Fresh off a $4 million seed round, the 43North winner is building its engineering, product and growth teams in Buffalo.
Leansite is in the midst of an exhilarating year.
The facilities technology startup crossed the $2 million revenue threshold. It also secured $4 million in seed funding, including a $1 million investment from 43North that came with a commitment to establish operations in Buffalo.
The best is yet to come.
Leansite founder and CEO Demi Oloyede is preparing to move to Buffalo in January, along with another employee, and the company has already embarked on ambitious hiring plans as the city becomes its headquarters and main base of operations.
It's part of an intentional strategy to bring a geographically dispersed team together, build a strong company culture and create the foundation for significant growth in 2027.
"We've spent the last two years building a company with people working across different locations, and we've learned how valuable it can be to have a team working together in person," Oloyede said. "Buffalo gives us the opportunity to build that kind of environment while bringing in the talent we need to take Leansite to the next level."
Oloyede's journey to Buffalo began nine years ago, when she moved from Nigeria to the United States in search of opportunity. She went on to earn a master's degree, work in the technology industry and serve in the U.S. Navy. After spending the past two years building Leansite while constantly on the move, she's ready to put down roots in Buffalo and pursue her ambition of building a major technology company.
Leansite develops an AI-powered platform that helps businesses manage their buildings, bringing maintenance records, work orders, vendors and other critical information into one system. Its customers include operators of restaurants, fitness centers and other businesses with multiple locations.
The company generated more than $700,000 in revenue in 2025 and has already surpassed $2 million this year. It currently has 13 full-time employees working across the United States and Canada.
Oloyede said the company plans to prioritize Buffalo for its next wave of hiring, with the near-term goal of establishing a local team of five to eight people.
The immediate openings span engineering, product development, marketing and sales. Leansite is seeking a head of engineering, a full-stack engineer and a security engineer, along with employees who can help expand its customer base and strengthen its market presence.
One priority is getting closer to customers. After finding success at industry conferences this year, Leansite plans to host smaller events in individual cities, beginning with a facilities management luncheon in Buffalo early next year.
Oloyede also wants to bring a fresh approach to marketing in an industry that hasn't traditionally been known for its creativity.
She's looking to companies like Duolingo, which has built a massive social media following through entertaining, consumer-focused content, for inspiration.
The goal is to make Leansite's brand engaging and recognizable, even among people who might never have thought much about facilities management.
It's an ambitious agenda for a company that is still early in its growth trajectory. But Demi believes Leansite has found a strong foundation in its product, customers and investors.
Two existing investors participated in the latest funding round, a sign of continued confidence in the company's direction.
"The support we've received from 43North has been amazing, from customer introductions to helping us identify the people and resources we need," Oloyede said. "I'm incredibly excited about the businesses we're going to work with, the people we're going to hire and the culture we're going to build. I really believe we're at the beginning of something special here."
