By: Chelsea Diana | Albany Business Review

Upstate Venture Connect, a nonprofit that connects startups and entrepreneurs, has new digital tools to help grow business in upstate New York.

UVC was created in 2010 by Martin Babinec, the founder of Silicon Valley company TriNet that went public in 2014. The nonprofit’s mission is to connect startups, entrepreneurs and investors in cities from Albany and Syracuse to Rochester and Buffalo.

“Martin has been working on this for six years. To create a tool, a portal, for upstate New York’s startup community so they can connect and grow these upstate communities, keep our talent local and create a sustainable economy,” said Kathryn Cartini, a marketer for UVC. “With this site, we’re able to do that.”

The redesigned website includes an interactive map (which you can check out below) that charts where startups, accelerator programs, incubators and investors are located around cities in upstate New York and Long Island. It lets entrepreneurs in Syracuse check out what’s going on in Rochester, Albany or Buffalo.

The website also has a calendar to check out or post events.

“The more you can get out there and meet people and pitch your company, the better chance you’ll have to find your next investor or co-founder,” Cartini said.

UVC has introduced several new programs in the last year, including UNY50— a growing private network of notable businesspeople and investors.

Later this summer, UVC will host Washington, D.C., serial entrepreneur and investor Paul Singh in three upstate New York cities, including Saratoga, as part of his North American tech tour.

Chelsea Diana covers technology and money