For Immediate Release
LaunchPad Opens Technology Incubator and Co-Working Space in Huntington, NY
Huntington, NY, February 5, 2014 – LaunchPad Long Island announced today the opening of a new 8,500 square-foot incubator and co-working space in Huntington for startup technology companies. The facility is the latest effort to support Long Island tech startups moving into the region’s downtowns. The founders of Long Island tech startup eGifter worked to open the facility, to be known as LaunchPad Huntington. At 11:00am today, there will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony, offering opportunities to tour the facilities and meet with the startup tenants and project sponsors.
“We have partnered with our friend Andrew Hazen and his LaunchPad Long Island initiative to make this Huntington incubator and co-working space possible,” said Tyler Roye, CEO of eGifter. “We wanted to move eGifter into the village and saw the opportunity to do something on a larger scale, helping Andrew to extend the LaunchPad brand and programs while also helping to build the local startup ecosystem.”
Located at 315 Main Street, the LaunchPad Huntington space is designed with an open floor plan to maximize collaboration among the selected startup companies. In addition to the subsidized space, companies will also receive mentoring and access to funding. “We hope to locate 8-10 startup companies here that turn over every 6-12 months,” said Roye.
The mentoring, events and access to capital is intended to give a big boost to tech companies in the region. These services are being made possible through the many organizations supporting LaunchPad Huntington, with primary support given by project level sponsors including the Suffolk IDA, Nixon Peabody LLP, Astoria Federal Savings and St. Joseph’s College. LISTnet also has its Suffolk County office in the facility. These local organizations will frequent the facility and provide day-to-day support of the LaunchPad project through ongoing programming, counsel to incubating companies, and selection of new companies to the incubator.
In addition to eGifter, the first round of companies in the incubator will include Flight Partners, Verify Anybody, MyWorkster, TalentBrowser, and Immersive Ubiquity. LaunchPad Huntington is currently reviewing many applications, and will soon select the rest of the first group of startups.
“I am excited that Tyler and the eGifter team decided to step up and make this Huntington project a reality,” said Andrew Hazen, founder of LaunchPad Long Island. “My goal is to help create a world-class startup ecosystem on Long Island and Huntington is a key ingredient in that plan.”
“The support of the Suffolk Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and its CEO & Executive Director, Anthony Manetta was critical in helping make the project financially viable,” said Roye. “Once they were on board, we knew we could make this work.”
To date, approximately a dozen companies have stepped up to sponsor LaunchPad Huntington. Other major sponsors include Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, TriNet, BDO and Verizon, which is powering the startups based there with its FiOs Quantum Internet service. Some of the sponsors will provide educational programming and mentorship.
“The programs will help carry the impact of the facility far beyond just the companies located in the facility; we will be helping startups throughout the region gain access to the resources they need to succeed,” concluded Hazen.
In addition to the Huntington location, LaunchPad Long Island operates a 12,000- square foot business accelerator and co-working facility in Mineola, NY. For more information, visit www.LaunchPadHuntington.com