Datto, an information backup and disaster recovery specialist, has become the first success story to emerge out of the Startup NY programme in the Rochester area. The initiative was launched by governor Cuomo in order to boost New York state’s startup scene and provides a range of financial incentives such as tax free zones.
Datto moved into offices provided by the Rochester Institute of Technology in August 2014 and currently employs about two dozen staff, which it hopes to grow to 70 within a year.
The building in question, on Franklin Street in downtown Rochester, was donated to the Rochester Institute in 2012, and it is hoped that it will eventually house a Centre for Urban Entrepreneurship.
The announcement follows the news in July 2014 that another institution in the area, Rochester University, gained approval from the Startup NY board to turn three buildings into tax free zones under the programme.
Although it is the first success for the Rochester area, the programme has been bearing fruit since its inception last year. Cornell University attracted a 3D printing company, while five companies partnered with State University at Binghamton, bringing 83 jobs to the area. Buffalo University’s partnerships meanwhile brought 800 jobs to the Buffalo area.
