About Us
Background
Armory Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Upstate New York and NYC. We often provide the first round of institutional capital for companies targeting the largest industries across New York State and select emerging cities across the Northeast. We are actively involved in all aspects of company growth—from recruiting senior talent, customers, and co-investors to providing general management support.
We launched our firm in 2014 and consider ourselves fortunate to be backed by the region’s most respected institutions, corporations and foundations. Our entrepreneurs tend to be as passionate as our community is to build companies that support and grow their own towns and geographies.
Philosophy
We work hard to earn the respect of our entrepreneurs. We believe reputations matter and that startup ecosystems are vital and important. We are entrepreneurs ourselves and seek those as passionate as we are about changing the world
through new business.
Investment Criteria
- Management based in New York State, and select emerging cities across the Northeast Region
- Web, mobile, or technology-enabled service
- Large addressable market - close to $1B
- Repeating, recurring or transaction based revenue models
- Full-time technical/product leader and sales/marketing leader
- Prototype of product with a few customers even if at
pilot stage
- Capital efficient
Stage Focus
Seed and Early Stage
Geography
Primarily Upstate New York, NYC and select, emerging cities across the Northeast
Target Investment
Up to $2M initially with considerable reserves for follow on investments
Investment Team
Somak Chattopadhyay - Managing Partner
Imraan Ahmed - Partner
Steven G. Felsher - Venture Partner
John A. Cococcia - Venture Partner
Steve Hovagimyan - Director of Business Development
Pia Sawhney - Director of Strategy
Neenah Jain - CFO
Alfonso Aguila - Senior Associate
Jackson Feder - Analyst
Eric Allyn - Venture Advisor
Lynn O’Connor Vos - Venture Advisor
Investment Focus
Software, mobile and technology-enabled businesses targeting high growth sectors including:
- Healthcare IT
- Education Technology
- Food and Agriculture Software
- Manufacturing Automation Software
- Energy Software
- Corporate and University Spin-outs
- Fin Tech
- Ad tech/digital marketing/e-commerce
- Software-as-a-Service