Western New York Venture Association

Today I attended the meeting of the Western New York Venture Association. Two very interesting companies presented their business plans and request for funding. The first was COMET, an assessment program for schools. The second was Novera Protein, a company focused on protein supplements for the dairy and beef feed industries. Both companies benefit from increased Government regulation in their respective industries.

As politicians, school districts and their administrators seek greater accountability for their investments and strive to increase student success rates, the market for measurable and actionable assessments increases. COMET offers just such an assessment and has the backers to offer a robust solution to school districts. I expect that there will be room for this product in an already crowded field of companies selling to educational institutions.

Novera's product is a little more interesting in that it not only increases the value to the farmers by improving animal nutrition, it also reduces nitrogen runoff, making it a highly desirable product by farmers in areas such as Delaware and Maryland where states are limiting the amount of runoff to protect the Chesapeake Bay. Seems like this should be a run away product right off the bat.