Local Tech Company Achieved #8 Ranking Following Competition With Thousands of U.S. Companies
Kingston, NY—Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and the Ulster County Office of Economic Development congratulate Ellenville-based VFT Solutions on being named to Pepperdine University’s list of “Most Fundable Companies.” VFT Solutions, a cyber-security/broadcast media company founded by Wayne Lonstein, Esq. and Julie Cohen Lonstein, Esq., prevailed against thousands of early stage U.S. companies with less than $10 million in annual revenue. Fifteen companies were selected to subsequently showcase their businesses before potential investors.
Ulster County Executive Mike Hein
“I congratulate Wayne and Julie, the founders of an impressive Ellenville-based tech company, for capturing this highly competitive award from Pepperdine,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “As one of just 15 nationwide early-stage start up companies recognized as worthy of serious investor consideration, VFT is poised to have a significant impact on the global cyber-security and broadcast media marketplace. This company has demonstrated why Ulster County is a great place to establish a technology business, and they have set a fine example for others to follow. Ulster County offers great locations, high quality staffing, a tech-savvy community and all the business foundations to help acheive success.”
Julie Cohen Lonstein, COO, VFT Solutions, Inc.
“We are a small company with big ambitions. Recognition as an investable startup helps improve our funding prospects and brings us one step closer to achieving market leadership,” said Julie Cohen-Lonstein, COO, VFT Solutions, Inc., who also serves as Chairperson of the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance, Inc. (UCEDA). “Small business ingenuity is the life blood of the U.S. economy, and we are excited to have this opportunity to showcase our business before investors.”
VFT Solutions is considered a leader in the protection, monetization and understanding of Live Streaming (“Nano”) Piracy in a multi-billion dollar industry that includes many of the largest entertainment, sports and broadcasting companies in the world. VFT Solutions was founded in 2012, and was a direct result of Wayne Lonstein’s more than 30 years of experience in litigation helping his clients protect their content against internet piracy. The upsurge of new streaming services—such as Instagram TV, Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Periscope—has widened opportunities for anonymous access, creating a growing threat for companies that wish to protect their assets from illegal access. In 2017, anti-piracy consulting firm Muso reported online users made 300 billion visits to piracy sites.
Using its patented VLA® technology, VFT can automatically identify and document—and even communicate in real-time with—illegal social media streams and viewers, and provide viewers with a price for a legal access option. VFT has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars lost to piracy while converting tens of thousands of pirates to legal customers. Its clients include satellite providers and Pay-Per-View (PPV) companies such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®). UFC is the world’s largest PPV event provider in the world, with mixed martial arts programming available in more than 354 million homes, more than 145 countries and in 19 different languages.
The Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School’s Most Fundable Companies initiative evaluated thousands of companies to determine their readiness for private investment using a multi-phase assessment. Approximately 100 companies were selected for semi-final analysis, including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property and strength of management team. The 15 winners of the inaugural 2018 Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies awards were profiled in the November print issue of Entrepreneur magazine.
The 2019 Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies competition is now open. Complete information, including information about the 2018 winners, is available here: https://bschool.pepperdine.edu/lp/fundable-companies/.
For more information about VFT Solutions, please visit www.vft-solutions.com.
