The Buffalo startup community demonstrated that it has come of age during the annual Collision 2016 Conference https://collisionconf.com in New Orleans the week of April 25. Collision, “America’s fastest growing tech conference”. Collision has grown to over 7,500 attendees from more than 50 countries. Attendees include CEOs of both the world’s fastest growing startups and the world’s largest companies, alongside leading investors and media.
Jack McGowan of Insyte Consulting was one of more than thirty people from Insyte’s partner organizations in the Buffalo region that participated at Collision to promote Western New York as a business destination, to recruit applicants for the 43North business competition and to support local companies that participated in Collision’s Pitch competition.
Buffalo companies Loupe, Painless 1099, ACV Auctions, Plum and Joox each participated in the Pitch competition. Although none of the Buffalo entrants were selected as one of the three finalists, they were clearly some of the better presenters and business opportunities. Congratulations on the fine work by the presenters and by the many coaches that helped them to refine their presentations.
Information about the 43North business competition and its $5 million in prizes was well-received by early-stage companies that attended Collision from all over the world. Many qualified companies are now considering applying to the 43North contest and moving to Buffalo if they win. Not only were they excited about the chance to win up to $1 million, but they were also impressed by the support that winners receive from mentor teams and from the greater Buffalo community.
No other region made its presence known as much as Buffalo during Collision. The Buffalo booth had a steady stream of visitors, including some who would return with their friends so they could learn about the opportunities in Buffalo. The Buffalo team’s support for its presenting companies during the Pitch competition was apparent and drew favorable notice from the moderators. When not staffing the booth or supporting our presenters, the Buffalo contingent was walking the show floor educating the next generation of great companies about Buffalo and 43North.
