Grow-NY® is a food and ag tech business competition that will unite the best business plans & brightest entrepreneurs to compete for a top prize of $1 million.
Our 2024
#GrowNY
finalists are in!
Congrats to these 20 pioneering food and ag startups and welcome to Year 6 of the competition.
Read the full press release:
Upstate NY is home to dozens of leading Food and AgTech R&D programs at leading colleges and universities, business incubators and accelerator programs – and they’re about to get a lot busier. Discover why Friday!
@Cornell
@CornellCALS
@CornellAgriTech
The 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit is coming to Rochester’s Riverside Convention Center on November 12-13, and is set to showcase transformational innovations in its industry. Interested in attending? RSVP for your spot today.
#GrowNY
Months of preparation, mentorship and presentation, and it all comes down to tonight’s
#GrowNY
awards ceremony. The food & ag finalists are ready—so stay tuned for our winners.
And the $1 million grand prize winner of
#GrowNY
2021 is … Every Body Eat! The Chicago co. makes, markets, and sells delicious food that is free from the most common 14 allergens, corn, and sugar so that people can enjoy it. Congrats to the team!
With applications coming in for the latest edition of
#GrowNY
, many of the global start-ups intent on entering the competition have questions about the overall timeline. For all pertinent dates—including the application deadline July 15—visit .
The inaugural Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit is now underway in
#Rochester
. With panel discussions, exhibitions, finalist interviews, and tomorrow's awards ceremony, there's lots to share--so follow along throughout today and tomorrow for ongoing coverage.
#GrowNY
It’s time for the second edition of
#GrowNY
, the global challenge aimed at bringing food and ag innovators into NY’s rapidly evolving startup ecosystem. Last year awarded a total of $3 mil. to growing businesses—and we’re ready to do it again. Apply at .
With $500K in prize money, 2022
#GrowNY
winner
@CraftCannery
is poised to grow its contract manufacturing of cherished recipes in New York’s burgeoning food and agriculture industry. Discover more about all of this year’s winners at .
The 2019 Grow-NY competition was cultivated to highlight growth and innovation in the food & ag industry throughout its New York region. Grand prize winner
@realeatsfood
is a prime example of this—and is now ready to feed the world.
#GrowNY
A successful Day 1 of the inaugural
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit is in the books, and Grow-NY Program Director Jen Smith has the full breakdown. Check out her assessment--and we'll see you tomorrow for an even more exciting Day 2.
Introducing the 2023
#GrowNY
$1 million grand prize winner Hypercell Technologies! Congratulations to Hypercell Technologies and all of this year’s winners:
@Crover_Tech
,
@SomaDetect
, Cattle Scan, Clean Label Solution,
@Myco_Logic
, and Mush Foods.
Day 2 of the 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit is underway, with more symposium panels and finalist pitches throughout Wednesday. Clock is ticking toward the next one, so stay tuned for results and exciting final awards announcement!
#GrowNY
Sign up for an interactive info session to learn how your startup can win $1 million through the Grow-NY competition. See available session dates here:
#GrowNY
With 199 applicants, we're eagerly anticipating the 20 finalists chosen to pitch their businesses at the Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit on November 12th—13th in Rochester, NY. Who will win the $1 million grand prize? RSVP to attend the Summit at:
#GrowNY
Katonah, NY’s
@AsarasiWater
is converting sugar-free maple sap waste into sparkling water derived from maple trees. It’s a viable alternative to bottled water, and it’s landed the product and startup a spot in the
#GrowNY
finals. Learn more at .
@CraftCannery
owner and CEO
@PaulyGoogs
put it best in his pitch: “When you support Craft Cannery, you support hundreds of businesses.” Watch the full pitch from this 2022
#GrowNY
$500K winner at
According to the Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) at
@Cornell
, the
#GrowNY
region has seen employment in the food and ag sectors grow by 25.4% in the past decade. Learn more about New York’s burgeoning agriculture economy at .
