Empire State Development (ESD) announced Unibaio, of New York, NY, as the grand-prize winner of the sixth annual Grow-NY business competition, which is focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture innovation cluster in Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier. The competition awarded $3 million – including the $1 million grand prize – to seven of the 20 finalists participating in the business development accelerator. The announcement took place at the Grow-NY Summit, a two-day event in Ithaca where finalists pitched their business plans to a panel of expert judges. Each winning team will commit to operating in the region for at least one year, while also providing a modest equity stake to Cornell University, to fund future food and ag entrepreneurship programming. The competition is managed by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement.
Unibaio offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides and fertilizers, enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.
Matia Figliozzi, CEO and Co-Founder of Unibaio said, “Winning the $1 million grand prize at the Grow-NY Summit is a dream come true. It’s more than just the money – it’s validation of our team’s hard work, innovation and dedication to creating a solution that will have a lasting impact on farming. The mentorship we received and relationships we developed through Grow-NY were invaluable, helping us refine our strategy and prepare for growth. This win will allow us to scale our operations in Upstate NY and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food system.”…