Blueflite Wins $1 Million GENIUS NY Grand Prize

More than 200 people gathered in the grand ballroom of the Marriott Syracuse Downtown to watch innovative uncrewed aerial systems companies compete for CenterState CEO’s GENIUS NY accelerator’s $1 million grand prize. The five competing companies each pitched their industry disrupting technologies to the crowd and a panel of judges.  

At the end of the night, judges awarded blueflite the $1 million. The company offers a drone-based logistics platform. Its patented, unique, and all-electrical drone design has vertical take-off and landing capabilities, advanced maneuverability, and is built to meet the rigorous demands of commercial operations.  

“Blueflite is thrilled to have won the prestigious GENIUS NY $1 million prize, organized by CenterState CEO. We see this as a remarkable achievement and testament to our capabilities, and we are enthusiastic to begin an exciting journey strengthening our presence in the State of New York," said blueflite co-founders Frank Noppel and James McClearen. "The support from GENIUS NY has been invaluable, and we look forward to drive innovation and excellence in the drone industry, benefiting not only our company but also the communities we serve.” 

While $1 million is the grand prize, it’s not the only prize. The GENIUS NY program, administered by CenterState CEO and funded by Empire State Development, distributes a total of $3 million across the five teams. The four other finalists each received a $500,000 investment: 

• Aloft provides software solutions for individual aircraft and full fleet management to make drone operation safer and more valuable. 

• Greenjets creates electric propulsors that make drones safer, quieter and more sustainable.  

• Voltela provides software that ensures a reliable and consistent communication network for uncrewed aerial systems. 

• VOTIX supplies a hardware-agnostic platform that enables drone automation, orchestration and remote operation. 

Read More:

CNY Central

CNY Business Journal

Oneida Daily Dispatch

The Daily Orange

Syracuse.com

Unmanned Systems Technology