Empire State Development has announced Unibaio, of New York, NY, as the grand prize winner of the sixth annual Grow-NY business competition. The competition awarded $3 million — including the $1 million grand prize — to seven of the 20 finalists participating in the business development accelerator. The announcement took place at the Grow-NY Summit, a two-day event in Ithaca where finalists pitched their business plans to a panel of expert judges.
Each winning team will commit to operating in the region for at least one year, while also providing a modest equity stake to Cornell University, to fund future food and ag entrepreneurship programming. The competition is managed by Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement.
Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Congratulations to the Grow-NY winners, and to all of the teams that participated in round six of this unique agriculture-based business accelerator and competition. Grow-NY is rooted in Governor Hochul's support of startups that are building entrepreneurial ecosystems and continues to nurture economic growth across the rich farming areas of the Finger Lakes, Central and Southern Tier regions."
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "The Grow-NY competition is an annual opportunity to spotlight New York agriculture's diversity and strengths, and the many opportunities it holds for innovative businesses that are looking to grow and thrive. Now in its sixth round, Grow-NY has proven itself to be a program that is integral to enhancing our agricultural economy. I congratulate all the winners and participants this year and thank Governor Hochul for her continued support in making sure New York agriculture remains a powerhouse nationwide."
Unibaio offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides and fertilizers, enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.
Matia Figliozzi, CEO and Co-Founder of Unibaio said, "Winning the $1 million grand prize at the Grow-NY Summit is a dream come true. It's more than just the money — it's validation of our team's hard work, innovation and dedication to creating a solution that will have a lasting impact on farming."
Other 2024 winners included:
$500,000 Winner: PureNanoTech, Parsippany, N.J. – Created a nanobubble irrigation solution to maximize irrigation performance and optimize energy usage in the agriculture, pond and lake restoration, wastewater treatment, and disinfection industries.
$500,000 Winner: UdderWays, Albion, N.Y. – Uses a unique, brushless technology to gently stimulate cows and ensure clean and dry teats. With the startup's patented vortex-style application, farmers can achieve consistent stimulation and effortlessly promote milk letdown.
$250,000 Winner: Clean Crop Technologies, Holyoke, M.A. – Combines electricity and food-grade gasses to remove pathogens from seeds before they are planted, increasing yields, reducing waste, and improving food safety without preservatives.
$250,000 Winner: ClearLeaf, San José, Costa Rica – Offers safe fungicides and bactericides protect soil and crops from a wide range of pre-and post-harvest pathogens, without harming the environment or your health.
$250,000 Winner: For Bitter For Worse, Portland, O.R. – A distillery using certified organic, locally farmed ingredients to create a healthier, more inclusive culture with their non-alcoholic cocktails.
$250,000 Winner: Zordi, Oakfield, N.Y. – Builds autonomous greenhouses with robots and AI to make delicious, high-quality produce available anywhere.
The public also participated in the competition by voting for the "Wegmans Audience Choice" award, which went to Bialtec of Delft, Netherlands, earning them $10,000 sponsored by Wegmans.
More than 1,100 people registered for the sixth annual Grow-NY Summit. The Summit culminated with the presentation of awards, where individuals from previous Grow-NY competition winners and finalists Capro-X, WeRadiate, Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen and GR8PE by Stil-Bène announced the four $250,000 winners. Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball revealed the two $500,000 recipients as well as the $1 million award winner.
Grow-NY Program Director Jenn Smith said, "Through the Grow-NY competition we've touched more than 1,800 startups wanting to build their businesses in Upstate NY. This year's finalists are all exceptional, and we are thrilled to add Unibaio to our portfolio of ventures growing in the region."
For more information:
Grow-NY
www.grow-ny.com