The mission of Innovate 518 is to drive commercialization within the New York State Capital Region by leading the development of a supportive innovation infrastructure and connecting entrepreneurs to the startup ecosystem. Innovate 518 is a collaborative effort of incubators, accelerators, and community and entrepreneurial service providers from New York's Capital Region including Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington Counties, working together to turn our region into a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. We share best practices, networking, mentoring, educational, and financial resources to better assist startup companies. We are designated as the Capital Region Innovation Hot Spot, a NYSTAR program enabling program funding and a unique set of tax incentives for companies in their earliest stages. Our program is managed via the University at Albany with our Operational Partners RPI and CEG. We have the ability to provide entrepreneurs with a wide array of resources, which are tailored to fit the needs of the startup company. Our main resources include funding, facilities, special help from experts in the industry, and tax incentives. We have the resources and skills to connect entrepreneurs to banks, provide grant options, and give access to networking events and workshops.