Grow-NY competition readies for virtual pitch competition

Grow-NY on Nov. 9 announced it’s preparing to host its two-day Food & Ag Summit — which includes its pitch competition — completely virtually on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18. 

Grow-NY describes itself as “one of the largest” global food and agriculture business competitions. The second-year contest focuses on strengthening the food and agriculture “innovation cluster” within the Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier regions of New York. 

Shifting from its original in-person event due to pandemic-related safety concerns, the all-virtual summit will now leverage technology to bring together its top 20 finalists, all “high-growth” startups, to pitch and answer questions in real time in front of a panel of judges for a chance to win a combined total of $3 million in prize money. 

Free registration for the Summit is available at grow-ny.com; registration is also open for the awards ceremony which is scheduled for the following week on Nov. 23. 

“COVID-19 has challenged all of us to stay on course towards our goals. New York state and our partner group have steadfastly supported us in continuing to move the Grow-NY program forward, with even greater urgency. We’ve taken it as an opportunity to practice our own innovation, and as a result, we were able to pivot from our traditional in-person Summit to create a dynamic virtual venue,” Jenn Smith, program director for Grow-NY, said in a release. “We’re thrilled that our finalists have the opportunity to share their stories and ambitions, and even with the new virtual format, there will be numerous ways for attendees to network, forge connections with other members of the community and truly immerse themselves in innovation through our panel discussions.”

This year, 264 startups and entrepreneurs applied for round one of the competition before the group was narrowed to the top 20 finalists. Since the finalist announcement this past September, these startups have worked with their assigned mentors to better understand how they can make the biggest impact in the Grow-NY region and prepare for their pitches. 

The finalists will have 10 minutes each to present their business plans, with the remaining 10 minutes set aside for questions from the panel of judges. 

Tuesday’s startup pitches will feature businesses working in the consumer-packaged goods, distribution, food safety, processing, and packaging spaces. Wednesday’s startup pitches will be from businesses working in digital ag, farm operations, livestock health, and soil and crop tech. 

Researchers, experts, and industry partners will also speak to the latest industry trends and innovations during the event in a series of panel discussions scheduled throughout both days. 

Some of the session topics include “Drafting a Roadmap for Emerging Crops,” “Hemp’s Regulatory Landscape,” “Mending our Fractured Food System,” “Changing Climate, Changing Farms,” and “A Feast From Crumbs: Salvaging Food Waste.”

“Our Summit attracts a wide variety of attendees including startups, companies, investors, resource providers, researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers, and agricultural and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students that are really committed — and potentially invested — in the future of our region’s food and agriculture sectors,” said Smith. 

The award ceremony is set for Nov. 23 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with the announcement of which finalists were selected by the panel of judges to win the $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 prizes. 

Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder of Chobani, will provide the keynote speech for the ceremony and New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will speak about the impact of the competition on New York state, Grow-NY said.