Statewide Competition Overview

The New York Business Plan Competition is a venture creation and innovation competition that was established in 2009 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York’s colleges and universities. The 10 major regions of New York hold regional competitions prior to the finals:

  • Capital Region
  • Central New York
  • North Country
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Finger Lakes
  • Western New York
  • Southern Tier
  • Mid-Hudson
  • New York City
  • Long Island

The top teams from each of the regional zones will advance to the final statewide competition where the teams will go head-to-head for cash and in-kind prizes.

Track Definitions

The tracks below are listed from most specific to most general and are designed to fit all businesses. Teams should choose the most specific track for which their team will qualify.

To select, begin at the top of this list and find the first matching track.

AGTECH & FOOD

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service that relates to agriculture, food production, or distribution, or food waste.
  • Examples: tea subscription box; crop management software; composting service; protein shakes; craft beer or alcoholic beverages; food prep subscription boxes

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service not included in any previous category that relates to energy, clean energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental and/or sustainability applications.
  • Examples: recycling technology; LED manufacturing technology; lithium ion batteries; clean energy crowdfunding service

MILITARY & FIRST RESPONDER

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service not included in any previous category that relates to the needs of utility workers, military; first responders, government applications, or transportation industry.
  • Examples: high-temperature safety clothes; utility inspection software; drone technology; fleet management and routing software

MEDTECH & WELL-BEING

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service not included in any previous category that relates to biotech, sports, medical care, or well-being (including mental health).
  • Examples: new method for testing pharmaceuticals; physical therapy massager; implant technology; suicide prevention app; skin care solution

TECHNOLOGY & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service not included in any previous category that relates to consumer software/online platforms, cryptocurrency, entertainment, fintech, or music.
  • Examples: app that helps pair potential roommates; website/app that uses social media to collect payments from friends; web service designed to tailor resumes for specific jobs; file-sharing service; software platform for salon management

CONSUMER PRODUCTS & SERVICES

  • Any idea, technology, process, product, and/or service not included in any previous category generally intended for use by individuals or households.
  • Examples: designer eyewear; custom vending machines; camera backpacks; fashion subscription box service; custom clothing design

Eligibility & Rules

  • All applications must be submitted online. Applications consist of the online form and a maximum 2-page PDF executive summary. 
  • Teams must consist of graduate, undergraduate, and/or community college students enrolled in an accredited New York colleges and universities during the academic year. Students who graduate during the Fall semester are still eligible to compete in the competition during the Spring semester.
  • Student(s) must be the presenter(s) in all stages of the competition.
  • Teams may compete in only one region per year and students may not participate on more than one team per year.
  • Grand prize winners from previous years’ competitions are no longer eligible to participate in the competition. Individual members of the winning team may return with new teams in subsequent years.
  •  Judges and regional organizers reserve the right to relocate entries into another category that fits the business idea.

For teams with incorporated ventures:

  • Cumulative public and private capital raised may not exceed $100,000. (This does not include research funding that may have supported the development of the technology in an academic laboratory.)
  • The business venture must be at least 80% owned by students.

Read the 2020 NYBPC Rulebook for a complete description of the eligibility and guidelines for the competition.

Regional Contest Overview

Currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students from accredited New York colleges and universities in the Finger Lakes Region are encouraged to submit the online application around a student-born innovation that is designed for a currently unmet need. The Regional Contest and Statewide Final Competition do not require the submission of a full business plan. All applications must be submitted online. Applications consist of the online form and a maximum 2-page PDF executive summary. 

After a Preliminary Judging round, selected regional contest semi-finalists will be invited to give a 10-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A from a panel of regional judges in April. The semi-finalist presentation round is a free event open to the public – teams are encouraged to invite friends and faculty! The top two teams from each category (for a total of up to 12 teams from the Finger Lakes region) will be selected to participate in the Statewide Competition where they will compete against finalists from the other nine regions in New York. The judges reserve the right to select less than 12 teams from the Finger Lakes region based on the quality of the entries and presentations.

