SYRACUSE, N.Y. — CenterState CEO is looking for applicants for the $4 million Genius NY business competition.
Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York.
Entrepreneurs, startup companies, and early-stage businesses can apply for the program.
(Sponsored)
Navigating Cyber Threats to the Manufacturing Industry
Every business needs a solid IT strategy to keep up with the rise in cybercrime and the swift pace of technological innovation. Manufacturing companies face unique risks to their productivity
In the Market to Build? Get Started in 4 Simple Steps
Finding the perfect home isn’t always easy, especially in our world today. The U.S. Housing Shortage has created an ongoing challenge for homebuyers across the nation, opening the door to
The business competition will target companies in the “unmanned aerial, ground, and marine systems and cross-connected platforms sectors. Subsets may include precision and remote sensing, data collection, guidance systems, communication systems, sensors, and data analytics among other technological categories,” the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release issued Tuesday.
The program will invest more than $4 million in participating companies, including three grand prizes valued at up to $1 million, $600,000 and $400,000, “making it one of the largest business competitions in the world,” Cuomo’s office contended.
The program is funded in a similar fashion to the 43North competition in Buffalo, according to Cuomo’s office.
The application period begins Wednesday and will continue through Sept. 16, Rick Clonan, VP of innovation & entrepreneurship at CenterState CEO, said in his remarks Tuesday at the Syracuse Tech Garden.
“That’s a pretty good time frame to get a lot of applicants here to do a lot of outreach and to get a good pool,” he said.
Clonan was among a group of speakers who included Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development Corporation, New York’s primary economic-development agency; and Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the main economic-development organization serving a 12-county area of Central New York.
Judges will select the first cohort in mid-November. Six teams will then advance to the competition on Jan. 2, 2017, which will begin the year-long accelerator process, according to Clonan.
The program is open to startups from around the nation and the globe, he added.
Companies could find out more information on the competition’s website (www.geniusny.com) and apply to participate in the program there.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
