BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Emkao Foods, Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia is the 2025 winner of the Binghamton business-plan competition.
It plans to establish a manufacturing operation at 73 Griswold St. on Binghamton’s East Side.
The annual competition awards a cash prize and administrative support to the contestant that submits the best plan for developing a business in the city of Binghamton.
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Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham on May 27 joined the Binghamton Local Development Corporation (BLDC) and SUNY Broome’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) to announce the competition winner.
Emkao Foods. imports, manufactures and supplies premium cocoa ingredients, sourcing its beans directly from smallholder farmers in Cameroon, the City of Binghamton said in its online announcement.
The company’s vertically integrated business model eliminates middlemen to control quality, reduce costs, and support fair trade. Its mission “centers on redefining transparency in the chocolate industry, with a strong focus on sustainability and traceability,” per the announcement.
“Emkao Foods, Inc. embodies the innovative spirit at the heart of this annual competition,” Kraham contended. “Now in its 15th year, the Binghamton Business Plan Competition has built a lasting legacy of celebrating and cultivating entrepreneurship, providing a springboard for local start-ups and helping small business owners grow their companies right here in our community. Emkao becomes the latest business to build on that legacy and help grow the local economy. I wish Emkao the best of luck and thank all this year’s finalists for their hard work.”
Emkao will use its $7,000 in prize money to help renovate the industrial space on Griswold Street and expand its operations there. The new location is expected to create about five local jobs.
In addition to the cash award, the contest winner will also receive a range of administrative-support services to help grow their business locally, donated in-kind by Binghamton businesses and organizations.
The second-place winner of the 2025 Binghamton Business Plan Competition is BUZZHIVE, a start-up offering an innovative “smart beehive” solution that uses advanced IoT technology and a mobile app to help beekeepers reduce colony losses, increase honey production, and manage hives more efficiently.
In third place, SAVOR Meals received a $1,000 prize. Founded by Binghamton University students Kai Chen and Jason Moeller, SAVOR Meals is a food-tech start-up that aims to transform how college students eat by making clean, convenient, and personalized meals both accessible and affordable.
