Though not directly connected, the U.S. coffee and safety wearable markets do have one thing in common: both are on the rise.
The U.S. coffee sector is projected to grow by more than $100 billion over the next five years, and the value of safety wearables—in the form of clothing, watches, jewelry, and more—is on pace to expand by 50% by 2029. That’s a tremendous trajectory for two unaffiliated industries; and thankfully, New York State boasts promising startups in both, thanks in part to support from several assets within the NYSTAR network.
Long Island’s Bauer’s Brew launched in 2022, and produces roasted coffee beans and cold brew coffee packaged in glass bottles. Operating out a small commercial kitchen, the brand has been growing for three years and recently were awarded two new distribution agreements, resulting in a need to triple capacity to meet demand. This led Bauer’s Brew to reach out to FuzeHub.
In need of industry expertise, direction, and funding for additional equipment, FuzeHub connected Bauer’s Brew with a number of NYSTAR-affiliated resources.
The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) assisted the startup in the realm of food entrepreneurship expertise, while the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture and the Cornell Food Venture Center at Cornell University helped with technical scale-up expertise and co-packer connections. Bauer’s leaders were also connected with Empire State Development partner Pursuit Lending, who offer financial programs designed to aid growing small businesses.
Thanks to this assistance, Bauer’s Brew has been able to expand their product line to include limited edition coffee bean roasts and concentrated cold brews for mixing; and grow from direct-to-consumer sales, with varietal selections now found at catered events and inside more than 50 retail locations.
In the realm of safety tech, New York City’s WearOpal originated as a startup out of Columbia University in 2021, and developed a stylish personal safety ring that connects to a user’s phone via Bluetooth and allows them to discretely and safely call for help when threatened.
When WearOpal initially reached out to FuzeHub, they were seeking contract manufacturers and printed circuit board (PCB) expertise. But after an assessment call to get some background and better understand their needs, FuzeHub discovered that WearOpal could use much more, including expertise to inform their intellectual property (IP) strategy, technical know-how available through NYSTAR, and additional funding to fuel their way forward.
FuzeHub connected WearOpal with a number of resources, including the Science and Technology Law Center at Syracuse University to assist their IP strategy; the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC) at Binghamton University to aid PCB development and prototyping; and FuzeHub’s hands-on Hardware Prototyping Workshop, which provided an overview of NYSTAR resources and the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP), funding options, marketing direction, and more. In addition, WearOpal Wearables entered FuzeHub’s 2023 Commercialization Competition, and was one of six small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies to be awarded a $50,000 grant.
As a result of the connections made and funding received, WearOpal found the resources they needed to cost-effectively advance their product’s quality over the past two years, and now offer a line of safety wearables in consistent demand.
The stories of both Bauer’s Brew and WearOpal are just two examples of how critical accessible support is in the world of startups. The collaborative capabilities of the NYSTAR network continue to assist New York State’s most innovative small businesses, providing each with the aid necessary to grow from an idea to an enterprise—or in the case of two growing operations, from tasteful creations to popular products.
Thanks to the many NYSTAR centers, hotspots and incubators for submitting their success story. Click here to submit your stories to share with the NYSTAR network—we want to hear from you!