GENIUS NY Hosts Liverpool High School Drone Tech Program

More than 25 Liverpool high school students met with GENIUS NY at INSPYRE Innovation Hub by CenterState to learn more about the cutting-edge technologies advancing Central New York’s uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) industry. Each of the current GENIUS NY Cohort 9 teams shared with students in Liverpool's Drone Tech Program what problems their technology is working to solve and what it’s like being a tech entrepreneur. Students had the chance to ask questions to the GENIUS NY teams about their technology and experiences in Central New York.  

Following introductions and conversation, the Liverpool high school students and GENIUS NY companies formed teams to compete in the marshmallow challenge. This design and team-building exercise challenges groups to build the tallest, free-standing structure from spaghetti sticks, string and tape and place one marshmallow on top. Through this activity, students were able to engage in creative problem-solving skills while learning the value of prototyping. 

GENIUS NY finalist companies continue to work on their technologies, advance their businesses and engage with the Central New York community. They maintain a downtown Syracuse base of operations at CenterState’s INPSYRE Innovation Hub throughout the yearlong accelerator program. Teams will compete for a $1 million grand prize during a pitch finals event at Innovation Night in May 2026. 

GENIUS NY is operated by CenterState CEO and funded by Empire State Development. 

Learn more about the five GENIUS NY Cohort 9 finalists: 

• Flox (Stockholm, Sweden): AI that understands and speaks to wild animals—running on Edge pods, drones and trains—to steer wildlife away from critical areas. 
• Lamarr. AI (New York, USA): Uses drones and AI to inspect building exteriors, delivering faster, more affordable, and more accurate data than traditional methods. 
• Lighthouse Avionics (Ohio, USA): Offers low-cost optical solutions to monitor low-altitude airspace for drone threats, bird strikes and FAA compliance. 
• Modovolo (New York, USA): A drone company building low-cost, modular aircraft with extended flight times, designed for a wide range of commercial and defense uses. 
• Skyfire AI (New Jersey, USA): Deploys autonomous drone swarms and AI to improve response times and situational awareness for first responders and defense teams. 

Connect with GENIUS NY and INSPYRE Innovation Hub on LinkedIn!