the 2024 semi-finalists—exceptional companies and founders who have stood out in a highly competitive field. We are eager to welcome them to Buffalo, where our team and community will champion their growth and guide them toward becoming part of our year 10 cohort, building impactful futures right here in Western New York.”

The 2024 43North Semi-Finalists are:

8B Education Investments – Ithaca, NY
8B Education Investments is a fintech platform enabling campuses to meet their revenue and enrollment goals by tackling the $50 billion gap in education financing facing African students going to study in the US.

BosonQ Psi – Buffalo, NY
BosonQ Psi is a software company that leverages quantum computing to provide specialized engineering simulation services, which cuts production time and costs exponentially.

Cache – New York, NY
Cache is building a fully automated, AI-powered cash management platform for households.

Cactivate – Boston, MA
Cactivate is a plug-and-play, marketing copilot for small and medium-sized businesses. Its vertically-integrated one-stop-shop uses large language models and retrieval-augmented generation to prescribe and assist with marketing strategies.

Cosi Care – Swansea, UK
Cosi Care has created the world’s first medical devices that offer instant itch relief and a safe alternative to scratching and infection management for those living with eczema or any chronic itch.

CoverRight – Brooklyn, NY
CoverRight is on a mission to improve the lives of older adults by guiding them through health, finance and lifestyle options that benefit them.

FLUIX – Tampa, FL
FLUIX is an Autonomous AI software platform that saves critical buildings, such as data centers, up to 40 percent in energy costs by intelligently connecting and holistically controlling facility systems.

FoodNerd – Buffalo, NY
FoodNerd is a food technology platform redefining the processing of shelf-stable foods. Its patent-pending technology produces nutraceutical-grade food with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients preserved intact.

HeronAI – Cambridge, MA
HeronAI has created the only Growth Opportunity Tool designed for accounting firms to streamline month-end advisory reporting. HeronAI helps reduce reporting time from weeks to under 5 minutes.

Lilo – New York, NY
Lilo indexes all information and automates time-intensive and repetitive workflows for procurement teams with a focus on commercial real estate.

NearWave – Austin, TX
NearWave makes a new handheld imaging technology with AI that helps physicians select the right therapy for their cancer patients.

Offerwell – Buffalo, NY
Offerwell revolutionizes real estate transactions with AgentOS, an AI-driven platform that streamlines offer management, showings, and provides analytics for agents, brokers, buyers, and sellers.

Rarebird – San Francisco, CA
Rarebird makes Px (paraxanthine) coffee, a patented coffee with the world's first caffeine replacement.

Spiky.ai – Brookline, MA
Spiky empowers revenue teams with real-time AI-driven customer insights for enhanced selling effectiveness.

xPub – New York, NY
xPub helps enterprises accelerate their business-to-business sales cycles by automating sales documentation through the development of applications using large language models and other cutting-edge techniques.

Zeph – New York, NY
Zeph is solving the pulmonary crisis in the US with an AI-enabled pulmonary rehabilitation and remote patient monitoring platform used by clinicians to treat chronic respiratory patients at scale.

43North Finals is free to attend, but registration is required. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free tickets for 43North Finals – taking place on October 10 at 6 p.m. ET at Shea’s Performing Arts Center – can be reserved at 43North.org.

About 43North

43North is an accelerator program that hosts an annual startup competition, investing $5 million per year to attract and cultivate high-growth companies in Buffalo, NY. 43North portfolio companies also receive free incubator space in Buffalo for one year, guidance from mentors in related fields, and access to other business incentive programs such as START-UP NY. 43North operates through the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, Empire State Development, the M&T Foundation and several other sponsors. For more information about 43North, visit www.43north.org.