Smart drones that distribute beneficial insects on crops, packaging materials to extend the shelf life of bread, and technology to transform food waste into nutrients for hydroponic farming – these are a few of the innovations to be featured at this year’s virtual , Nov. 17-18.
“New York state is committed to supporting our world-renowned food and agricultural industry,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a recent announcement of the 20 finalists participating in the competition, which is focused on strengthening food and agriculture innovation in the Grow-NY region (central New York, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier).
“Once again, the Grow-NY competition has attracted a group of diverse, innovative entrepreneurs who are ready to focus on finding new, innovative ways to further transform this critical industry,” Cuomo said. “It is through targeted efforts like Grow-NY that we will continue to bolster these regional economies, fostering statewide growth.”
During the second annual summit, the selected food and ag startups will compete for $3 million in prizes – a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes and four $250,000 prizes. Additionally, food and agriculture thought leaders from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will be leading a series of panels and discussions featuring industry experts.
Last year, the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit attracted more than 900 attendees; adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, this year’s summit will be completely virtual. is now open, as is registration for the , scheduled for Nov. 23.
The 20 finalists – selected from 264 applicants from around the world – have been working closely with their assigned mentors to better understand how they can make the biggest impact in the Grow-NY region and prepare to pitch their businesses to a panel of expert judges.
Six of this year’s finalists have Cornell connections:
(Ithaca): CEO Ted Eveleth ’90 and CTO Mingyu Qiao, a postdoctoral researcher, are members of on-campus technology incubator , and have teamed up to create antimicrobial solutions – licensed through Cornell’s – to ensure food safety. Halomine has also partnered with the to conduct biological research and testing against coronaviruses.
(Rochester, New York): Dedicated to growing organic mushrooms using regenerative soil methods on nutrient-enriched hardwoods, the startup worked with the to develop a blended mushroom burger.
Norwhey (Ithaca): Co-founder and CEO , M.S. ’07, an assistant professor in Cornell’s , is upcycling New York state’s yogurt whey into alcoholic beverages.
Candidus (Hull, Georgia): Candidus is developing cost-effective supplemental lighting strategies and control systems for commercial greenhouse operations. Co-founder Eric Mattos is also the executive director of the consortium, led in partnership by Cornell and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, New York.
Asarasi (Katonah, New York): By repurposing the water that makes up 97% of maple sap, this beverage startup is creating a sustainable alternative to bottled sparkling water. The Department of Food Science has partnered with Asarasi to validate its food safety processes.
Ripe.io (New York City): COO Rachel Gabato ’90 and the rest of her team are providing a platform to access transparent and reliable information on the origin, journey and quality of one’s food.
The summit also include a symposium, produced by eCornell, featuring CALS faculty and other Cornell staff leading panel discussions on the latest food and agriculture industry challenges and opportunities, including:
- Drafting a Roadmap for Emerging Crops: moderated by , professor of plant pathology and plant-microbe biology (CALS);
- Hemp’s Regulatory Landscape: moderated by , professor of horticulture (CALS) and the associate director of Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.
- Mending our Fractured Food System: moderated by Christine Mehta, research manager for the .
- Changing Climate, Changing Farms: moderated by , associate dean for land-grant affairs (CALS) and featuring , assistant professor at the .
- A Feast from Crumbs – Salvaging Food Waste: moderated by , assistant professor of food science (CALS).
- Risks and Rewards – Launching an Innovative CPG: Fireside chat with Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, led by Catharine Young, executive director of the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at .
- Bending, Not Breaking – Food and Bev Startup Resilience and Adaptability: moderated by Chris Gerling, senior extension associate at Cornell AgriTech.
For registration and more information on the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit and awards ceremony, visit .
Sara Baier is a marketing and communications specialist for the Center for Regional Economic Advancement.
