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Startup+: The story of rebuilding New York’s startup scene

What Startup+ does


Startup+ is one of the largest startup communities in post-pandemic era New York City. Startup+ provides a suitable breeding ground for new relationships among founders, funders, and everything and everyone in between.


Startup+ hosts in-person pitch, networking, and hackathon events across New York City at different venues. It currently holds a membership of 10,000+ folks in the local startup community.


The Current Landscape


Pre-pandemic New York City was a battleground for quality in-person events. Now, Startup+ is the leader in this category. There are other companies like Tech Stars exist, but they are more of accelerator programs from NYC-based financial institutions that also conduct events occasionally. Startup+ is the leading, independent, unopinionated startup community in New York City now.


Company Birth Story


The year was 2021, and the pandemic had deserted New York City. Most events were virtual, even the happy hour and professional networking ones. People were tired of video calls, and they craved in-person events. Aneesh Gopalakrishnan was one among them. He searched for in-person professional events in New York City startup community but couldn’t find them. So he decided to build those events.


The challenge was that the city had specific COVID mandates and vaccination checks for entry at venues at that time. It may not sit well with some participants. Finding outdoor venues is challenging, as they are in high demand. Aneesh decided to build the event in an old downtown bar called The Scratcher. Startup+ was born there with a handful of participants. Initially, Startup+ hosted events weekly, and the participation was mostly under 20 attendees. Currently, Startup+ events attract 150-200 participants consistently every time.


The Solution


Startup communities in New York City became non-existent after the pandemic ravaged the city. The city's dynamic has changed a lot after many folks moved out of the city after remote work became an option. Startup+ was built in the midst of the pandemic, when entrepreneurs were struggling to find actual in-person events where they could share ideas, receive funding, etc. Startup+ is now focusing on becoming the largest stand-alone startup community in New York City. They plan to build large-scale hackathons, pitch competitions, and networking events which are engaging and energizing. Startup+ has built close to 60 in-person events, bringing together 5000+ in- person attendees across New York City. In the past, Startup+ has partnered with Builder.ai, WeWork, Industrious, and Beige with great success. Startup+ will continue fostering its relationships with other companies that add substantial value to its attendees. Startup+ strives to be the largest independent, unbiased startup community in New York City with no hidden agenda. The only agenda on the table is the success of its members, and that alone.


A Customer Story


“Startup+ realized my dream of Pitching to a live audience in New York City. I found their pitch event online while visiting new york city to promote and gain clients for my startup Task Tracker. Startup communities like Startup+ offer excellent opportunities to network and provide the right resources to enter the thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem of the city. The audience was receptive and engaged, providing valuable feedback, asking thought-provoking questions, and offering insightful suggestions. After the pitch, we received a significant amount of interest in our Task Tracker, not only as potential customers but also as a potential employer” - Rishab Chandra


A founder quote


As they say, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. By giving New York Startup founders the right platform, tools, and community, Startup+ is helping them make it here so that they can make it across the globe.



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