Rev: On supporting startups near and far

Since 2014, Rev: Ithaca Startup Works has been a vital resource and gathering place for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs in Ithaca. The business incubator, created in partnership between Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College, was founded to support new and expanding businesses — including student-founded startups — with plans to scale and create jobs in the region.

Located between the Commons and the base of East Hill, Rev’s central location lends itself to collaboration and collegiality. Upon entering the inviting, state-of-the-art workspace, it’s not unusual to be greeted by a friendly canine colleague or the waft of freshly brewed coffee, amidst a scene where a startup team might be sketching out a website wireframe on a whiteboard in one corner and one of Rev’s experienced entrepreneurs in residence might be advising a new member on the ins and outs of intellectual property in another.

“Rev strives to be a hub for the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Ken Rother, director of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works.” Since its inception, we’ve supported over 100 member startups through mentorship, entrepreneurial training and connections to investors, potential partners and new hires, and we’ve welcomed more than 11,000 visitors through our doors for the many workshops, networking nights and community events that we’ve held over the years. By helping businesses grow and thrive locally, we are helping to create jobs and strengthen the regional economy, which is a plus for everyone that calls Ithaca home.”

Among Rev’s alumni are standout startups like Bonterra, formerly known as GiveGab, the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing fundraising-for-social-good platform; Rosie, an e-commerce platform for independent grocers and their customers that was recently acquired by Instacart; and Ursa Space, a satellite intelligence company providing business and government decision-makers with access to on-demand analytic solutions. Combined, these successful companies have raised millions and spurred hundreds of jobs while continuing to be based in Ithaca.

Additionally, Rev has positioned itself as a hub for hardware or physical product entrepreneurship. In partnership with Cornell Engineering, the business incubator offers both prototyping and manufacturing hardware accelerators with specialized tracks in ag tech and climate tech, funded by the U.S. Department of Economic Development Administration and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, respectively.

“One program — Prototyping — is focused on ‘What is the right thing to make?’, and the other — Manufacturing — is focused on ‘How do we make that thing right?’” Rother said.

To date, alumni from Rev’s hardware programs have raised over $26.6 million in venture capital.

Rev invites the public to attend its next Networking@Rev event, which is free and open to all, Oct. 13 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to learn more about how it supports startups in the region and to connect with others in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The winner of Rev’s annual “Most Customer Driven Startup” award — selected by public vote through Oct. 13 — will be announced at the networking night.

Nominees include Rev member startups Antithesis Foods, Florae Collaborative and Levelle Nutrition. RSVP at bit.ly/RevOctNN.

Finally, aspiring or established entrepreneurs are encouraged to visit revithaca.com or contact rev@revithaca.com to learn more about the business incubator’s programming and resources.

Sara Baier is on staff at the Cornell University Center for Regional Economic Advancement.