Empire State Development Announces Five Teams Selected To Compete In Round Seven Of GENIUS NY Accelerator

Posted on June 28, 2023

Image
Finalists 2 1200x656

Selected Teams from Around the World Will Compete for a Total of $3 Million in Investments and Participate in Yearlong UAS Accelerator in CNY. 

Program is supported by “CNY Rising” the region’s comprehensive strategy to revitalize the community and grow the economy.

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the five teams selected to take part in round seven of the innovative GENIUS NY business accelerator program. Supported by the CNY Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative and administered by CenterState CEO and The Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, these startup, uncrewed systems industry companies will participate in a yearlong program. The five finalists include teams with international and New York state representation and were selected from a pool of more than 450 submissions. They will compete for $3 million in direct investment, with one grand prize of up to $1 million and four $500,000 awards. The program is the largest business accelerator for the UAS industry in the world. GENIUS NY participants are required to commit to operating their business in Central New York for at least one year.

“The GENIUS NY accelerator has helped to establish Central New York as a hub for uncrewed aerial systems by attracting the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight. “New York State’s ongoing UAS investment will ensure that continued industry leadership, bringing top-quality jobs and growth to the region and beyond.”

Starting July 12, the five selected companies will move into downtown Syracuse where they will begin to refine work on their business cases, which they present at the Pitch Finals event on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.

Kara Jones, director of GENIUS NY, said, This round’s teams bring an exciting new mix of technologies being developed in the uncrewed systems space,” said Kara Jones, director of GENIUS NY. “We are excited for their arrival in Central New York in just a few short weeks, and to work with them over the coming year as they connect with local businesses and partners on strategic opportunities for collaboration and growth. Our goal is to not only support startups so they succeed in the UAS industry, but so that they can do so right here in our region, well after their participation in the program.”

The five selected finalists are:

Aloft (Silver Spring, Maryland), an FAA-approved UAS Service Supplier (USS) for LAANC, powering the vast majority of recreational and commercial airspace authorizations. Aloft also has an exclusive public-private partnership with the FAA to power B4FULY. Through state-of-the-art technologies and sophisticated data services, Aloft aims to enhance the safety and efficiency of drone operations, facilitating their integration into the National Airspace System.

Blueflite (Detroit, Michigan), a company designing and manufacturing a logistics drone platform to solve the modern-day challenges in the logistics industry. Blueflite’s drones offer faster and greener deliveries at a lower cost compared to conventional transport. The unique and patent pending tiltrotor design features vectored thrust giving it unrivaled maneuverability and the ability to operate under challenging conditions. The digital element of the platform allows for integration into an all-automated supply chain for high-speed deliveries at scale.

Greenjets (Milton Keynes, UK) Greenjets, which is building next generation electric propulsion systems for advanced air mobility. Their ducted fan propulsion technology is the quietest, safest and most efficient of its class. The Greenjets team has over 300 years of deep domain knowledge carried over from Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems & Formula 1. Learnings from these experiences are reflected in a unique design & manufacturing methodology, which allows production of propulsion systems at an unrivalled pace.

Voltela (Brooklyn, NY) provides connectivity assurance for commercial drones. Remote pilots must rely on reliable Command and Control connections. The mobile network was not built for aerial connectivity and changing the infrastructure is not viable. Voltela’s patented software operates with off-the-shelf modems enabling prioritized connections with guaranteed low latency via any mobile network. Voltela’s superior connectivity performance achieves aviation-grade reliability levels and is the foundation for building the Aerial Virtual Network Operator.

Votix (Weston, Florida) is an American Enterprise Drone Orchestration and Automation platform and the first universal (hardware-agnostic) drone operating system for commercial operations at scale. VOTIX integrates the entire drone ecosystem, ensuring high-quality results, and safe and robust operations, guaranteeing compliance with regulators and stakeholders, creating synergies within the industry’s ecosystem, reducing process time, and generating superior intelligence. VOTIX supports VLOS/EVLOS while enabling BVLOS operations, autonomous flights, real-time cloud video streaming and AI, precision landing, drone-in-a-box integration, and much more!

