NYU-Poly New-Business Incubator in Brooklyn's DUMBO Graduates First Startup

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than one year after Polytechnic Institute of New York University's (NYU-Poly) DUMBO-based tech incubator opened its doors, the school today announced that TENDIGI, a mobile app development company, has become its first graduate. The business incubator, launched in partnership with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC) and Two Trees Management Company, opened in January 2011.

TENDIGI, founded by former Apple engineer Jeff Soto, grew organically and moved out, making room for other startups. The company works closely with businesses, agencies and individuals on a variety of mobile development projects, ranging from consumer-facing apps to internal enterprise apps.

The DUMBO incubator, which is modeled after the NYU-Poly Incubator on Varick Street in Hudson Square, provides a nurturing environment for start-up firms in sectors such as digital media, mobile and digital gaming. It provides a locus in DUMBO for programming and seminars aimed at the growing local tech community. Currently, there are 18 startups at the DUMBO incubator.

"Fostering innovation and invention through transformational entrepreneurship is part of NYU-Poly's culture, and extends beyond the classroom to nurturing small businesses in our incubators," said NYU-Poly Acting President and Provost Katepalli Sreenivasan. "While NYU-Poly has been graduating first-class engineers for decades, our incubators encourage them to stay in New York City instead of taking their talent to Silicon Valley. Through our incubation programs, we promote an entrepreneurial spirit and atmosphere that encourages startups to create their own business right here in New York City."