We started with an idea: devise an unprecedented food and agtech competition that lures agriculture-related innovators across the globe to compete for a $1 million top prize. Now, Grow-NY has its finalists—and the excitement begins. Learn more at .
#GrowNY
This year’s Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit will feature a dynamic list of speakers and panel discussions, and we’re excited to offer these both in-person and online from Syracuse’s Oncenter Convention Center on November 16-17. Learn more at .
One two-day event, set to bring together top agtech startups and researchers from across the globe. It’s the 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit, coming to Rochester, NY on November 12-13. Early bird rates ($35) end on Sep. 6, so RSVP today.
#GrowNY
Every Body Eat. Ascribe and Neupeak. DraughtLab and EmGenisys, Nordetect and WeRadiate. Seven innovative startups, with different proficiencies and places they call home. But after last night, they all share a common designation: Grow-NY 2021 winners. 👉
What do startups
@capro_x
,
@BeeCombplex
,
@perfectgranola
, and Whole Healthy Food have in common? Innovative ideas to transform their food & ag field, and prestigious recognition from
#GrowNY
. All are $250K winners, ready to take their transformative initiatives to the next level.
Grow-NY, in partnership with the
@USDA
's Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center and
@CornellCALS
' Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition. Learn more at .
Syracuse-based
@Dropcopter
is the first company in the world to pollenate via drone. After taking one of two $500K runner-up prizes in last week's inaugural
#GrowNY
competition, it's funded to do even bigger things. Find out more about its win at .
According to NYS Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, this year’s
#GrowNY
provides another chance to highlight the state’s global prominence in the food and ag industry. See her video comments for more, then visit for more on the 2020 competition.
@LtGovHochulNY
RealEats is focused on building a healthier future with responsibly sourced meals that minimize food waste. Now, the Geneva, NY food-tech company can pursue this mission as Grow-NY's first $1 million grand prize winner. Congratulations to the
@realeatsfood
team!
#GrowNY
Capro-X became a Grow-NY finalist and $250K award winner by taking Greek yogurt’s whey waste and turning it into biofuel. Now, they’re being honored by the National Science Foundation with a $724K Phase II award. Learn more about the honor at .
@capro_x
On September 15, we’ll announce our latest crop of innovative Grow-NY finalists, all vying for $3 million in prizes—and a place in NY’s burgeoning agtech community. To watch our Virtual Finalist Announcement at 9 a.m., visit and register today.
Grow-NY is proud to announce its 2020 winners: $1 million Grand Prize awardee, Soos Technology; $500K winners SoFresh and
@ZetifiOfficial
; and $250K winners Candidus,
@HalomineInc
, Leep Foods, and
@purespaceinc
. Learn more about the group at .
#GrowNY
Scenes from inside the
#GrowNY
exhibition hall, Day 1. Informative conversations and industry introductions, all between panel discussions and finalist presentations.
#Rochester
Coming down the home stretch at
#GrowNY
2021, with just a few pitches left before our last Fireside Chat (Rural and Urban Agrifood Investing) and our eagerly anticipated awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Who’s your pick for this year’s $1 million grand prize?
As a top-5 producer of yogurt, apples, wine, and more, NY is fertile ground for Food & Ag startups. Want to grow your business here? Apply now at (link: ) . (Deadline is July 15.)
#GrowNY
@Cornell
@CornellAgriTech
@nyagandmarkets
Ambitious food and ag entrepreneurs, all competing for a $1 million prize, and doing it with support of partners focused on fostering innovative development. This is what Grow-NY is all about, so apply before tomorrow’s July 15 deadline at
#GrowNY
Ithaca’s
@BeeCombplex
is laser-focused on protecting the healthy proliferation of the honeybee; and as one of four $250K Grow-NY winners, the company now has more resources to perform its work. Find out more about Combplex and its work at
#GrowNY
It’s official: Just one month after earning the grand prize honors of the first
#GrowNY
,
@realeatsfood
will soon receive its initial prize payment to continue its mission of providing a quick and easy way for families to enjoy fresh, healthy meals. Very exciting!
