UB congratulates 43North winner and UB alum Glenn Thomas

BUFFALO, N.Y. – “On behalf of the University at Buffalo, I would like to congratulate all the finalists in the 43North business plan competition, especially the grand prize winner, ASi, which was founded in Tonawanda by UB engineering alumnus Glenn Thomas,” said UB President Satish K. Tripathi.

Noting that UB mechanical engineering professor Joseph Mollendorf has been a mentor to Thomas and serves on ASi’s board of directors, Tripathi said that UB is very proud of the leadership role its faculty, researchers and graduates play in helping to make the Buffalo Niagara region an economic powerhouse once again.

“Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, visionary programs like the 43North contest — part of the Buffalo Billion economic development effort — are acting as the catalyst for the explosive growth Western New York is experiencing. We’re grateful to the competition’s organizers for developing a contest that embodies the startup culture that has taken flight in Buffalo.”

Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Venu Govindaraju added, “It’s entrepreneurs like Glenn Thomas that will help grow Western New York’s burgeoning advanced manufacturing and materials informatics economies. Transformative technologies, such as ASi’s system for creating lighter and stronger metals, are key to the region’s resurgence and its ability to compete on a global level.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Thomas, as well as the other contestants such as UB spinoff company Medical Conservation Devices, which was among the winning finalists. These companies will benefit through partnerships with UB’s New York State Center in Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences; our supercomputing facility, the Center for Computational Research; the New York State Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics; and other facilities on UB’s three campuses.”