Excell Partners

Excell Partners is a prominent venture capital firm based in Rochester, New York. Established in 2006, it focuses on seed-stage investments, primarily targeting high-tech, high-growth startups in Upstate New York. Excell Partners is an affiliate of the University of Rochester and manages over $40 million in assets, having invested in 60 companies across various sectors including medical devices, materials, energy, biotech, agtech, imaging, and IT/software. Under the leadership of CEO Theresa Mazzullo, Excell Partners emphasizes a hands-on approach, providing not only capital but also extensive support through strategic guidance, a broad network of professionals, and long-term partnership commitments. Their investment strategy includes maintaining "dry powder" for follow-on funding to ensure continuous support for portfolio companies as they scale. Excell Partners also manages the $25 million Finger Lakes Forward Venture Capital Fund, which supports regional strengths in optics, imaging, photonics, food and agriculture, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. This fund aims to boost economic growth in the Greater Rochester area by increasing access to capital for high-tech startups. Notable investments include RealEats, a prepared meal delivery service, and Owl Autonomous Imaging, which focuses on advanced thermal sensor technologies. Excell Partners is dedicated to fostering innovation and economic development in the Finger Lakes region, leveraging the area's academic and research strengths to nurture promising startups and retain local talent.