Binghamton, Cazenovia, Hamilton, and Potsdam companies secure funding in FuzeHub contest

VERONA, N.Y. — Companies from Binghamton, Cazenovia, Hamilton, and Potsdam are among seven capturing a total of $350,000 in funding at the FuzeHub commercialization competition.

The event was held as part of this week’s New York State Innovation Summit at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.

FuzeHub is an Albany–based nonprofit that works to help small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York.

The event was the fifth annual commercialization competition, part of FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund.

Twelve entrepreneurs from across New York state pitched their ideas before three expert judges and a live audience for a chance to win $50,000. The winning companies are developing technologies in the fields of cleantech, energy, and environmental innovations, advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences.

“We congratulate the winners for their success in the competition and for their contributions to the future of critical industries in New York State,” Elena Garuc, executive director of FuzeHub, said. “We had an extremely strong cohort of competitors this year and look forward to working with these young companies as they continue to build their products and businesses.”

The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, consisting of $1 million annually, supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York state. FuzeHub is administering this fund as part of its role as the Empire State Development (ESD)-designated statewide MEP (manufacturing extension partnership) center.

Winning firms

“With an expanding desire and need for green energy,” DomCat Technologies, LLC of Binghamton seeks to expand New York’s manufacturing base with its low platinum-content catalysts for fuel-cell applications, as described in a FuzeHub news release. Eco-Baggeez LLC of Cazenovia says its patented alternative to plastic sandwich bags will help “put a dent” in the billions of plastic sandwich bags that end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans from U.S. households each year, per FuzeHub. The company plans to expand its product line and impact by providing Eco-Baggeez in B2B, B2C, and B2G channels in both retail and wholesale arenas.

Natural Beauty Breast Prosthesis, LLC, of Hamilton manufactures an organic, all-natural fiber, external breast form for women who have had mastectomies without reconstruction.

Pharmacoustics Technologies, LLC of Potsdam is an ultrasonic characterization/evaluation device startup developing instruments and equipment for assuring and increasing quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The winning firms also includes companies from Rochester, Scotia, and Babylon, FuzeHub said.