World's Best & Largest Business Competition for Unmanned Systems : GENIUS NY

Today we are going to talk about world's largest competition where some great startup businesses have chance to win a total of $3 Million in investments. Yes, you read this right. GENIUS NY is a year-long business accelerator that awards five finalist teams a total of $3 million in investments. In addition, the program offers incubator space, company stipends, advisors, resources, programming, and connections, making it among the largest competitions of its kind across the globe.

GENIUS NY is focused on Unmanned Systems; software, hardware, analytics. The program is also open to robotics, drones, data to decision platforms and IoT. This year-long contest happens every year and registrations are already open for the GENIUS NY 3.0 (third edition of this program) which is starting from January 2019.

Highlights of the Program:

The program begins in January at The Tech Garden incubator in downtown Syracuse, NY. Finalists are selected from a competitive pool of submissions from across the globe. The program provides UAS startups all the tools they need for success, including stipends, resources, programming, advisors and connections. ​

This time a total of $3 million in direct investment funding will be awarded, with one grand prize of up to $1 million and four $500,000 awards. Previously, the program awarded three grand prizes of up to $1 million, $600,000, and $400,000 and three runner-up prizes of $250,000 with $250,000 available for follow-on funding. Doubling the investment for the finalist teams will provide them with an even greater opportunity to succeed and grow their business in Central New York.

Round three of the GENIUS NY program will begin in January 2019 and will run for 12 months. It is the largest business accelerator competition for the UAS industry in the world. The advancement of the GENIUS NY program builds on the progress of CNY Rising, the region’s comprehensive strategy to revitalize communities and grow the economy. The UAS industry accelerator program is administered by CenterState CEO’s The Tech Garden in Downtown Syracuse.

Six finalists were selected in 2018 and the winner of the $1 million grand prize from Round II of the GENIUS NY accelerator was Fotokite, a team from Switzerland. Fotokite combines aerial and ground-based robotics with patented flight control algorithms to create a kite-like tethered drone system, which uses a tether to fly for 24 hours fully autonomously.

Application Process:

Applications for GENIUS NY 3.0 are now open and will be accepted until October 14, 2018. Click here to apply & get started on the application. To read about full application process, click here.

Timeline:

October 14 - Applications Close for GENIUS NY 3.0

November - Semi-Finalists Announced

December - Finalists Announced

January - GENIUS NY 3.0 Finalists Arrive for Accelerator

Start with a great idea in one of the focus areas, meet the eligibility requirements, and submit a complete application by October 14, 2018. The first step in the application process is to complete the Registration Form. You will be notified if you qualify. You can read more about program details or FAQ's in case of any doubt.