The opening of the application process for 43North’s 10th anniversary cohort was an ideal time to highlight the new digs for one of its most successful portfolio companies.
The startup accelerator and incubator made the announcement Wednesday at Top Seedz’s new warehouse on Oak Street in Buffalo.
Erie 1 BOCES worked with 43North and some of its partners to develop a curriculum and projects for students as part of a pilot program that led to the inaugural 43North Students to Startups competition – a student version of the 43North finals. It’s another example of how the education system, even at the K-12 level, is laying the groundwork for future entrepreneurs and getting them to think about that path at even earlier ages, helping support the growing Buffalo startup ecosystem.
Top Seedz is getting ready to open a 35,000-square-foot production facility that will more than double its space from its current headquarters in Cheektowaga.
It joins the likes of ACV Auctions, Kangarootime and CleanFiber as examples of 43North portfolio companies who have grown and taken residence across Western New York.
And that is exactly why state officials created the 43North contest a decade ago – to jumpstart the region’s undersized startup sector and help nurture a new generation of high-potential businesses.
I can’t say it enough that I didn’t do this alone, said Rebecca Brady, founder of Top Seedz, which won the 43North competition in 2021.
Really, it’s the whole Buffalo community that has been behind us, she said. And of course, 43North has been amazing – what a fun partner to have for the ride. They’ve provided mentorship, education, support, anything I need.
43North is hoping to help build more stories such as that of Top Seedz as it opens the application process for companies seeking one of the five $1 million prizes that will be handed out at this year’s finals Oct. 10. Applications are due by June 7, and competition finalists will be determined around early September.
43North, which started as an idea by the state to ignite Buffalo’s startup and tech ecosystem, has become a catalyst for the growth of innovation in the area.
At 43North, we talk a lot about mindset and the notion that belief can be the start of something incredible, said Colleen Heidinger, 43North’s executive director.
That vision has created ripple effects, and even some waves, of opportunities in our region, she said. People look to us for a lot of things, now.
The state has been the biggest financial supporter of 43North, which has now created more than 1,000 local jobs and invested in the portfolios of 69 companies, including 46% with founders of color and 26% with female founders. These startups have gone on to raise more than $1 billion in capital.
Top Seedz first connected with 43North by claiming a $50,000 prize through its Ignite Buffalo program in 2018. Brady said she was one of the founders who took every opportunity to learn using their connection to 43North.
What started as a company making 12,000 boxes of crackers a year in 2017 has turned into one making 15,000 boxes every few days. Once the new facility is up and running, Top Seedz will produce 12,000 boxes in four hours.
Six ovens are installed and ready to go in the new facility, with growth potential for more. Top Seedz will transition manufacturing over to the new facility through June.
The company has more than 40 employees, many of whom are new Americans in Buffalo, and its products are now in more than 4,000 stores across the U.S., including Wegmans, Whole Foods, CVS and Kroger. Top Seedz projects sales this year to climb to $10 million.
Brady hopes to continue growing in the U.S. with an eye on international sales one day, including in Toronto. Manufacturing in the new facility will help provide longer shelf life for the crackers.
