As MemoryFox pivots small business, UB and many others make investments

BUFFALO, N.Y. — With COVID-19 arrived a new norm: lockdowns, social distancing and virtual existence. People and corporations of all varieties unleashed their creativeness to rethink the way they function.

Increasing tech startup MemoryFox is no exception.

When the pandemic strike, the organization was concentrated on collecting articles at in-human being activities. And then gatherings were canceled, and group gatherings became anything of the earlier.

As this was happening, Chris Miano — who co-established MemoryFox as a University at Buffalo Faculty of Administration MBA college student — viewed as companies struggled to join with their communities in this upended truth. He observed an prospect for his articles management firm to develop alter and jumped into action, pivoting MemoryFox’s small business product.

What initially began as a way for people to document reminiscences with pre-dementia liked types now helps nonprofits throughout the nation collect and shop community-generated articles to develop engagement and raise resources.

MemoryFox has viewed exponential advancement considering the fact that earning this elementary transform. In the last calendar year and a 50 percent, the firm extra notable shoppers like United Way, and its income has risen for 3 straight quarters.

UB sows progress through seed fund

As MemoryFox picks up momentum, UB has invested $100,000 from the Buffalo Innovation Seed Fund to gasoline its progress. Other community funders — Z80 Labs, Start NY and private traders — contributed extra investments for a mixed overall of $380,000 in seed round funding for the organization.

Miano claims funding will allow ongoing solution growth and the development of a content promoting ecosystem. The staff not long ago hired a advisor — a University of Management graduate — to take care of its podcast.

“Between our income progress and the investment from UB and other folks, we can commit in our own growth, employ the service of and continue to create our team,” says Miano.

Aside from funding, UB has supported MemoryFox in other techniques in the course of the company’s record. The team has participated in the College of Management’s Entrepreneurship Lab, the Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technologies Entrepreneurship Competition, Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars, and other entrepreneurship packages.

Miano also works with Richard Kim, a member of UB’s Startup Ventures staff, who connected him with neighborhood entrepreneur Tom Slowe. Both of those Kim and Slowe provide as mentors and advisors for the MemoryFox crew.

MemoryFox’s crew of 8 and counting — such as UB interns — is quickly transferring into an business office in UB’s downtown incubator, found within just the Middle of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Existence Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Health care Campus.

“Witnessing MemoryFox’s grit and traction has been truly impressive. This is a company that has been outlined by its evolution through the pandemic, and we’re thrilled to elevate their upward trajectory via this financial investment and continued entrepreneurial guidance,” claims Kim.

Christina Orsi, UB associate vice president for financial growth, claims, “Our expenditure in MemoryFox is one particular of several to occur, as UB is concentrated on catalyzing startups, getting ready them for expenditure and increasing the subsequent era of startups in Western New York.”