@CornellCALS
Grow-NY received applications from across the globe for the 1st innovative food and agriculture business competition. 23 US states and 16 countries were among the 199 applications, and we are pleased that NY-based startups totaled more than half of the
#GrowNY
applications.
The wait is over! Introducing the 2023
#GrowNY
finalists. Among a highly competitive pool of hundreds of applicants, these 20 startups separated themselves from the bunch. Get to know the companies:
Rochester’s
@WeRadiateNY
has the solution for healthy, nutrient-rich soil, using hardware, software, and data technology to create high-efficacy and high-quality compost end products at viable composting sites. Learn more about the $250K Grow-NY winner at .
This year’s crop of innovative Grow-NY finalists hail from across the globe. Now, they’re all vying to become the next $1 million winner of NY’s one-of-a-kind business competition. Meet the finalists of
#GrowNY
2021 at .
It's almost time to learn which innovative startups will earn their share of $3 million through this year's
#GrowNY
competition. To find out, tune into the 2020 Awards Ceremony, set for Monday, November 23 at 4 p.m. EST. Register today at .
Congrats to
#Grow
-NY finalist
@perfectgranola
, who will partner with Feeding America Network-member
@FoodlinkNY
to produce the first NYS Grown & Certified ready-to-eat grain product via its new allergy-free granola pouches. Read more details here:
Pheronym uses pheromones to control the development of microscopic roundworms called nematodes, providing farmers a non-toxic, sustainable, and effective alternative to pesticides. Learn more about this Grow-NY finalist at .
The 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit in Rochester is a two-day event to bring together top global startups with world-class researchers, resources and partners from across New York State. Find out more and RSVP for the event at
#GrowNY
#agriculture
#NewYork
Registration is open for this year’s
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit at The Oncenter in Syracuse. The two-day event, Nov. 15-16, includes a world-class symposium, on-site showcase, and pitches from top food and ag startups around the world. Register at
Do you have a startup in the food or agriculture industry? Consider the abundant resources available throughout the Grow-NY region—and available to those selected for the global agtech competition. Apply before July 15 by visiting .
#GrowNY
#food
#agtech
Danny Wegman is not only the leader of one of the top grocery store chains in the U.S. He also knows how to grow a successful food business in New York, which he’ll discuss as keynote speaker of the 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit. RSVP today:
#GrowNY
One more day until
#GrowNY
’s virtual launch event, featuring contest news, regional agtech updates from business and political leaders, and competition stories from winners Dropcopter, The Perfect Granola and overall winner RealEats America. Tune in at .
Did you miss this morning's Virtual Finalist Announcement? If so, no problem. The full broadcast is now available, so tune in and see this year's list of exciting startups and entrepreneurs!
#GrowNY
We're thrilled for longtime partner
@CornellAgriTech
, who has provided unwavering support to many of our finalists and winners. This significant investment will allow the Grow-NY region’s food and ag industries to continue to thrive and be a leader in innovation.
Thank you
@GovKathyHochul
for the award of $20M for our food science building, announced today as part of the 2024 NYS Budget. This vital funding will boost our impact on New York's critical food and ag industries. We're excited to get to work!
Big news! Applications for the fourth iteration of the
#GrowNY
food and agriculture business competition are now open! Think your food, beverage, or agriculture
#startup
has what it takes to compete for the $1 million top prize? Learn more and apply at .
Entrepreneurs are critical to the U.S. economy, and need ongoing support to thrive. NY knows this, and its
#GrowNY
food and ag business competition is laser-focused on supporting innovative companies it attracts to the region. See more at .
It’s almost time for Day One of this year’s Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit, set to start at 9 a.m. Today will feature insightful panel discussions, as well as a flurry of finalist pitches. If you’re not registered, there’s still time to sign up at .
#GrowNY2020
This a.m. we’ll share big news about a new, global, startup competition with a $1M top prize — Grow-NY — hosted in the Finger Lakes, Central NY & Southern Tier. Watch it live via Facebook, starting at 10 a.m. at . See you then!