Throughout the program teams will have access to free workspace at The Tech Garden, experts and other founders specific to their industry, executive advisors, recruiting, marketing and fundraising support, programming and events, the opportunity to apply for the UAS Job Fund, as well as other perks like access to platforms such as PitchBook,  and offer companies AWS credits. The goal is to encourage all participants to put down roots and stay in the region following the conclusion of the program.

Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, said, “Each year, the strength of our applicant pool and the finalist teams – from across the country and globe – continue to speak to the strength of the GENIUS NY program and that Central New York is the single best place to grow your UAS company,” said Robert Simpson, president of CenterState CEO. “We are excited to welcome this new cohort to see their innovative technologies and platforms accelerate through the GENIUS NY program, and our ecosystem of partners and resources.”

Since 2017, GENIUS NY has invested $18 million in 32 companies from around the world and brought them to Central New York to participate in the yearlong in-residence accelerator where they receive assistance with product development, business development, and networking opportunities with investors and business leaders. Participants are also integrated into the larger regional effort to grow uncrewed aerial systems in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley and will have access to world-leading infrastructure and testing assets. Participants also have opportunities to connect with investors for follow on funding. Since 2017, GENIUS NY companies have raised more than $100 million in follow-on funding and have created over 80 jobs in New York.

Accelerating CNY Rising
Today’s announcement complements “CNY Rising,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on capitalizing on global market opportunities, strengthening entrepreneurship and creating an inclusive economy. More information is available here.

About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NEW YORK,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.

Read the official Press Release on the Empire State Development website: Empire State Development Announces Five Finalists Selected for Round Seven of Genius NY Competition

Other
CEO News

Image
NY Smart I Corridor Offical Awardee graphic 2
CEO News | 07/03/2024

How the NY SMART I-Corridor will Advance Global Semiconductor Innovation, Manufacturing and Workforce Training

The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub was developed by a consortium of partners that has engaged 100+ institutions, including assembling commitments from industry, academia, labor, nonprofit, government and other private sector members.

Image
tech hubs awardee
CEO News | 07/02/2024

NY SMART I-Corridor Is the First Tech Hub Award Winner in The Nation

Syracuse, NY - CenterState CEO President Robert Simpson issued the following message to members and stakeholders regarding  the NY SMART I-Corridor's being awarded one of 12 grants through the federal Tech Hubs program:

Image
Community Priorities Document Press Conference
CEO News | 06/27/2024

The Central New York Community Engagement Committee Presents Community Priorities Document

The document is intended to serve as a guiding strategy to amplify the benefits of Micron and New York State’s investments in Central New York.

Image
Flight Fest Genius NY 7 teams
CEO News | 06/27/2024

GENIUS NY Celebrates the Graduation of Its Seventh Cohort

Flight Fest event highlights the Central New York Uncrewed Aerial Systems community and future opportunities.

Image
Micron Steering Committee 2024
CEO News | 06/13/2024

Oswego County Micron Strategy Steering Committee Releases Annual Report and Holds First Micron Preparation Summit

Micron’s megafab chip plant is a catalyst for transformational renewal in the Central New York region and across New York State.

Image
gny8 semi finalist
CEO News | 06/11/2024

GENIUS NY Selects Semi-finalists for 8th Round

CenterState CEO announces 14 companies have been named semi-finalists for the GENIUS NY program’s 8th cohort.

Image
microelectronic stock image PCB
CEO News | 06/06/2024

CenterState CEO Joins Team of Partners in ESD's Upstate Defense Initiative

The Upstate Defense Initiative will support workforce development, bolster supply chains and cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship to strengthen New York’s microelectronics and semiconductor industries.

Image
northland workforce training center tour
CEO News | 06/03/2024

CenterState CEO & Partners See Best Practices in Action during Northland Workforce Training Center Visit

The CenterState CEO Inclusive Growth team and a robust network of partners recently traveled to Buffalo and toured the Northland Workforce Training Center.

Image
ceo pride support graphic
CEO News | 06/03/2024

CenterState CEO Issues Statement of Support During Pride Month

CenterState CEO stands with the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Read CenterState CEO's full statement of support as we begin celebrating Pride Month: