Two Syracuse University LaunchPad student teams received first and second place in the 12th annual New York Business Plan Competition hosted by the Upstate Capital Association of New York on May 7. Ambassadoor Technologies placed first in the Software and Services category and Sice-Me placed second in the Consumer and Business Products category. Teams received cash prizes and ongoing mentorship to advance their student-led ventures.
Overall, this year’s state competition involved 55 colleges and universities, 269 startup teams and 607 students competing for top honors.
Ambassadoor Technologies, founded by Bruno Andres Gonzalez Hauger ’21 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), connects small businesses to nano-influencers on Instagram through innovative iOS mobile applications. The company created a business app and an influencer app to streamline the entire influencing process on both ends of a deal.
Sice-Me, founded by Alexander Peter Rolinksi ’24 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), is a mobile application available for download that creates insular marketplaces for college and high school campuses and their students.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the innovation and effort of these two teams,” said David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries. “They demonstrated professionalism and an entrepreneurial spirit, utilizing technology and platforms, to provide a solution that has the potential to impact college students and businesses across campuses everywhere.”