NYS Innovation Venture Capital Fund
Invests in New York technology companies at early growth rounds beside institutional lead investors.
Eligibility · United States · US-NY
The NYS Innovation Venture Capital Fund is a direct state investment vehicle operated by New York Ventures, the venture capital arm of Empire State Development. The fund holds $100 million in state capital plus $35 million in federal SSBCI funding, for a combined pool of approximately $135 million. The fund does not lead investment rounds; a qualified institutional or strategic investor must already be participating as lead before the state will co-invest.
The fund targets primarily Seed and Series A rounds, with potential for Series B participation in high-conviction cases. Eligible sectors include climate technology, health tech and life sciences, agtech systems, advanced manufacturing, social impact SaaS, data and AI, and other technologies identified as critical to New York's economic future. Companies must be headquartered in New York State or willing to establish New York headquarters, and must demonstrate a commitment to building a diverse workforce and generating new jobs within the state.
Applications are submitted through the NY Ventures Equity Fund Submission Manager at nyventuresapply.esd.ny.gov. There is no published investment maximum per company; deal size is negotiated case-by-case as part of the co-investment round. Founders should ensure a lead institutional or strategic investor is committed before approaching NY Ventures, as the fund will not serve as the sole or lead investor in a round. Contact: nyventures@esd.ny.gov.
State co-investment alongside lead institutional investors into New York technology companies at Seed through Series B across climate tech, life sciences, AI, and advanced manufacturing.
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