Buffalo is making big strides in the job market once again. This time it’s with the continued investment and growth by businesses that are expanding into or locating to New York State. Empire State Development has announced that 238 jobs (to start) will be spurred by 18 companies that have joined START-UP NY. The 18 companies are part of an even greater pool of 43 companies statewide (640 jobs). The total investment statewide is $15 million.

“From life sciences to advanced manufacturing, industrial engineering to green-tech, more and more companies are finding New York State is a great place to grow their business,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “These 43 companies will create hundreds of jobs for New Yorkers in dynamic, innovative industries while generating millions in revenue for local economies throughout the state.”

These businesses will create jobs in key industries, including: biotechnology; craft beverages; computer/information technology; data processing and hosting; industrial electronic engineering; green technology; high technology; imagining/optics; life sciences; manufacturing; research and development; software development; value added processing; and agribusiness and food processing.

“The business partnerships SUNY colleges and universities have cultivated as a result of this program continue to bring academic and research benefits to our students, faculty, and staff while also driving economic development in every region of the state,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to each of the SUNY colleges and universities welcoming new business partners as a result of today’s announcement.”

The following businesses have joined START-UP NY: University at Buffalo

3AM Innovations, LLC is a high-technology startup company graduating from the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus Incubator. 3AM Innovations will create a product and service that will save firefighter lives by locating and tracking firefighters inside a burning building using a proprietary ad-hoc network that instantly transmits this data to incident command for review and monitoring. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $130,000.

Acudex, Inc. is a new biotechnology business developing a novel technology platform for the detection of immunological markers, primarily for new biomarkers for autoimmune and other immunological non-autoimmune disorders. The company intends to license patented technology from the University at Buffalo. The company will create 11 new jobs and invest $340,000.

Asarasi, Inc. is a 43North competition winner headquartered in Connecticut that is expanding its corporate presence into New York State. Asarasi creates eco beverages using organic maple tree filtrate waters, producing value-added products for NYS Maple farmers and pioneering the recovery of a renewable and sustainable source of fresh pure water. The company will create 11 new jobs and invest $25,000.

Bounce Imaging, Inc. is a new to New York research and development company and a 43North competition winner. Bounce Imaging is developing a 360-degree tactical camera that will provide first-responders with critical intelligence as they enter dangerous spaces. The end user will get an instant 360/VR video right to their smartphones. The company will be marketing this patented hardware and software technology to security and safety firms, law enforcement, and the military. The company will create five new jobs and invest $25,000.

Dive Pool Systems, Inc. is a 43North winner that is engaged in research and development activities in Canada, doing business as Formarum. Formarum has created a valuable family of technical intellectual properties, relating to the design of highly efficient, low cost, miniature and in-line hydro-turbine systems, capable of producing electricity from the flow of fluids in small to medium pipes. Using this core enabling technology, Formarum has developed its first commercial product, Dive Smart Sanitizer, a self-powered and self-contained swimming pool water treatment system. The company will create 25 new jobs and invest $790,000.

HigherMe, Inc. is a new information technology SaaS cloud-based company and a 43North competition winner. HigherMe is developing a suite of software to help retail and service employers use data and video to help find, screen and hire hourly employees more efficiently. The company will create eight new jobs and invest $25,000.

interactiveX, Inc. is a new educational technology company. The company’s primary product delivers educational content that creates an interactive experience for students and teachers alike in classrooms. interactiveX will build a proprietary compiler that will allow teachers to create interactive course lectures, improving the classroom learning experience for students of all ages. The company will create nine new jobs and invest $48,300.

LenderLogix LLC is a new early stage IT company that has created a software platform to help mortgage bankers identify and cultivate stronger relationships with real estate agents by aggregating data from across the real estate spectrum and delivering it to mortgage lenders through the company’s website and mobile app, all designed to help close loans faster. The company will create 13 new jobs and invest $53,000.

Omantec, LLC is an existing medical device business that is expanding its operations in Cheektowaga. Omantec will be commercializing its patented wall mounted mechanical lift device that enables the movement of limited mobility patients for personal hygiene and therapeutic purposes. The device will assist in-home caregivers, as well as provide new solutions for hospitals, nursing homes, and other skilled care facilities in meeting the requirements of the Safe Patient Handling Act. The company will create 20 new jobs and invest $30,000.

Oncolinx Pharmaceuticals, LLC is a new research and development bio-technology company and a 43North competition winner. The company, in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute, is developing targeted cancer immunotherapies called antibody-drug conjugates (ACDs). Oncolinx carries a patented, immune-activating drug payload called the Azonafide that is directed to the cancer, thereby avoiding many of the side effects associated with traditional forms of chemotherapy. Oncolinx is partnered with 14 leading pharmaceutical companies and is planning to enter clinical trials with Roswell Park Cancer Institute in mid-2017. The company will create 19 new jobs and invest $105,000.

PathoVax, LLC is a pre-clinical life sciences company and a 43North competition winner. PathoVax is advancing a patented virus-like particle vaccine platform, with its lead candidate demonstrating complete protection against all cancers and disease caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). PathoVax will be conducting internal research and external collaborations to expand its vaccine platform into novel infectious diseases and oncology indications. PathoVax will create 16 new jobs and invest $955,000.

Qoma, LLC is an existing computer technology company that develops and supports advanced analytic systems to facilitate information discovery, detect trends and patterns, uncover relationships, and put events in context for customers in the financial services sector. The company will create three new jobs and invest $75,000.

RxT is a Joint Venture as a Licensee of an online competitive electronic pharmaceutical bidding process solution for prescribed medications, established as a JV to initially market and sell proprietary software already developed and currently available as well as jointly develop enhanced, innovative or new software for the purpose of monitoring, data mining, and creating knowledge around the purchase, use, movement and sale of prescribed medications. The company will create nine new jobs and invest $178,500.

StartSmartR Capital Corporation (SCC) is a new research and development IT company that will be licensing its exclusive technologies and providing software development services to subsidiary companies. SCC’s employees will identify and analyze potential companies that have exceptional but underutilized and/or new technologies that can be enhanced with SCC’s “Collective Intelligent Innovation Technology”. The company will create 16 new jobs and invest $173,000.

Tactiva Therapeutics, LLC is an existing early stage company involved in the production of engineered T-cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumor. Tactiva will initiate clinical trials within the next year, and is also involved in the discovery of mutational tumor antigens as targets for future therapy. The company will make significant investments in building renovations and equipment and increase staffing to carry out the discovery related activities of the company, as well as the conduct of clinical trials in multiple tumor types. The company will create 18 jobs and invest $1.1M.

UltraCell Insulation, LLC is a Buffalo-based company and a 43North competition winner. UltraCell is launching a proven technology for converting recycled corrugated cardboard into a high performance building insulation, and is planning to add pilot production and full-scale production sites in the Buffalo area with substantial planned capital investments and jobs. The company will create 20 new jobs and invest $25,000.

Vivacelle Bio, Inc. is a new biotechnology business that is developing and commercializing VBI-1, a novel intravenous resuscitation fluid based on phospholipid nanoparticles with a unique mechanism of action used to reverse the consequences of hypovolemic shock. This product will be used to treat injured military warfighters and patients in hospital emergency, operating rooms and rural clinics. The company will create six new jobs and invest $100,000.

WeDidIt, Inc. is a software development business expanding in Buffalo and a 43North competition winner. WeDidit is developing a SaaS platform for non-for profit organizations to raise money through fundraising or donor research. The software platform aggregates donor data so that an organization can automate its prospect research and launch highly targeted fundraising campaigns. The company will create 10 new jobs and invest $25,000.