Interested in the story behind Grow-NY award-winner
@perfectgranola
? So was
@NBCNews
and its female-empowering Know Your Value, who recently featured company founder Michele Liddle and her quest to start the company of her dreams. .
@MikaKYV365
#GrowNY
Applications are open for
#GrowNY
2020, so that means new updates and info about the competition and upcoming Food & Ag Summit will be appearing regularly. If you want to stay on top of it all, stay connected through our e-mail newsletter. Sign up at .
Through its WheyAway treatment system, Capro-X is turning acid whey waste from Greek yogurt plants into clean water and bio-oils. It’s an innovative procedure—and it’s made them a Grow-NY finalist. Find out more about the company at .
@capro_x
#GrowNY
Day Two of the 2021 Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit includes insightful panel discussions, more business pitches—and announcement of this year’s winners. Take it all in on site or online; or register for all the day’s action at .
What did 2019 finalist Re-Nuble find through Grow-NY? Validation of their innovative agtech ideas—and motivation to take those concepts as far as they can. Learn more about Re-Nuble and other previous Grow-NY finalists at .
#GrowNY
We’re less than a month away from this year’s
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit, set to take place on November 16-17 inside Syracuse’s Oncenter Convention Center. To be there in-person or virtually for all the pitches and informative panels, register at .
We’re still trudging through the thick of winter, but the 2020 edition of Grow-NY—and its April 1 application opening—is right around the corner. To check on all the necessary deadlines and ongoing updates, visit and stay informed.
#GrowNY
This week, members of our Grow-NY team were in Chicago for
@FoodBytes
by Rabobank, where they took in pitches by some of the world's most promising food and ag startups. Incredible innovation on display, and can't wait to bring the same to our Summit in November!
#GrowNY
Are you interested in applying for
#GrowNY
, but have questions about the competition or application process? Sign up for an upcoming virtual information and Q&A session on May 25 or June 1, or others scheduled throughout the application period:
The 2021
#GrowNY
finalists are set to be revealed on Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. via our Virtual Finalist Announcement. To find out which innovative startups will soon compete for $3 million in awards and learn more about the event, visit .
Grow-NY’s finalists announcement revealed the 18 agtech businesses who’ll vie for the competition’s $1 million grand prize. The
@FLTimes
has the news, as well as details on a pair of local finalists,
@realeatsfood
&
@perfectgranola
.
#GrowNY
Grow-NY is a multi-layered competition for a global cavalcade food and agriculture innovators. With those layers comes a variety of contest-related questions—and we have answers. Learn more at .
#GrowNY
May’s Virtual Briefing revealed key info from former winners still benefitting from their
#GrowNY
experience. One of these businesses is The Perfect Granola, who cited the region’s sense of community as key for developing entrepreneurs.
@perfectgranola
This year’s
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit is one month away! Register today to hear the finalist pitches and panel discussions featuring global agtech leaders on Nov. 15-16 at Syracuse’s Oncenter. You can also attend virtually; reserve your spot here:
Eager to apply for the fourth annual
#GrowNY
competition but have questions? Sign up for tomorrow’s virtual information session at 5 p.m. ET to learn more about the competition and gain insight on how to make your application competitive. Register now:
We’re two weeks away from the July 15 application deadline for Grow-NY. Are you entering the global food and agriculture competition? If so, apply today at , and enter to win up to $1 million for your business.
#GrowNY
@CornellAgriTech
@Cornell
#agriculture
Responsibly sourced meals—delivered fresh while minimizing food waste in the process—is the formula for Geneva, NY’s RealEats America, and the innovative food-tech company hopes its work can earn Grow-NY’s top prize. Find out more at
#GrowNY
@realeatsfood
Optimal soil quality is key to providing plants with key nutrients.
#GrowNY
finalist WeRadiate has the solution, using hardware, software, and data technology to create high-efficacy compost end products to enhance soil. Learn more at .
@WeRadiateNY
.
