Leaders are building startups in Buffalo that span industries, from retail to higher education to finance. They're landing huge strategic partnerships, building strong teams and growing their customer bases.
This is the third year Buffalo Inno is awarding local startups based on factors like growth, potential and innovation.
Among the companies we picked: AireXpert.
AireXpert
Local address: 701 Ellicott Street, Buffalo
Company headquarters: Buffalo
Product or service: SAAS
CEO: Andy Hakes
Other top local executives: Kamal Patel, head of product
Year founded: 2018
Employees in Western New York: 9
Employees nationwide: 10
Inno Fire Awards: Meet all the 2024 honorees
About the company: AireXpert delivers MRO-focused communication, collaboration and automation solutions for aviation and aerospace technical operations. The company's network access solutions are used by airlines to accelerate the execution of unscheduled and scheduled maintenance while significantly increasing productivity.
2023 revenue: $1 million
How much has company raised: $4 million
Business highlights and accomplishments: 101% YoY revenue growth; closed an overprescribed seed investment round (targeted $2 million, closed on $3 million); added two major U.S. airlines to customer base
Goals for 2024: 150% YoY revenue growth; double size of team (already added three team members in 2024 so far); re-brand and launch new website; expand globally (already reached Europe with active users in four European locations)
Advice for other founders: Be persistent, don't give up, success doesn't happen overnight. Use your network and resources. Surround yourself with people you trust and who want to see you succeed.
