M&T Bank Named Founding Partner of CenterState CEO’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub

SYRACUSE, NY – M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB) announced it will become the Founding Partner of CenterState CEO’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub in downtown Syracuse. This long-term partnership with CenterState CEO, an independent, nonprofit organization focused on growing the economy and supporting businesses across Central New York, will expand efforts to accelerate entrepreneurism and startup growth, cultivate industry-disrupting technology and fuel the region’s ecosystem for talent development and attraction.

When the INSPYRE Innovation Hub officially opens later this month, it will become the largest business accelerator in New York State by square footage. The 90,000-square-foot facility will feature a renovated hardware technology center, a new makerspace, dedicated zones for robotics and uncrewed aerial systems testing, a media production studio, flexible coworking areas and a multi-purpose theater designed to host events and more.

“At M&T Bank, we believe progress is driven by communities that invite possibility and inspire collaboration,” said Steve Gorczynski, M&T Bank Regional President for Central New York. “The INSPYRE Innovation Hub represents an investment in the ingenuity, creative energy and shared purpose that define this region. By supporting this important hub for entrepreneurial development, M&T Bank’s founding partnership will empower local trailblazers and difference-makers to build businesses that will strengthen our economy and unlock new opportunities for Central New Yorkers.”

The INSPYRE Innovation Hub has revitalized the previous Tech Garden facility, originally founded in 2005, to become a dynamic center for entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation, serving as a launchpad for startups, a resource for established businesses and a catalyst for regional economic transformation. It will offer a range of programs and support services that are tailored for early-stage founders, startups looking to scale and business leaders driving breakthroughs across industries.

“We are embarking on a new chapter for entrepreneurs and innovators in Central New York with the opening of CenterState CEO’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub, a world-class facility designed with founders in mind. It’s a bold vision for the community that requires support from committed partners,” said Ben Sio, acting president and CEO of CenterState CEO. “With a proven dedication to Central New York and deep understanding of regional economic needs, M&T Bank is an ideal partner for INSPYRE Innovation Hub. Their support will empower more people to launch a new business and propel progress across the region. We are grateful to M&T Bank for their longstanding partnership in enabling growth for Central New York and all its residents.”

M&T Bank’s commitment to rebuilding Central New York’s startup and innovation sector extends back to 2007, when M&T became an original funder of the Emerging Business Competition. With this investment, M&T Bank helped to enable The Tech Garden’s growth and revitalize the region’s startup ecosystem.

The Founding Partner agreement – an exclusive, multi-year commitment for M&T Bank – reinforces the bank’s dedication to investing in the development and growth of the communities it serves in Central New York and across the Northeast. It will contribute to the multifaceted regional work underway to nurture progress and expand supply chains in several growing industry sectors in Central New York such as advanced manufacturing, semiconductor development, drone systems, biotech and more. The partnership will build on M&T’s broader vision of creating collaborative communities that fuel forward-thinking solutions and deliver lasting regional impact, similar to M&T’s tech hubs in Buffalo, New York and Wilmington, Delaware.

To celebrate the project’s forthcoming completion, the INSPYRE Innovation Hub will host a ribbon-cutting event on Sept. 18, 2025, and will officially open to the public soon after. For more news and details on INSPYRE Innovation Hub, visit www.inspyrehub.com.

M&T is the leading bank in Central New York, holding the Syracuse area’s largest deposit market share, and it is the top U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the Syracuse SBA District. With nearly 400 employees and 41 branches across a ten-county region, M&T Bank maintains a Central New York regional headquarters at 250 S. Clinton Street in Armory Square in downtown Syracuse.