@simplygoodjars
makes healthy eating choices easier by solidifying connections between local growers, communities and consumers—and doing it in a way that encourages and enhances environmental responsibility. Learn more about this
#GrowNY
finalist at .
Ithaca’s Whole Healthy Foods develops therapeutic ingredients, including a white kidney bean protein that’s been clinically shown to reduce caloric intake. Next stop for the company and its creations: the Grow-NY finals. Find out more at
#GrowNY
After reviewing the exciting credentials of 199 applicants—submitted from 23 different U.S. states and 16 different countries— the first Grow-NY field has been narrowed to 18 finalists. Meet the names and business aims of each on our site.
#GrowNY
This is it! Today is the last day to apply for this year’s
#GrowNY
competition. If you’ve started your application and still want your shot at the $3 million prize pool, you have until 5 p.m. ET to finish and submit your application: .
Good news for more
#GrowNY
finalists. Food tech innovators
@Re_Nuble
and Ithaca's Halomine, Inc. both notched funding through
@Fuzehub
manufacturing-focused 2019 Commercialization Competition, with Re-Nuble taking the $150K grand prize. Read more at .
The
#GrowNY
region is full of thriving food and bev companies, positioned within 500 miles of more than 100 million consumers. It’s a desirable market, and just another reason that makes the area so advantageous for growing startups. Learn more at .
Apply to
#GrowNY
by June 15 for a chance to win $1 million and make valuable connections. All 20 finalists receive a fully funded business development trip like 2022 $500K winner
@hempitecture
co-founder and chief innovation officer Tommy Gibbons:
What did Ithaca’s Halomine do with its second trip to
#GrowNY
? It presented its anti-microbial products at a time when food and surface safety are paramount across the world, and earned one of this year’s $250K awards. Learn more at .
Tomorrow, the best in the global agtech and foodtech industries come together at the 2022
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit, and you can still be a part of it. Attend virtually or in person in Syracuse, NY by reserving your spot now: .
More great coverage to share about
#GrowNY
, this time from agriculture industry news agency
@GrowingProduce
, and with a focus on $500K winner,
@Dropcopter
. Check out the entire piece about the innovative pollinators at .
Grow-NY is an unprecedented business competition designed to attract high-growth Food and AgTech startups from around the world to the Finger Lakes, Central NY and Southern Tier. $1 million top prize is up for grabs! Applications now open. Visit for more!
With another successful
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit now in the books, we'd like to thank those who made it possible--including our sponsors. Advancing the work of our innovative finalists is made possible with your support, so thanks for your involvement with this year's edition.
The 2019 Grow-NY Summit plans to feature the future of the agtech industry, as well as those leading the way. More than 25 industry leaders are scheduled as panel moderators and speakers for the November 12-13 event, so see the full list at .
#GrowNY
Have you finished your application for the 2021 Grow-NY food and ag business competition? If so, now’s the time to register for the $3 million contest and compete against innovative startups from around the world. Complete your entry today at .
Grow-NY applications are now open! The one-of-a-kind global challenge bringing food and ag innovators into NY’s startup ecosystem has already awarded millions in funding for growing startups—and this year, we’re ready to award even more. Apply today at .
Attending the 2019 Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit? Panel discussions like “The Farmer Of Tomorrow: Opportunities And Challenges In Agriculture’s Digital Revolution” will explore how digital agriculture is poised to transform farming. .
#GrowNY
#agtech
#ILoveNY
Join top food and agtech startups from around the world at this year’s
#GrowNY
Food & Ag Summit, Nov. 15-16 at The Oncenter in Syracuse. Register today to experience the latest advances from speakers and key industry players in person or virtually: .
Charlie Mulligan helped establish
@GiveGab
, a nonprofit giving platform that helps form innovative, synergistic and successful connections between donors and organizations. This fall, he’s a finalist mentor for Grow-NY.
Rochester’s Leep Foods use regenerative soil methods to grow USDA-certified organic mushrooms considered among the best in the world. That’s high praise—and impressive enough to earn them one of
#GrowNY
’s $250K awards. Learn more about them at .