Eight Teams Win 9 Awards Totaling $27,500 in Annual Event that Encourages Entrepreneurship

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 29, 2019
Contact: Holly Liapis; Holly.Liapis@suny.edu; 518-320-1311

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson today congratulated the nine winning student teams representing SUNY at the 10th annual New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) Finals at The Sage Armory in Albany. Their cash prizes totaled $27,500 and were among the 30 awarded.

A total of 92 teams were in the finals, with 28 of those from SUNY campuses. SUNY was represented by five teams each from University at Buffalo, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, two teams each from University at Albany and Binghamton University; and one team each from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Farmingdale State College SUNY Oswego, and Stony Brook University.

“Student entrepreneurship is a point of pride and focus at SUNY, and the winning teams are evidence of the innovation that exists on our campuses,” said SUNY Chancellor Johnson. “I look forward to seeing the companies that will emerge from the 2019 NYBPC competition and applaud all the participants for their hard work.”

"We are proud of the innovative and entrepreneurial energy demonstrated by the SUNY teams, which exemplifies our culture,” said Grace Wang, PhD, senior vice chancellor for research and economic development. “Congratulations to all SUNY teams. We plan to support more startups that will bring SUNY innovations to the marketplace and help grow our economy.”

“Congratulations to all of the SUNY campuses and students that showcased SUNY innovation at this year’s competition,” said SUNY Research Foundation President Dr. Jeffrey M. Cheek. “The NYBPC is a key catalyst for the advancement of entrepreneurship and provides a forum to put on full display the scope, scale, diversity, and spirit of SUNY innovation.” 

The NYBPC is New York’s premier collegiate regional and statewide business plan competition. The event was established to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York’s colleges and universities. Since 2010, more than 2,500 students have participated in the NYBPC, and more than 100 businesses have been launched. The NYBPC has provided over $1 million in seed money for the winning companies, which yielded more than $20 million in venture capital investments in additional funding.

Each year, the event begins with students competing in ten regions across the state. Winning finalists from each region compete at the state level in late April. This year, University at Albany and Binghamton University hosted two of the ten regional competitions.

The event draws more than 500 participants comprised of teams of student entrepreneurs from more than 100 colleges and universities. This year’s final featured 92 teams that advanced through the 10 regional semifinals. Teams submit ideas in one of six tracks: Ag Tech & Food; Energy & Environment; Military & First Responder; MedTech & Well-Being; Technology & Entertainment; and Consumer Products & Services.

The SUNY teams pitched ideas for new products, services and technologies that have the potential to significantly impact industries such as gaming, communication, food production, energy and software.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges made up of venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers, public and private investors, and seasoned entrepreneurs. Each of the first place teams receive $10,000, while second place winners are awarded $2,500 and third place winners are given $1,000. Concept stage and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises winners are awarded $500 each.

The SUNY prize winners were:

AgTech & Food
3rd place - Ponic Hops from SUNY Geneseo
Concept stage - Ponic Hops from SUNY Geneseo

Energy & Environment
3rd place - Solar Clear from Stony Brook University
1st place - Scrap It from Farmingdale State College
Concept stage award - Zalara from SUNY Geneseo

Military & First Responder
1st place - Vets Together from the University at Albany

MedTech & Well-Being
3rd place - Surgino from the University at Buffalo

Consumer Products & Services
3rd place - Case-in-Point from University at Buffalo
2nd place - Cherri from the Fashion Institute of Technology

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of Fall 2018, more than 424,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus. In total, SUNY served 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2017-18 academic year. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Its students and faculty make significant contributions to research and discovery, contributing to a $1.6 billion research portfolio. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.

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