SYRACUSE, N.Y.— The Genius NY program is accepting applications for this year’s 9th round of the yearlong competition.
Genius NY — operated by CenterState CEO in Syracuse — is described as the world’s largest business accelerator focused on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), Empire State Development (ESD) announced Thursday.
Interested tech startups focused on uncrewed aerial systems, automation and advanced air mobility (AAM) can apply at www.geniusny.com through May 28. Subsets may include precision and remote sensing, smart city applications, data collection and analytics, guidance or communication systems, and sensors, among other technological categories.
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Genius NY participants are required to operate their business in Central New York for at least one year. The program is funded through the CNY Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI), the region’s strategic plan to generate economic growth and community development.
The in-residence accelerator will invest more than $3 million in five finalist companies, including a $1 million grand prize awarded at a pitch finals event.
This year, finalists will operate from Central New York’s newly renovated, “state-of-the-art” innovation hub in downtown Syracuse. The upgraded facility will include a brand-new maker space, an expanded hardware center, and a roof terrace for uncrewed aerial-systems companies to launch and test drones.
The program also offers a suite of business resources, tailored programming, expert mentorship, and strategic networking opportunities. The components are designed to help startups sharpen their sales strategies, build strong investor relationships, and “capitalize on emerging opportunities in the rapidly evolving UAS industry,” ESD said.
“The GENIUS NY program helps make the Central New York UAS ecosystem a world-class hub for this technology,” Kara Jones, director of Genius NY, said in the ESD announcement. “Each year, GENIUS NY teams bring industry disrupting technology to the region, and we are excited to welcome the future Cohort 9 finalists into a brand-new facility, designed to help them scale faster and push the boundaries of their technologies. I’m eager to see what new ideas and technologies come from this year’s application pool.”