CenterState CEO announces 14 companies have been named semi-finalists for the GENIUS NY program’s 8th cohort. GENIUS NY is the world’s largest accelerator focused on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies.  

The semi-finalists will now compete to see which five are selected for the one-year program based out of CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden in Syracuse, New York. A team of 50 evaluators reviewed 80 applications for semi-finalist selection. Over half of the companies in this highly competitive applicant pool were from outside of the US, and most applicants identified as being in the “validation” phase. 

Of the 14 semi-finalists selected from that pool, eight are international teams and three identified as minority and women-owned business enterprises. Two teams are from New York state.  

Cohort 8 Semi-Finalists: 

Aerialoop, Medellin, Colombia 

Angel Aerial Systems, Cincinnati, OH, USA 

Aviant, Oslo, Norway 

Avol, Albany, NY, USA 

Crover, Edinburgh, Scotland 

FlightOps, Herzliya, Israel

FloFleet, Milan, Italy 

Flyhound, New York, NY, USA 

Hellenic Drones, Piraeus, Greece 

INVOLI, Lausanne, Switzerland 

OSCP Motion, Montreal, Canada 

Revolute Robotics, Phoenix, AZ, USA 

Ultraview AI, Austin, TX, USA 

Uniform Sierra Aerospace, West Lafayette, IN, USA 

Semi-finalists will pitch their technologies and business plans to a panel of executive advisers. Advisers are looking for companies that will stay in the Central New York area; participate in and contribute to the region’s growing UAS ecosystem; will scale and be successful; and represent diversity of technology focus and team makeup. Finalists will be announced in early July. In August, the five finalists will arrive in Central New York to begin the program.  

Finalists will compete for the grand prize at Innovation Night this fall, where they’ll pitch to a panel of judges and the audience. Each team will have five minutes to make the case for their product. The winner will receive a $1 million investment, and the four remaining teams will each receive a $500,000 investment.  

“The pool of applicants we receive for the GENIUS NY program becomes more impressive and competitive each year. More than half of the selected semi-finalists are in the commercialization phase, and the others are well on their next step. Additionally, around half of the semi-finalist teams are focused on defense applications or detect and avoid technology, complimenting the regional ecosystem of defense manufacturers and initiatives,” said Kara Jones, director of GENIUS NY. “The advisors will now make the tough decisions on which companies will be our five finalists this year. I’m looking forward to another year of the GENIUS NY program during this exciting time in Central New York.”  

Since 2017, GENIUS NY has invested nearly $21 million in 37 companies from around the world. The program brings companies to Central New York to participate in the yearlong in-residence accelerator where they receive assistance with product development, business development, as well as networking opportunities with investors and business leaders. In addition, GENIUS NY companies have raised more than $100 million in follow-on funding and have created hundreds of new jobs in New York state.  

Beyond the grand prize investments, participants benefit from access to the region’s premier startup programming, including business planning, industry specific mentorship and access to vetted service providers offering startup friendly terms. Participants are integrated into the larger regional effort to grow uncrewed aerial systems in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, gain access to world-leading infrastructure and testing assets, and have opportunities to connect with investors for follow-on funding.  

To learn more about GENIUS NY, visit geniusny.com.