Tara AI Wins $500k Prize at 43North and Paves Way for East Coast Office! Team Tara AI lands another big win this fall, this time at 43North in Buffalo, New York. Our co-founders, Iba Masood and Syed Ahmed presented on stage during the final round, competing for the top prize of $1 Million.
About 43 North
43North started in 2014 as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion initiative and the support of the New York Power Authority. In the 2017 edition, the $5 Million purse awarded eight startups with cash prizes, mentorship opportunities, office space, and a ten-year exemption of New York State Taxes.
The final round took place on October 5th at 43North’s campus in Buffalo. Sixteen finalists started the evening and ten moved up to the final round to compete for the prizes. Tara AI made it into the top 10 and secured a $500,000 prize.
Full List of Winners
$1 Million Winner: SomaDetect
Hometown: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
$650,000 Winner: Squire
Hometown: New York, NY
$550,000 Winner: Qidni Labs
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
$500,000 Winner: Tara AI
Hometown: San Jose, CA
$500,000 Winner: Femi Secrets
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
$500,000 Winner: Kangarootime
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
$500,000 Winner: Burner Fitness
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
$500,000 Winner: Suncayr
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Governor Cuomo himself was at the final round and shared his thoughts on the competition:“43North continues to drive Buffalo’s resurgence by showcasing the breadth of opportunity and resources available in Western New York and attracting top-notch entrepreneurs and businesses from across the globe. We welcome these forward-thinking, creative men and women to New York and look forward to all of the 2017 43North winners supporting the continued growth of Buffalo’s economy.”
This win cements Tara AI’s potential in solving the challenges that the software development ecosystem suffers from with artificial intelligence. Furthermore, this win paves the way for Tara AI’s expansion in the east coast. We’re thrilled to set roots in Buffalo and open up our east coast office in New York next year!