Innovative Food and Agriculture Startups from Around the World to Compete to Win a Combined Total of $3 Million in Prize Money at Annual Summit on Nov. 12 and 13 Grow-NY is Funded Through Upstate Revitalization Initiatives – Finger Lakes Forward, CNY Rising, and...
State & National Entrepreneurial Programs
Our state and national entrepreneurship programs create connections for startups to access the funding, mentorship, and networks needed to commercialize their innovations. These initiatives help bridge the gap between academic discovery and market-ready technologies, accelerating the launch of successful startups.
Grow-NY Business Competition
Business competition growing an enduring food and agriculture innovation cluster
Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)
Taking innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace
Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition
Competition for innovators using raw milk and/or dairy ingredients
NSF Energy Storage Engine
Investing in science and technology as a driver for regional economic development
Southern Tier Startup Alliance (STSA)
A member organization of business incubators in the Southern Tier
Impact
Our programs bring entrepreneurs together in a community of innovation.
$18 million+ awarded to startups through competitions, grants, and follow-on funding
Over 150 regional courses for tech innovators
Over 200 businesses started and supported through our programs
Regional and National Partners
We partner with dozens of regional and national organizations to bring our programs to life and support innovators at any stage of their entrepreneurship journey.
News in State & National Entrepreneurship Programs
Empire State Development Announces 2026 Finalists Selected for Eighth Round of $3 Million Grow-NY Global Food and Agriculture Business Competition
REEgen Secures $200,000 NYSTAR Innovation Matching Grant to Advance Rare Earth Recovery
Cornell-based startup REEgen, co-founded by Alexa Schmitz, Ph.D. ’18, Sean Medin, Ph.D. ’24, and Brooke Pian ’13, has been awarded a $200,000 Innovation Matching Grant (IMG) from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). The...
$45M Raised, 114 New Jobs Created: I-Corps Startups Accelerate Deep Tech Growth in 2025
Startup ventures emerging from I-Corps teams welcomed a total of 119 new paid employees during the year. Alumni secured $16,617,873 in SBIR and STTR awards and raised $29,713,562 in capital to support research, commercialization progress, and long-term scaling.
Empire State Development Announces Application Window Open For Round Eight Of The $3 Million Grow-NY International Food And Agriculture Competition
Up to 20 high-growth potential food and agriculture startups from around the world will be selected as finalists to compete for $3 million in total prize money. Applications will be accepted through May 15, 2026.
Brekland wins $1 million Grow-NY prize at Canandaigua summit
Brekland, a Brooklyn-based startup building a biodegradable foam coating for crop protection, was awarded the $1 million grand prize in the 2025 Grow-NY Food and Agriculture business competition. The company is among seven winners splitting a total of $3 million in prize money.
Grow-NY Summit to Award $3 Million to Global Startups Redefining Food, Agriculture and Sustainability
Grow-NY, the largest global food and agriculture business competition, will host its annual Food & Ag Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and Thursday, Nov. 13 in Canandaigua, New York.
ClearLeaf Raises $3.5 Million in Expansive Funding Round
2024 Grow-NY winner ClearLeaf recently closed a $3.5 million seed financing round, taking the next step in formulating non-toxic agricultural products to protect crops.
Applications open for seventh annual Grow-NY competition
Applications for the annual Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition are open to high-growth agrifood startups through May 15.
Empire State Development Announces Selected Finalists for Round Six of Annual $3 Million Grow-NY Global Business Competition
Inventing a new product that you can hold in your hands and bring successfully to an eagerly awaiting market is sometimes likened to childbirth: If we knew from the outset how hard it was going to be, fewer of us would do it.