Launch NY Introduces IdeaCrossing

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Launch NY (www.launchny.org), a non-profit organization which devotes financial and managerial resources to accelerating the growth of high-potential startups in order to create jobs in the region, has teamed with a variety of cross-regional economic development and entrepreneurial support organizations to introduce IdeaCrossing® to Upstate New York (www.ideacrossing.org/uny). This free online resource is being offered to help Upstate New York's startup community make connections with in-region and national resources and other long-term business opportunities. The tool is being promoted in conjunction with organizations committed to supporting and advancing entrepreneurship in the region including the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA), the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences at the University of Buffalo, Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD) and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute (EII) of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

"Upstate New York's startup communities already have access to incredibly strong assets," says John Seman, CEO, Launch NY. "IdeaCrossing can improve the visibility of those resources, allowing early-stage companies to more easily find the support they need."

IdeaCrossing is a web-based resource designed to create connections that build businesses. Interested participants decide which description fits them best – entrepreneur, investor, service provider or business mentor. After completing a brief registration and business profile, users can immediately begin to participate in the online entrepreneurial community.

"IdeaCrossing is a natural complement to Buffalo's entrepreneurial development efforts," says Marnie LaVigne, Associate Vice President of Economic Development at University at Buffalo. "Connections and collaboration are critical elements to our region's entrepreneurial success, and online resources are powerful because they have the ability to foster connections that might otherwise not happen because of time constraints or geographic limitations."

Whether an entrepreneur is interested in being matched to new business mentors or potential investors, accessing a regional directory of service providers or inviting existing advisors to collaborate privately online, this free tool is designed to quickly expand entrepreneurial engagement with the startup ecosystem.

IdeaCrossing includes valuable features such as:

• A business profile generator that creates a downloadable, presentation-quality document based on the information submitted to IdeaCrossing. This Business Profile is automatically updated as an entrepreneur evolves his or her business description online
• Workspaces which are virtual collaboration areas where entrepreneurs can invite trusted advisors and request online feedback, securely share documents and obtain referrals to others who can help advance their business
• A proprietary matching engine that matches entrepreneurs with prospective investors and business mentors
• A searchable service provider directory of regional assets such as universities, economic development organizations, chambers, foundations and professional service providers
• A resource center containing an array of entrepreneurial support content and resources, including member-submitted articles, white papers, news stories and a geographically-searchable calendar of entrepreneur-related events

"IdeaCrossing is a robust entrepreneurial resource that's completely free for anyone interested in this space to leverage," says Heather Filiberto, Director of Economic Development Services at Tompkins County Area Development. "Investors can use IdeaCrossing to privately and securely find deal flow specific to their interests, while universities, economic development organizations, foundations, professional service providers, and other support services can showcase what they offer in one place, ensuring entrepreneurs can find them."

Visit www.ideacrossing.org/uny to register and fill out a free online profile.

About Launch NY
Founded in 2011, Launch NY is a non-profit development organization dedicated to accelerating economic and entrepreneurial growth across the upstate region, including Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse and Binghamton. Launch NY was created based on a program created by Cleveland-based Jumpstart Inc., an organization that has provided critical support to early stage companies that have gone on to generate $340 million in revenue, helped create or retain 2,600 jobs and attracted more than $500 million in investment capital.

About Erie County Industrial Development Agency
The ECIDA, is a public benefit corporation created in 1970 by an act of the New York State Legislature to promote and assist private sector industrial / business development thereby advancing job opportunities and economic well-being to the people of Erie County.  Our mission is to provide the resources that encourage investment, innovation, growth and global competitiveness - creating a successful business climate that improves the quality of life for the residents of the region.

About the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences at UB
The mission of the University at Buffalo's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CoE) is to foster economic development by connecting university resources with life sciences and high-tech industry through funding, research and development support, programming, and education, with the goal of helping companies find business solutions, accelerate new ideas, and grow. This technology-based economic development mission is complemented by the CoE's efforts to support the advancement of new discoveries in science that seek better ways of preventing and managing disease and improving lives.

About Tompkins County Area Development, Inc.
Tompkins County Area Development, Inc. (TCAD) is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1964 that provides the Ithaca area with innovative services to strengthen the economy. TCAD is dedicated to building a thriving and sustainable economy that improves the quality of life in Tompkins County by fostering the growth of business and employment.

About the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute (EII) of Johnson at Cornell University
The mission of Johnson's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute is to foster the three most critical components of entrepreneurship and innovation: knowledge, networking, and opportunity. Together, these three interrelated components form a robust, comprehensive menu for engagement among all current and aspiring stakeholders in our entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem: students, faculty, researchers, alumni, inventors, investors, advisors, and mentors.

About IdeaCrossing
IdeaCrossing is a free online community available to all individuals and organizations with an interest in supporting and promoting entrepreneurial activity. IdeaCrossing helps entrepreneurs efficiently collaborate with their advisors and find the assistance and investment capital they need to grow their promising ventures. IdeaCrossing creates connections that build businesses.

SOURCE IdeaCrossing