Startups from Argentina and Costa Rica Among Grow-NY Finalists

Empire State Development (ESD) and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) recently revealed the 20 finalists for the sixth annual Grow-NY competition, an initiative aimed at strengthening the food, beverage, and agricultural innovation cluster in upstate New York. The finalists, selected from a pool of 312 applicants spanning 50 countries, will compete for $3 million in prize money at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit on November 6-7 in Ithaca, New York.

The Grow-NY competition, supported by New York’s Upstate Revitalization Initiatives, seeks to enhance economic growth in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. Finalists are required to make a positive economic impact in these regions.

Among the finalists are two Latin American companies: ClearLeaf, based in San José, Costa Rica, which offers environmentally friendly fungicides and bactericides for agricultural use, and Unibaio originally from Argentina, which provides naturally derived particles to improve the efficiency of pesticides and fertilizers. Their inclusion reflects the diverse international participation in the competition, which includes startups from the Netherlands, Kenya, Israel, and Canada, alongside domestic teams from 26 U.S. states.

The competition offers a top prize of $1 million, along with two $500,000 awards and four $250,000 prizes. Over a 10-week period leading up to the summit, the finalists will receive mentorship, regional networking opportunities, site visits, and pitch training to refine their business plans.

The Grow-NY Summit will culminate with live presentations by the finalists, who will pitch their business ideas to a judging panel with deep expertise in regional economic development and agriculture. The event will also feature a symposium, an expo, and student presentations. The winners will be announced at the end of the summit.