ESD announces 5 teams selected for round six of GENIUS NY UAS Accelerator Competition in Central New York

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the five GENIUS NY companies selected to participate in round six of the world’s largest business accelerator focused on uncrewed systems. The companies, which are developing innovations in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), internet of things (IoT), and robotics industries, were selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 200 submissions from over 50 countries.

The five finalists are all international teams, representing Canada, the Netherlands, Israel, Poland, and the United Kingdom. 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 award-winning strategic plan to generate robust economic growth and community development.

Empire State Development Acting President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight, said, “These selected GENIUS NY Round Six finalists are ready to take flight, adding to the cohort of forward-thinking innovators that have been drawn to this unique business accelerator competition which is elevating Central New York’s unmatched UAS assets and infrastructure.”

The selected finalists are:

Archangel Imaging, Ltd. (United Kingdom) deploys smart machines alongside people to protect valuable assets and at-risk staff in remote or challenging places. Whether it’s cables being stolen, oil being tapped or elephants poached for ivory, Archangel provides the ability for the security team to know before these incidents are about to happen and immediately intervene or follow up.

AVSS – Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions, Inc. (Canada) produces a parachute recovery system and flight termination system that is commercializing drone technology for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). AVSS’s products are distributed worldwide through their more than 50 authorized dealers’ networks and sold directly to drone manufacturers across the world.

Dronehub (Poland) develops autonomous charging docks for drones that help companies with large infrastructure to reduce monitoring costs, get real-time aerial data, and exclude the human factor. Dronehub helps industries to collect real-time precise aerial data, process it, and automate operations.

Fusion Engineering (Netherlands) is working to create the most reliable, flexible, and easy-to-use flight controller for any type of multirotor drone. Fusion Engineering builds innovative flight control algorithms to ensure more accurate positioning, disturbance rejection, and fault tolerance.

Wonder Robotics (Israel) is a leading provider of intelligent and robust autonomous solutions for commercial drone and unmanned platform applications, focusing on the drone delivery and Urban Advance Mobility (UAM/AAM) markets by utilizing highly advanced vision-based capabilities for mission enable and safety.

The selected teams will begin the in-residence accelerator at The Tech Garden, CenterState CEO’s regional business incubator, in the coming weeks, and will be immersed in the incubator’s business workshops, events, resource pool, and mentoring. The GENIUS NY Pitch Finals will be held on November 3, and teams will compete for $3 million in investments, including a $1 million grand prize. Throughout the program, companies will also receive stipends, resources, programming, investor demo days, and networking opportunities.

“We are excited to welcome these teams to Central New York and get to work advancing their business plans and technologies,” said Kara Jones, director of GENIUS NY. “Over the coming year, they will be connected to local businesses for strategic guidance and operational support and be immersed in the tech startup and UAS ecosystems. In addition to high-impact programmatic and business support provided by GENIUS NY, participants will also become more connected to our local community through events and social engagements.”

“The fact that each of these GENIUS NY finalists are international teams highlights the strength of the program and the industry’s recognition that Central New York is the single best place to grow your UAS company,” said Robert Simpson, president of CenterState CEO. “In addition to the resources provided by the program, these teams will also become part of Central New York’s robust tech ecosystem. We proudly welcome this new cohort to our community and are excited to work with these companies to ensure their companies evolve and grow here.”

The GENIUS NY competition has been renewed through round 10 by ESD. The program has attracted more than 26 startups to Central New York since its inception in 2017. To date, the innovative teams have gone on to raise more than $90 million in venture capital and have created more than 60 upstate New York jobs.

Senator Rachel May said, “It’s an exciting time for CNY as our technology and innovation sector booms. We must continue to grow, bringing more tech businesses and high-paying jobs to the area. GENIUS NY is doing just that by welcoming innovative companies that are at the forefront of uncrewed systems technology and will no doubt benefit our local community in many ways.”

Senator John W. Mannion said, “GENIUS NY is strategically building on Central New York’s strength as a hub for UAS technology and is attracting upstart companies from around the world to join our established research, design, and innovation ecosystem. I warmly welcome these companies to the region and will work with my colleagues across government and the private sector to ensure they have the support and resources they need to succeed.”

Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli said, “Congratulations to the finalists. The GENIUS NY Competition continues to help Central New York maintain its status as a hub for innovative companies exploring uses for unmanned aerial systems and other leading-edge technologies. The partnerships and opportunities created locally during the entrepreneurial stage create a catalyst for grown in our Central New York region.”

Assemblyman Al Stirpe said, “After the challenges of the past two-plus years, we must make Central New York’s recovery a top priority and work diligently to boost the regional economy, create good-paying jobs and better support hardworking families. The sixth round of the GENIUS NY accelerator helps further our revitalization and strengthens our region’s position as a leader in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) industry and other high-tech manufacturing fields. Representing a wide range of nations, the five finalists demonstrate the program’s international reach and promise good things to come for Central New York.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said, “Round six of the exciting GENIUS NY competition will continue to build on the success we’ve experienced as people come from across the world to Central New York. This innovative competition provides these entrepreneurs with the available tools and resources they need to ensure their long-term success in the region.”

City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said, “The GENIUS NY competition has aided in expanding our entrepreneurial and tech cultures and brought energy and excitement to the Syracuse Surge — our strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy. I look forward to the innovative ideas that the five teams bring to round six of GENIUS NY, and thank Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, and CenterState CEO for continued investments in this important economic development initiative.”

Central New York Regional Economic Development Council Co-chairs Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), and, Le Moyne College President Linda M. LeMura said, “We are incredibly excited to see what the selected teams will bring to the table for round six. Through our continued support for the GENIUS NY competition, we are ensuring that New York state remains at the forefront of the uncrewed systems industry in Central New York, creating new opportunities and jobs for residents in the region for decades to come.”

GENIUS NY is the world’s largest accelerator competition for unmanned systems. The program, located in Syracuse, New York, invests over $3 million in five early-stage startups each year. In addition to funding, startups receive incubator space, programming and resources, world-class mentors, and access to Central New York’s emerging unmanned aerial systems ecosystem. GENIUS NY is funded with $5 million from NYS Empire State Development (ESD) and from contributing sponsors. To date, the program has invested more than $12 million in 22 companies.