Ithaca firm wins funding in Grow-NY competition, Israeli company captures grand prize

Halomine of Ithaca is among the businesses winning prize money in this year’s virtual Grow-NY food and agriculture business competition.

Empire State Development and Cornell University announced the winners Monday afternoon. They included Soos Technology, an animal-science company from Kidron, Israel, which won the $1 million grand prize.

Halomine — a firm that has developed anti-microbial products to ensure the safety of our food supply — took home $250,000.

The competition focuses on strengthening the food and agriculture innovation cluster within the Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier regions of New York state. The contest attracted more than 260 applicants worldwide this year and the top 20 finalists competed in a virtual-pitch competition.

Funding for the Grow-NY competition is provided through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative. Administered by Cornell University, the competition requires that the competition winners commit to operating in the Central New York, Finger Lakes, or Southern Tier region for at least one year.

Soos Technology says it has developed artificial intelligence (A)I-driven software that controls customized incubation cells that affect the sex-development process in chicken embryos resulting in more functional female chickens that lay eggs. The patented technology mitigates the controversial practice of male-chick culling by transforming male chickens into egg-laying females using high-tech soundwaves and vibration—a noninvasive and nonchemical solution.

In addition to Soos Technology, SoFresh of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Zetifi of New South Wales, Australia were $500,000 winners; and besides Halomine, Leep Foods of Rochester; Candidus of Hull, Georgia; and PureSpace of Busan, South Korea each won $250,000 in prize money.

Grow-NY was held remotely Nov. 17 and 18, with more than 1,500 people registered to attend. Competition finalists were able to share their business plans and answer questions from a panel of judges in front of an online audience; each had 10 minutes to share their pitch and then 10 minutes for questions.

Competition process

Grow-NY organizers say 264 companies applied to the competition this year, including startups from 27 countries.

In the U.S., 25 states were represented. Organizers say 29 percent of applicants included a female founder and 32 percent included a founder from an underrepresented minority group.

In early September, the applicants were narrowed down and the top 20 startups were chosen to proceed to the pitch competition. Each finalist had mentorship from a hand-selected regional business advisor leading up to the pitch.