Grow-NY recently awarded Unibaio of New York City its grand prize of $1M in the sixth annual Grow-NY #Food and #Agriculture business #competition. Unibaio offers natural particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides and fertilizers, allowing them to penetrate plants more effectively.
As 1 of 8 finalists at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit, held Nov. 6-7 at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center, the #startup focused their pitch on enhancing emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in central New York, the #FingerLakes and the #SouthernTier.
"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," said Matias Figliozzi, CEO and co-founder of Unibaio.
From the 312 applicants from 50 countries and 26 states; only 20 startups were selected to compete this year. 1,100+ people registered for the summit, which featured a series of panels and fireside chats from experts in industry and academia.
"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," said Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner of Empire State Development.
To ensure a positive economic impact in #Upstate #NewYork, prize recipients are required to operate in the region for at least one year, with an aim to create jobs, form partnerships, and encourage investment in local communities.
Judges awarded the following startups cash prizes as well:
🏆$500,000 Winners:
▪️ PureNanoTech Inc. (NJ): Nanobubble irrigation solution for agriculture, pond and lake restoration, wastewater treatment, and disinfection
▪️ UdderWays (NY): Brushless technology for stimulating cows and promoting milk letdown
🏆$250,000 Winners:
▪️ Clean Crop Technologies, Inc. (MA): Uses electricity and food-grade gases to remove pathogens from seeds
▪️ ClearLeaf (Costa Rica): Safe, eco-friendly fungicides and bactericides for soil and crops
▪️ For Bitter For Worse (OR): Non-alcoholic cocktails made from organic, locally farmed ingredients
▪️ Zordi (NY): Autonomous greenhouses with robots and AI for high-quality produce
🏆$10,000 Wegmans Audience Choice Award (audience vote)
▪️ BIALTEC: Microencapsulated feed additives for livestock
Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eKTSkvwQ
