Big growth in the ag-tech sector
Funding in the ag-tech sector nearly doubled in 2015, with more than $4.5 billion invested in everything from food e-commerce platforms to farm-2-consumer services, cannabis technology and drones used in…
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Kordeleski, back at the cutting edge
By GREGORY ZELLER // Kirk Kordeleski is back. The former CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union might argue that he’s been back for quite some time: He launched Syosset-based community-banking…
Verint buys Virginia ‘customer care’ firm
Verint Systems Inc. has acquired a Virginia-based cloud- and mobile-solutions firm, moving the Melville software company a step closer to global actionable-intelligence supremacy. The undisclosed deal for Contact Solutions, a…
The Economic Justice Tour, Long Island, Feb. 23, 2016
The Mario Cuomo Campaign for Economic Justice rolled through Long Island on Tuesday. The Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury was one of the first three stops on the…
Re-invention and finding a little Wuggle room
By GREGORY ZELLER // An attorney and inventor trying to help Long Island spread its innovative wings has finalized a big deal involving a plush-toy powerhouse and a global toy…
Woman entrepreneur? You wanna go to Graceland
Women run almost 9.5 million businesses in the United States, racking up annual revenues of $1.5 trillion and employing more than 8 million workers. So where’s the best spot for…
Solar jumped 17% in 2015, topping natural gas
The United States installed 7,286 megawatts of solar power in 2015, the largest total ever and a 17 percent jump over 2014. In another first, solar additions topped the expansion…
Stony Brook gets mobile transfusion certification
In a New York State first, Stony Brook University Hospital’s ambulance service has been approved to administer blood transfusions on the road. The certification allows standard ambulance crews to administer…
The Debrief: Carol Lane has a few capital ideas
The Long Island Capital Alliance’s quarterly Capital Forums are increasingly hot tickets for entrepreneurs and investors, thanks primarily to Carol Lane, who’s been organizing the schmear-and-schmooze breakfast networkers since taking…
MindYolk’s incredible Brazilian dry dock project
By GREGORY ZELLER // A third-party networking connection has taken MindYolk Animation Studios to Brazil – and brought an ambitious ship-repair consortium’s $530 million dream dock to life. At least,…
MasterCard to roll out ‘selfie pay’ option
MasterCard plans to begin accepting fingerprints and selfies as alternatives to passwords when verifying identity for online purchases. The system, tested in the Netherlands and California for the last several…
When it comes to bad passwords, trustno1
By GREGORY ZELLER // Better rethink that password, personal or commercial computer user: Chances are, you’re not fooling anyone. California-based digital password expert SplashData has released its annual list of…
Chembio lands $550K grant for Zika test
Chembio Diagnostics has been awarded a $550,000 “catalyst grant” to develop a rapid test for the Zika virus and similar maladies. The grant comes from Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen,…
Cuomo: State effort to isolate the Grumman Plume
By GREGORY ZELLER // A $6 million state study will go deeper than ever into Long Island’s drinking water supply. Speaking Thursday at Stony Brook University, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced…
A call for consumer products companies
Fresh off its January healthcare forum, the Long Island Capital Alliance is deep into planning its next innovator-meets-investor networking breakfast. This week, LICA put out a call for presenters for…