Twenty food and agriculture startups from around the world will compete to win a combined total of $3 million in prize money at the upcoming Grow-NY competition.
Among the finalists in the business competition focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage, and agriculture innovation cluster is B.C.’s SkyAcres Agrotechnologies.
Launched from a Surrey basecamp in 2021, SkyAcres has developed an energy-efficient vertical farming system and AI-powered marketplace that allow anyone with under-utilized space to grow and sell produce, creating the Airbnb of indoor farms.
Founded by Zaffia Laplante and Ishaan Kohli, SkyAcres was named a Top 20 startup by the Canadian Innovation Exchange and was selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders program in 2024.
In total, 312 startups applied from 50 countries. Forty-four percent of applicants included a female founder, and 60 percent included a founder from a culturally diverse group.
A panel of 30 judges reviewed all the applications to determine the top 20 finalists that will pitch their business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit in Ithaca in November.
In the months leading up to the pitch competition at the Summit, the 20 finalists will embark on a 10-week business development phase.
Grow-NY will award a total of $3 million in prize money to seven winners. This includes a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 awards, and four $250,000 prizes.
SkyAcres is currently among the Top 10 for the 2024 New Ventures BC Competition.
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