April 25th, 2015

Supporting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s blueprint for New York State’s entrepreneurial and high-tech ecosystem, SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY Poly CNSE), in collaboration with Title Sponsor SEFCU, today announced that UMA Bioseed, composed of students from Cornell University, was selected as the $100,000 grand prize winner of the sixth annual New York Business Plan Competition in which more than 500 student-led teams sought to compete at the April 24 final round, held at SUNY Poly CNSE.
In addition to the grand prize-winning team which took first place in the Energy/Sustainability track, five other 1st place finishing teams each took home $10,000 within their respective categories: ACV Metrology from SUNY Poly CNSE for Advanced Technology/Nanotechnology; Trainsmart from SUNY Geneseo for Biotechnology/Healthcare; Volu from Syracuse University for Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit; Think Olio from CUNY - Baruch College for IT/Software, and Four Score Jeans from Clarkson University for Products/Services. SUNY Poly CNSE teams LuxOrioN and Brewminder placed second in the Energy/Sustainability track and third in the Advanced Technology/Nanotechnology track, respectively.
The New York Business Plan Competition drew interest from more than 500 student-led startups, with teams representing 65 colleges and universities pitching their business plans for innovations in a variety of sectors that are growing New York State’s advanced economy, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and clean energy, among others. Competitors represented all 10 of the state’s economic development regions, as defined by Governor Cuomo’s Regional Development Councils that were created to expand economic opportunities throughout New York State.