Empire State Development connects scalable companies with New York State’s top universities, talent, and manufacturing facilities through its support of several cutting-edge accelerator programs and funding competitions. These accelerators and competitions help companies solve pressing industry challenges, while also fueling the state’s innovation ecosystem. The result: a sustained and robust pipeline of companies accessing New York State’s innovation assets, supporting key industry sectors, and attracting top talent.

Each accelerator makes equity investments* in a select number of participating companies —ranging from $50,000 to $1 million. In turn, participants in these accelerators and competitions have access to industry-specific mentors, potential customers, physical space, as well as to networks to help their companies grow. These programs also help companies raise the capital needed to expand their businesses by showcasing them in pitch competitions and making introductions to potential venture capital partners.