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A One Year In-Residence Accelerator
GENIUS NY is the world's largest business accelerator competition for unmanned systems, IoT and big data startups. The accelerator is funded by Empire State Development and housed at CenterState CEO's Tech Garden incubator in downtown Syracuse, NY. Five finalists are selected from a competitive pool of submissions from across the globe each year. The accelerator provides startups all the tools they need for success, including stipends and award money, resources, programming, mentors and connections. |
"Bringing Fotokite to the U.S. has always been important for the success of our startup. GENIUS NY has accelerated this process for us even more than we could have expected, resulting in game-changing speed of growth, incredible local and national network connections, and highly curated business advice to help prepare and scale up operations." -Chris McCall, CEO, Fotokite |
A Two-Phased Unique Program Experience
Follow-on incubation is offered after the Investor Demo Day's with incentives of follow-on funding to continue operating in Central New York at The Tech Garden.
In exchange for acceptance into the GENIUS NY accelerator, all finalists are required to adhere to the GENIUS NY terms and conditions, which includes, among other things, providing CenterState CEO with a 10-year warrant for 6-8% equity in their company and relocating their business to Central New York for the one-year term of the program. Click here to view the terms and conditions and the form of warrant.
- Phase One: Five teams receive a monthly stipend ($10,000 per month, per team) and a housing subsidy to participate in the three month accelerator. This first phase concludes at the three month mark with a Business Pitch and investments totaling $3 million: 1st place team receives $1,000,000, and the other four teams receive $500,000.
- Phase Two: All five teams automatically enter the second phase of the accelerator for another nine months that culminates with three Investor Demo Day's in front of investors and program judges.
Follow-on incubation is offered after the Investor Demo Day's with incentives of follow-on funding to continue operating in Central New York at The Tech Garden.
In exchange for acceptance into the GENIUS NY accelerator, all finalists are required to adhere to the GENIUS NY terms and conditions, which includes, among other things, providing CenterState CEO with a 10-year warrant for 6-8% equity in their company and relocating their business to Central New York for the one-year term of the program. Click here to view the terms and conditions and the form of warrant.
An Ecosystem of Tech Startups
The Tech Garden
The Tech Garden is home to the GENIUS NY accelerator. The Tech Garden (TTG) is the place in Central New York for tech entrepreneurs to find a full range of incubation services needed to achieve their venture goals. Through TTG Roadmap, members are assessed and offered programs, events, and resources in tailored packages from co-working, where entrepreneurs can connect and work, to full-service incubation that delivers a business case, pitch deck, and funding opportunities.
Economic Development and Business Leadership
CenterState CEO
The Tech Garden makes up CenterState CEO's Innovation and Entrepreneurship portfolio. CenterState CEO is an independent and forward-thinking economic development strategist, business leadership organization and chamber of commerce; dedicated to the success of its members and the prosperity of the region. Its vision is for a vibrant and globally connected region recognized as a place where business thrives and people prosper. CenterState CEO provides connections to nearly 2,000 member businesses of all sizes across Central and Northern New York.
CNY Rising
Empire State Development
In support and implementation of GENIUS NY, Empire State Development and New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo designated $5 million in funding for GENIUS NY. This program intends to expand the success of similar economic incubator/acceleration programs in other regions of the State, bringing new vitality and involvement in the 21st century global market.
