Q2 2026 Investment Report
Investment in the Southern Tier is distributed on a quarterly basis to highlight the significant startup investment activity in the Southern Tier. Note: while some information is made publicly available in real time, certain fundraising activities may be reported later, leading to potential fluctuations beyond the reporting timeframe. $20,000 is the threshold for determining which funding events to include.
Grants
- REEgen, headquartered in Ithaca, received a $200,000 Innovation Matching Grant from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) in April 2026. Read more about REEgen’s grant here.
Total: $200,000
Investments
- AvantGuard, headquartered in Ithaca, closed an oversubscribed $1.7 million seed round from new investors and existing shareholders in June 2026. Read more about AvantGuard’s funding here.
- Conamix, headquartered in Ithaca, raised $6 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors in June 2026. Read more about Conamix’s funding here.
- Platform Golf, headquartered in Binghamton, raised $7.5 million of seed funding in the form of convertible debt from CircleRock Capital, Litquidity Capital, GameAbove, and other undisclosed investors in April 2026. Read more about Platform Golf’s funding here.
- Protogenix, headquartered in Ithaca, raised $250,000 of seed funding from undisclosed investors in June 2026. Read more about Protogenix’s funding here.
- Simplifed, headquartered in Ithaca, raised $10.8 million through a combination of Series A and Series A-1 venture funding in a deal led by Hesperia Capital and Morningside Group in April 2026. American Heart Association Ventures, Foreground Capital, Elizabeth Street Ventures, and other undisclosed investors also participated in the round. Read more about Simplifed’s funding here.
Total: $26,250,000
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Note: These are federal programs that provide non-dilutive seed funding to startup companies for early-stage product development. Read more about SBIR and STTR grants.
- Soctera, headquartered in Ithaca, was awarded a Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships (TECP) supplement, totaling $200,000, through the National Science Foundation in April 2026. Read more about Soctera’s grant here.
Total: $200,000
Competitions
- Lucent EMS Solutions, headquartered in Binghamton, received $25,000 as the first-place winner of the Health and Wellbeing category at the New York Business Plan Competition in April 2026. Read more about Lucent EMS Solutions’ award here.
- Medara*, headquartered in New York City, received $25,000 as the first-place winner of the 2026 BenDaniel Venture Challenge in April 2026. Read more about Medara’s award here.
- Rootline Robotics, headquartered in Ithaca, won the $50,000 top prize at the 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge in May 2026. Read more about Rootline Robotics’ grant here.
Total: $100,000
*Note: Companies marked with an asterisk (*) may not be headquartered in the region, but they operate in and contribute to job creation in the Southern Tier.