Application Window Opens For Grow-NY International Business Competition

ITHACA, N.Y., March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the application window is open for the seventh annual Grow-NY food, beverage and agriculture business competition. Up to 20 high-growth potential food and agriculture startups from around the world will be selected as finalists and compete for $3 million in total prize money. Through the accelerator program, finalists undergo a business development phase, receiving mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and introductions to potential regional partners. The Grow-NY region is a 22-county area spanning Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier.

ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The Grow-NY accelerator has been instrumental in attracting cutting-edge agribusiness companies from around the world and spurring private investment in the three targeted regions. The seventh round will build on the foundational success of previous competition winners whose dynamic innovations and ideas are generating economic growth throughout Upstate."

Grow-NY winners commit to making a positive, measurable impact to the targeted region's economies through job creation, strategic partnerships and other economic development activities. One grand prize winner will receive $1 million; two others will be awarded $500,000 prizes; and four more will win $250,000 prizes.

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 15. Selected finalists will present their business plans to a panel of expert judges during the Grow-NY Summit on Wednesday, November 12 and Thursday, November 13 in Canandaigua, New York, alongside a symposium of panel conversations and keynotes and a showcase of service providers for food and ag startups.

Since the Grow-NY program launched in 2019, its winning startups have created top-quality new jobs and attracted millions of dollars of investment. With major urban population centers such as Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca and Binghamton, the Grow-NY region boasts research and development, education, and business resources that make it the ideal place for startups to take root and grow.

In Grow-NY's first six years, more than 1,800 businesses in 44 unique states and 95 countries outside of the United States applied for the competition. In all, 117 startups have participated as finalists, with 42 winners sharing $18 million in startup funding in addition to the invaluable mentorship and networking benefits the program delivers to finalists.

Grow-NY program director Jenn Smith said, "We're thrilled to see Grow-NY startups validated by their customers, industry leaders, and investors. We see spectacular outcomes when startups join in where Upstate NY's agrifood, innovation, and economic development communities converge, and we're looking forward to seeing what this year's application pool offers the competition."

Funding for Grow-NY is provided through New York State's Upstate Revitalization Initiative's three regional entities, CNY Rising, Finger Lakes Forward and Southern Tier Soaring, and is administered by Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA).

To learn more about Grow-NY, visit www.grow-ny.com.
To learn more about CREA, visit http://crea.cornell.edu/.

Contact:
Leigh Toerper
(607) 427-0971
[email protected]

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SOURCE Grow-NY Food & Agriculture Business Competition