Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit will award $3 million in total prize money to advance innovation in food, agriculture, and sustainable technologies

This year's Summit theme, "Grow, and Lead Change," highlights the role of entrepreneurs in advancing sustainability and addressing global challenges, shaping the future of the industry. 

ITHACA, N.Y., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grow-NY, the largest global food and agriculture business competition, will host its annual Food & Ag Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 6 and Thursday, Nov. 7 in Ithaca, New York at the brand-new Ithaca Downtown Conference Center. Attendees have the option to participate in the Summit in person or virtually. The two-day event features 20 global startups competing for $3 million in prize money, including a $1 million grand prize.

This year's theme, "Grow, and Lead Change," focuses on fostering innovation, sustainability and leadership in the food and agriculture sectors. The Summit will showcase live pitches, an Ecosystem Expo, and a symposium featuring panels and discussions with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. It is open to startups, investors, researchers, students, media and anyone interested in agriculture technology, food production, and sustainability.

Registration is now open. All-access, in-person admission is $75 for general attendees and $25 for students. Discounts for schools may be available, and no one will be turned away due to the inability to pay. The full pitch competition and symposium panels also will be broadcast live online, and virtual attendance is free of charge. Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. 

The Summit's symposium will address key challenges facing the food industry, such as food waste diversion strategies, sustainable farming, and biomass fermentation.. The Ecosystem Expo will highlight organizations supporting New York State's innovation ecosystem, offering networking opportunities across the food and ag sectors.

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. 

This year, 312 startups from around the world applied for the competition. The 20 finalists were selected in August and have each since been paired with a mentor who will lead them through the business development phase of their startup plan. Each finalist focused on exploring the regional resources available to help grow and scale their startups in Upstate New York, and ultimately support their business pitches. 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.

"Grow-NY finalists and Symposium speakers bring their fresh ideas about strengthening our food system and building our regional economy to life at the Summit. Anyone who wants to see solutions in the food and ag landscape can be a force for change if they register and attend," said Jenn Smith, Program Director, Grow-NY. 

The Awards Ceremony will be held immediately following the end of the Summit at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the State Theatre of Ithaca, during which the winners of the $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 prizes will be revealed. The Awards Ceremony will include a reception featuring locally sourced and regionally inspired hors d'oeuvres and beverages. The Awards Ceremony is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required. Register here.

About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) promotes a vigorous and growing state economy, encourages business investment and job creation, and supports diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance. To learn more about ESD visit https://esd.ny.gov. 

About the Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement
The Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) supports economic growth in Upstate New York through entrepreneurship and innovation. We help people advance ideas that will create jobs in all fields in our region, to enrich the area's economic diversity. To learn more, visit https://crea.cornell.edu. 

SOURCE Grow-NY