A semi-regular roundup of startup news in Buffalo
NC startup expands to Buffalo
Readers of Western New York business news are familiar with the story of companies relocating to the low-cost South. Sometimes that trend reverses itself.
Breezi, a North Carolina-based startup that has developed predictive maintenance technology for HVAC systems, will expand to the Buffalo area by setting up a pilot manufacturing site here.
Breezi’s project is supported by a $100,000 investment through Launch NY investment vehicles. The company is also a member of Launch NY’s Emerging Cleantech Opportunity incubator.
“The investment we’ve made will support the scale-up of operations and completion of Breezi’s pilot manufacturing line here in Buffalo, as well as Launch NYs overall goal of growing the climate tech ecosystem in Upstate New York,” Launch NY CEO Marnie LaVigne said.
Good marketing bounce
Bounce Imaging is building a team in Buffalo under vice president of operations Lauren Baynes.
Recently, the startup caught the eye of Hollywood.
Bounce’s throwable, 360-degree camera was used in an episode of ABC’s show "The Rookie." Watch the scene here
Bounce initially received an inquiry from the team at ABC, who were looking for a camera the Los Angeles Police Department could throw into an RV to find weapons and ammunition. They first tested with a Bounce mock-up, then used a real camera to film with afterward.
“It’s a nice example of how the camera could be used in real-world situations,” Baynes said. “They could have used the actual ball to break through the window if they wanted.”
Appointments
• HELIXintel has hired Christa Dahlem as chief revenue officer, charged with overseeing sales, outreach, strategy, marketing and operations. The Buffalo-based startup has developed a tech-enabled platform that helps customers maintain and purchase their equipment.
Dahlem previously won more than $500 million in commercial and defense contracts working for Peraton and DHPC Technologies.
• Adam Freeland has been named compliance manager at Buffalo-based Arbeit, a software provider for the debt collection industry.
Freeland last worked as a litigation attorney for a law firm in Texas, defending creditors against financial allegations and handling cases in intellectual property, medical malpractice, insurance defense and commercial contract disputes.
Freeland will oversee compliance matters for Arbeit in the heavily regulated debt collection industry.
