Empire State Development and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement have announced the inaugural 18 finalists for Grow-NY, a food innovation and agriculture technology business challenge focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage, and agriculture innovation cluster in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier.
“The Grow-NY competition has attracted a group of diverse, innovative entrepreneurs who are ready to focus on finding new ways to further transform New York State’s world-renowned food and agricultural industry,” Governor Cuomo said. “Through efforts like Grow-NY, we are continuing to bolster these regional economies and foster statewide growth in this critical industry.”
In all, 199 applicants hailed from North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and New Zealand, as well as hundreds of inquiries from food and agriculture startups. In the U.S., 23 states were represented, including 112 entries from New York. Females comprised 32 percent of applicants, and among those who indicated an ethnicity, 46 percent were non-white.
The finalists represent the top 10 percent of submissions, as determined by a panel of 30 independent judges comprising the spectrum of food, beverage, and agriculture businesses and academics. Grow-NY will award a total of $3 million in prize money to seven winners. This includes a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 prizes.
The 18 finalists are:
AgVoice, Norcross, Ga. — Enables food and ag workers to use management tools on-the-go
Capro-X, Ithaca, N.Y. — Upcycles dairy waste into valuable biofuels and bioplastics
Combplex, Ithaca, N.Y. — Eliminates pests that threaten the health of honeybee hives
Dropcopter, Syracuse, N.Y. — Leverages drones to pollinate crops and increase crop yield
Halomine, Ithaca, N.Y. — Creates antimicrobial solutions to ensure food safety
Independent Barley & Malt, Litchfield, Mich. — Growing new supply chains to provide world-class malt for the craft food and beverage market
Livestock Water Recycling, Alberta, Canada — Modernizes manure management to improve yield and sustainability.
Nuravine, New York, N.Y. — Maximizes indoor and greenhouse crop yield via water nutrient solutions
Paragon Pure, Princeton, N.J. — Creates flavors, colors and nutrients protected within whole grain rice flour
Perfect Granola, Victor, N.Y. — Crafts locally-sourced granola for NY schools while giving back
Radical Plastics, Beverly, Mass. —Developed a patented catalyst technology that renders conventional plastics biodegradable
RealEats America, Geneva, N.Y. — Delivers fresh, healthy meals, while minimizing food waste
Re-Nuble, Rochester, N.Y. — Transforms food waste into organic nutrients as a sustainable alternative to mineral salts
Simply Good Jars, Philadelphia, Pa. — Expands access to fresh and healthy foods via high-tech vending machines
Slate Chocolate Milk, Boston, Mass. — Crafts better chocolate milk in cans, for adults
Tiliter, Munich, Germany — Identifies products at supermarket checkouts with AI—no bar code needed
Varcode USA, Naperville, Ill. —Monitors temperature changes of products using high-tech barcodes
Whole Healthy Food (Healthy Baby), Ithaca, N.Y. — Develops new food ingredients with therapeutic benefits
The finalists will pitch their ideas and business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit on Nov. 12 and 13 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Tickets, sponsor, exhibition and volunteer information is available at https://growny.splashthat.com.
All finalists will receive:
Dedicated mentorship from a hand-selected business advisor;
Additional pitch training to hone their live pitches for the judges;
An expenses-paid, three-day business development trip to the Grow-NY region for up to two finalists per team; and
Networking introductions, business tours with potential partners, and valuable appointments for finalist team representatives.
Judges will base award decisions on the following five criteria:
Viability of Commercialization and Business Model – the potential for the entrant to generate revenue and maintain a cost structure that allows for a competitive and sustainable business, demonstrate technological readiness, or innovate to fulfill its value proposition;
Customer Value – the degree to which the entrant is providing something for which customers are willing to pay, and addressing a substantial market;
Food and Agriculture Innovation – the extent to which the entrant is pushing what’s considered state-of-the-art in the food and agriculture industries, and contributing to Upstate NY’s status as a global leader in innovation in these markets;
Regional Job Creation – the potential for creating high-quality jobs in the Grow-NY footprint; and
Team – the quality and completeness of the team and its readiness to deliver.
Empire State Development is providing funding for the Grow-NY competition through its Upstate Revitalization Initiative, and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement is administering the competition. The winner will be required to make a positive economic impact in the Grow-NY region, which features counties within Central NY, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier of New York State. The winning business will help contribute to job growth, connect with local industry partners and contribute to a thriving economy.
To learn more about the finalists, mentors and judges, and to see full schedule of Grow-NY events, please visit grow-ny.com.