CNY Biotech Accelerator - 2026 Events / Pitch Opportunity

The Central New York Biotech Accelerator is hosting or partnering on exciting events and has a full complement of virtual sessions scheduled / in process for 2026.

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 CNYBAC Medical Device Innovation Challenge.  Are you an early to mid-stage medical device team/startup company actively commercializing your technology and need some additional help from experts in the medical device field?  Applications are due March 1. Just to give you an idea of what one of our 2025 graduates accomplished, Portico Health - Nick Drury (CTO), Alex McMullen (lead engineer), and Lucas Lassinger (CEO) - were connected to Upstate Medical University’s Orthopedic Surgery Department Assistant Professor Nat Ordway and Dr. William Lavelle through the CNYBAC MDIC program. They performed formative cadaver lab testing. Lucas noted, “this was an amazing experience. We gained huge insights about our designs, and doing a formative cadaver lab was something we had initially felt would be out of reach for at least another 6 months to a year.”

Upstate CORE Facilities are a definite benefit to CNYBAC clients and MDIC teams to streamline testing in support of design verification and validation as well as data for subsequent regulatory submission.

We are seeking pitch teams, sponsors, and attendees for the 5th Annual Kingston Syracuse Pathway (KSP) Conference March 25-26 in Kingston, Ontario. KSP is a special collaboration between innovation, university and economic development contingents in Syracuse, NY and Kingston, Ontario. KSP members help align research interests, supply chain needs, soft landings, and clinical trial / grant opportunities as well as host an annual conference.

More Info / Registration

The conference also includes a pitch competition for early-stage life and health sciences start-up teams based in Canada and the U.S. as an opportunity to get innovations in front of business leaders, researchers, physicians, and accelerators. Five teams will be selected. All applicants will receive a fee-waived registration to the entire conference. The winning team will receive a $5,000 pitch competition award. Eligibility requirements:

• Be an early-stage start-up.
• Have not received over $1,000,000 in funding.
• Agree to participate in person in Kingston, Ontario on Pitch Day, March 25

Pitch teams will have 5 minutes to present and respond to judges’ questions.

Deadline to submit application, February 26, 2026:  Application

Submit US-based application to:  durdonk@upstate.edu

Canada-based teams submit to: Ghazal Abdullah, abdullah@investkingston.ca

We have a wonderful lineup of presentations scheduled for the 2026 CNYBAC Concept to Commercialization Virtual Series – attached is our 2026 program schedule.  We hope you can join us for these free programs open to all.  Our upcoming sessions include:

SBIR/STTR Latest and Greatest & Tips

January 21, 2026, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EST
Aalap Shah, President & CEO, Fedsprout

Register: https://upstate.webex.com/weblink/register/r0d18373828e5c6a36cb946c9760fdd49

The session covers the latest updates across participating life sciences funding agencies—including NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and USDA —highlighting new trends, policy shifts, and practical tips for writing competitive proposals. Learn how to select the right agency, understand key differences in mission and review criteria, and build a compelling commercialization plan. Whether you're preparing your first submission or refining your strategy for a resubmission, this webinar offers timely insights to help position your company.

The Hidden Accelerator: Why team performance is biotech's most underused advantage

February 4, 2026, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EST

Anissa Davenport, MBA , Brooke Hynes, MA and David Eilers of Possibility Partners, LLC

Register: https://upstate.webex.com/weblink/register/r9034f752e30e416a3e1049ea288a0fca

Biotech companies rightly invest in breakthrough technology, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising. Yet there is another key accelerator hiding in plain sight: team performance. Our discussion will explore how intentional team design and culture development can drive efficiency from R&D to commercialization, drawing on real-world examples and organizational research.

Save the Date – the 3rd Annual Alan W. Rothschild Innovation Award CNYBAC Client Pitch Event will be hosted at the CNYBAC on October 8, 2026. We will also be celebrating CNYBAC’s 10th Anniversary at a reception following the pitch event and our Office of Industry Research is coordinating an Innovation Morning featuring Upstate translational research. Limited exhibitor space will be available – for more information contact: durdonk@upstate.edu.   

We’re also seeking to add new service providers to our free Network listed on our website. This helps innovators find resources such as regulatory consultants, legal firms, product design and development and manufacturing providers.  If you would like to be listed, please complete the Service Provider Form located at the bottom of the Network page and return it to Logan Booth: boothl@upstate.edu.