NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — The Upstate Capital Association of New York recently announced the list of winners for its 2022 New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC). The association named the 2022 Grand Prize winner, along with special prize winners at Venture NY, which it says is its “marquee early-stage event.” The NYBPC Grand Prize Winner […]
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — The Upstate Capital Association of New York recently announced the list of winners for its 2022 New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC).
The association named the 2022 Grand Prize winner, along with special prize winners at Venture NY, which it says is its “marquee early-stage event.”
The NYBPC Grand Prize Winner is Photonect from the University of Rochester. Photonect provides fiber-to-chip attachment solutions for companies like CISCO with proprietary technology. The team won $15,000 in cash, as well as mentorship and connections from industry leaders throughout the Upstate Capital Association’s ecosystem of innovators.
The Upstate Capital Association of New York says it has been leading the statewide intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition for the past five years to support New York’s next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. The NYBPC has three goals: to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skills, to build personal networks connecting students to organizations in New York, and to launch new ventures. The program started in 2010 and has served more than 6,000 students and helped launch hundreds of ventures.
The NYBPC is supported by more than 100 people and organizations with personal donations and corporate sponsorships, including NYSTAR, the SUNY Research Foundation, NY Ventures, and the Techstars Foundation.
2022 New York Business Plan Competition Results:
Grand Prize Winner: hotonect, University of Rochester
Founders: Juniyali Nauriyal and Sushant Kumar
First Place Track Winners:
Health & Wellbeing: BioSpire, University of Rochester
Food & Agtech: Happy Loose Leaf Tea, Syracuse University
Safety, Power & Mobility: KLAW Industries, Binghamton University
Media, Art & Entertainment: Open Beats, University at Buffalo
Products & Hardware: Photonect, University of Rochester
Software & Services: Lawn Admin, Siena College
Special Prize Winners:
KeyBank Healthcare Founder, awarded to an under-represented founder in the health-care space: Maternal Health Monitoring Service, SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Gryt Award, presented to a founder with building a community as part of the business model: Step 2,3, SUNY Purchase
Tech Garden Special Prize, awarded to a historically under-represented founder that may become a Tech Garden resident, based in CNY or a neighboring region: AI Learners, Cornell University
Genius NY Prize, awarded to a founder leveraging drones, autonomous systems, robotics and/or big data in their business model: Small Farm Automation from SUNY Polytechnic Institute
In total, the NYBPC awarded $50,000 in cash prizes to more than 20 teams from more than 200 teams that competed.
“This program has impacted more than 6,000 students since its inception in 2010, with more than $150 million of economic impact that can be attributed to student-led ventures that have gone through the program, and hundreds of innovations that have led to commercialization over the past decade,” Upstate Capital President and CEO Noa Conger-Simons said in a statement.
The Upstate Capital Association of New York says it is a member-driven organization that increases access to capital for companies and deal flow for investors by maintaining a statewide network of capital providers, professional advisors, and supporting organizations.