Grow-NY Competition Invites Applications From Food and Ag Startups

Mar 25, 2026

By Bridget Hagen

High-growth food, beverage and ag tech startups can now apply for the eighth round of the Grow-NY business competition.

Grow-NY aims to stimulate upstate New York’s agricultural economy by supporting innovative ventures poised for regional impact. Each year, up to 20 finalists compete for $3 million in total prize funding, including a $1 million grand prize. Winners must commit to making a positive impact in the Grow-NY region of the Finger Lakes, Central New York and the Southern Tier.

“The Grow-NY accelerator continues to be instrumental in attracting cutting-edge agribusiness companies from around the world to New York state,” said Hope Knight, Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner. “The first seven competitions have spurred private investment in the three targeted regions, and the eighth round will build on those successes, as the dynamic innovations and ideas from each round’s winners support new economic growth throughout upstate.”

Since 2019, Grow-NY’s 49 winning companies have created hundreds of jobs and secured more than $127 million in follow-on funding. Forty of those companies remain operational in the region, outperforming national startup survival averages and demonstrating regional staying power.

Source : cornell.edu

Video: Developing disease resistance in new wheat varieties

Dr. Colin Hiebert, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Morden, is focused on developing new tools that wheat breeders can use to improve, diversify and strengthen disease resistance in new wheat varieties. This includes new genomic tools that address resistance to five diseases including: Fusarium head blight, leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust and common bunt.

Learn more about how research conducted at AAFC-Morden will impact wheat variety development, production and profitability for the future. This research is part of the Canadian National Wheat Cluster and funding is provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Grains, Sask Wheat, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Western Grains Research Foundation and Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance.