Grow-NY, the largest global food and agriculture business competition, will host its two-day Food & Ag Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Binghamton, New York.
Twenty startup companies worldwide, including Peachtree Corners-based Hypercell Technologies, will participate in a live pitch competition. Seven winners will be selected to receive a combined total of $3 million in prize money, including a top award of $1 million.
This year, 323 startups from around the world applied for the competition. The 20 finalists were selected in August and have since been matched with a mentor who will lead them through the business development phase of their startup plan.
During the live pitch, each finalist will receive 10 minutes to present their business plans, with the remaining 10 minutes set aside for questions from the panel of judges.
The Summit will feature an Ecosystem Expo and educational symposium, including thought-provoking panel discussions and fireside chats with industry leaders, startup founders and key players in food and agriculture.
The Summit is designed for startups, companies, investors, resource providers, researchers, entrepreneurs and students interested in food production, sustainability and environmental growth.
Attendees and finalists from the competition will have the opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, industry players, potential investors and other resource providers internationally, creating a space that fosters collaboration, adaptation and innovation.
The Symposium sessions will offer advice to startups while exploring the most significant issues facing our food systems, such as the benefits of digital agriculture on small farms, innovations in the dairy industry and the impact of climate-friendly technology systems.
“Through the Grow-NY Effect, upstate New York’s food and farming community has made an impression on a global audience as an ecosystem committed to innovation, economic development, and resilient food systems,” said Jenn Smith, Program Director, Grow-NY.
The awards ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the SUNY Broome Culinary & Event Center, during which the winners of the $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 prizes will be revealed.
Attendees have the option to participate in the Summit in person or virtually.
To register for the Summit and learn more about the competition and its finalists, visit grow-ny.com. The symposium sessions, which will occur on both days of the Grow-NY Summit in between the dynamic, live finalist pitches, can be viewed here.
Registration is now open. All-access in-person admission is $65 and $25 for students. Group discounts for school trips or community organizations are available, and no one will be turned away due to the inability to pay. The full pitch competition and symposium panels will also be broadcast live online, and virtual attendance is free of charge.
