New GENIUS NY Teams Move into The Tech Garden

[On. Jan. 30] nearly 100 CenterState CEO members braved the cold to meet the five new teams participating in round three of our successful GENIUS NY program during a special welcome event held at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Teams were able to interact with members who could serve as clients, resources, or mentors as they grow their businesses here in Central New York.

The teams begin the year-long program with newly renovated offices in the GENIUS Center at The Tech Garden, which offers opportunities to collaborate with each other and other Tech Garden members. Over the next few months, the teams will refine their pitch as they prepare to compete for $3 million in investments during Finals Night on April 9. One team will be awarded a grand prize of $1 million, while the four remaining teams will each receive a $500,000 investment. Over the next year, all teams will access a variety of targeted resources to advance their technologies and contribute to the unmanned-aircraft systems ecosystem in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. 

Round three companies will also explore synergies with teams from the competition’s first two rounds. All six GENIUS NY round two companies have committed to staying in Syracuse. Teams from the program’s first two rounds continue to hit growth milestones; have raised more through outside investments than what was invested in the program; are making connections and establishing partnerships with local businesses; and have hired or currently have openings. 

To learn more about how you can connect with these teams contact Jon Parry, director of GENIUS NY, at jparry@thetechgarden.com         

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Jan. 31.