By Lauren Simpson

The startups battling for $3 million in prize money in the fifth annual Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition aren’t just bringing revolutionary innovations to market that could change the way we feed our planet – they are enriching the region’s robust agri-food system, too.

Grow-NY is a global competition focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in upstate New York, specifically the Central New York, Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. The competition is funded by Empire State Development and administered by Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement.

Twenty finalists were selected from over 320 applicants, including 81 entries from New York state. The advancing startups hail from seven different states and four unique countries, with eight finalists from The Empire State.

Over the next two months, the finalists will receive business development support and one-on-one mentorship from industry experts. Each startup will make a fully funded trip to the region to expand their networks, develop strategic relationships and envision the positive impact their company will be required to make on the region if they are selected as a winner. They’ll then pitch their business plans to a live audience at the Grow-NY Summit, Nov. 14-15 at the Holiday Inn Binghamton Downtown in Binghamton, New York. One grand prize winner will receive $1 million, two will be awarded $500,000 and four will take home $250,000.

“The innovative Grow-NY business competition has once again attracted a group of exceptional startups and entrepreneurial talent from around the world,” said Hope Knight, Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner. “Grow-NY’s agribusiness focus demonstrates New York state’s continued dedication to supporting agriculture advancements that will create jobs and grow the Central New York, Finger Lakes and Southern Tier economies.”

Half of this year’s finalists have ties to the Cornell community, including GR8PE by Stil-bène, a Geneva, New York-based startup co-founded by Elad Tako, associate professor of food science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Daniel Williams Hooker ’93, senior lecturer in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and Todd M. Schmit, MS ’94, PhD ’03, Dyson professor and faculty director of the AgriBusiness and Rural Development and Cooperative Enterprise programs, advise this startup that transforms grape pomace into a dietary supplement to improve digestive health.

New York is the nation’s second-largest producer of Concord grapes, with 180,000 tons produced annually. Of that, 80 percent is used for wine and juice production and the remaining 20 percent is discarded as waste. Winners of the Best New Concord Grape-Based Product and a $20,000 cash prize at the 2022 New York Concord Grape Innovation Awards, GR8PE by Stil-bène upcycles this waste and harnesses the scientific power of stilbenes to nourish gut health in a transformative way.

GR8PE by Stil-bène is one of six finalists that seek out mentorship and advice from the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech, which serves as a partner in advancing Grow-NY’s mission. Other finalists that are members of the Center of Excellence include:

• Blue Cove Fish (New York City) – Blue Cove Fish is a low-volume craft seafood cannery that partners with sustainable seafood suppliers to contribute to the development of local aquaculture.
• Clean Label Solution (Ithaca) – Clean Label Solution’s technology improves protein and fat digestibility and reduces carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption in the production of soy-based animal feeds.
• KEHO (New York City) – KEHO’s plant-based snack bars earned it a spot as a Grow-NY finalist for the second-straight year.
• We Are The New Farmers (New York City) – A 2022 Grow-NY finalist, We Are The New Farmers has worked with faculty across Cornell on various research projects as it perfects its fresh, frozen, farm-grown spirulina cubes.
• Wisely (Wilmingon, North Carolina) – A participant in Rev: Ithaca Startup Works Prototyping and Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator programs, Wisely’s smart food storage system provides personalized insights and reduces waste.

Four additional finalists utilize various other Cornell resources and experts to advance their startups. These companies include:

• Agriwater Corp (Champaign, Illinois) – Agriwater participated in an Ag-Corps I-Corps regional course, hosted by Cornell and the NSF Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), to learn how farmers might utilize its technology that precipitates contaminants from on-farm manure liquid to create an additional water source. Participation in the course included mentorship from Stephen Sauer, senior lecturer in the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.
• FoodNerd (Buffalo) – A 2021 Grow-NY finalist, FoodNerd works with the Cornell Food Venture Center on product process reviews, equipment testing and food safety training for its “positively processed” plant-based food.
• MycoLogic (Kennesaw, Georgia) – Founded by CEO Luc Lalire, MPS ’22, MycoLogic provides a comprehensive solution for starting or expanding your specialty mushroom cultivation business.
• SomaDetect (Ontario) – Roger Saltman, DVM ’81, who has served as a member of the Cornell University Council, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Advisory Council and president of the CVM Alumni Association, sits on the board for SomaDetect, whose software system offers dairy producers milk-based data straight from their milking line. The startup also did early testing of its sensor with Julio Giordano, associate professor of animal science in CALS, with funding from the New York Farm Viability Institute.

This year’s Grow-NY Summit, featuring a pitch competition, educational symposium, and Ecosystem Expo with services for startups, will feature an all-access, in-person component, as well as the option to view virtually. All-access registration is $65, $25 for students, and virtual registration is free. For more information on the Grow-NY Summit and to register, visit grow-ny.com.

An iteration of this story was originally published in the Cornell Chronicle.