Empire State Development and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement announced that Unibaio has been selected as one of the top 20 finalists for Grow-NY, a global food innovation and agriculture technology competition.

Grow-NY is a prestigious business challenge aimed at strengthening the food, beverage, and agriculture innovation cluster in upstate New York. This year, 312 startups from 50 countries applied to compete for $3 million in prize money, including a $1 million grand prize.

Over the next three months, each finalist will work closely with a dedicated mentor to develop a business pitch, which will be presented to a panel of judges during the Grow-NY Summit on November 6-7 in Ithaca, N.Y.

Matías Figliozzi, CEO of Unibaio, stated that “this nomination is a strong validation that our work is both necessary and innovative. We’re approaching agribusiness with a fresh perspective that will significantly impact health and the environment.”

The competition will culminate in a live pitch at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit, scheduled for November 6 and 7. The event will be held in a hybrid format, with finalists presenting their business ideas live to an audience and answering questions from a judging panel. The summit will also feature a food and agriculture symposium and an ecosystem expo.

“We believe we have a strong chance of winning because our technology has tremendous potential for local impact. Nevertheless, the opportunity to work with New York-based mentors for two months is already a success for Unibaio, as it will help us develop the best strategy to enter the local market and, eventually, the entire United States, which has been our objective from the beginning,” added Figliozzi.

He concluded that “beyond the investment that comes with winning this award, I believe the support, visibility, contacts, and interest it generates in the United States, particularly in New York, will be incredibly valuable for us.”