Statewide Competition finalists will be required to give a 10-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A from a panel of statewide judges in Albany. Winners of the cash prizes will be announced on the day of the Statewide Competition.

 

Regional Sponsors

Interested in sponsoring the Finger Lakes Regional Contest? Contact Matthew Spielmann, Senior Program Manager.

Resources

2020 NYBPC Student Application Questions - Download Word Doc
2020 NYBPC Rule Book - Read
Past NYBPC Presentations - Watch
Sample Executive Summary - View PDF
Presentation Template - View PDF
2020 NYBPC Preliminary Round Written Scoring Judging Rubric - View PDF
2020 NYBPC Presentation Round Judging Rubric - View PDF

Tips

Consider the following points (more guiding questions can also be found in the 2020 NYBPC Rulebook).

  • What is the structure of your company?
  • What is your company’s key value proposition?
  • What is your business model?
  • Who is your competition?
  • How is your venture sustainable?
  • What market and market segments are you targeting?
  • What are the key market barriers?
  • Who are the specific customers that you are pursuing/will pursue?

Judges will evaluate:

  • Market Opportunity
  • Competitive Advantage
  • Management Capability
  • Financial Understanding
  • Roadmap/Growth Strategy
  • Sustainable Business Model

Schedule of Events

There are no upcoming events at this time.

2020 New York Business Plan Competition

AgTech & Food Category

  • Third Place – NextHops – Rochester Institute of Technology: Max Baron, Corey Reppert, Samuel Tillinghast

Consumer Products & Services Category

  • Concept Stage Award – Scentablez – Rochester Institute of Technology: Samuel Oribamise, Namaqua Mills, Adama Cisse

Military & First Responder Category

  • Second Place – WetWare BioSystems – University of Rochester: Andrew Kaseman, Bradley Smith
  • MWBE Award – Emeritus Fire Gear – Hobart & William Smith Colleges: Nicole Wright

2019 New York Business Plan Competition

AgTech & Food Category

  • Third Place – Ponic Hops – SUNY Geneseo: Jeff Calderon, Mary Higgins, Rebecca Hoppy, Dillon Szmala
  • Concept Stage Award – Ponic Hops – SUNY Geneseo: Jeff Calderon, Mary Higgins, Rebecca Hoppy, Dillon Szmala

Energy & Environment Category

  • Concept Stage Award – Zalara – SUNY Geneseo: Megan Avenia, Walter Dylag, Hilda Gomez, Auste Norvila, Alis Urena

Med-Tech & Well-Being Category

  • First Place – Successful Heart Solutions – ($10,000 cash) University of Rochester: Vincent Constantino, Joseph Geiger, Yangyang Shao, Jonathan Yakubov
  • Second Place – StrongBrain – ($2,500 cash) University of Rochester: Max Sims

2018 New York Business Plan Competition

Advanced Technology

  • First Place – Volt-Air Technologies – ($10,000 cash) SUNY Geneseo: Raihan Hossain, Adam Malachowski, Rafael Ziotto, Jayesh Patil, Jacob Horowitz

IT & Software Category

  • Third Place – ClockWyse – ($1,000 cash) Rochester Institute of Technology: Tyler Krupicka, Ketan Reddy, Jeremiah Zucker

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • First Place – Humans for Education – ($10,000 cash) University of Rochester: Daphne Pariser, Ninoshka Fernandes, Chadia Bedetse
  • KeyBank MWBE Excellence Award – Hive Uni Rochester Institute of Technology: Adolf Akuffo-Afful

2017 New York Business Plan Competition

NYSERDA Clean Technology Category

  • Second Place – Verdimine – ($5,000 cash) SUNY Geneseo: Christopher Callery, Christian D’Angelo, Franceska Hassanj, Austin Lamb, Caroline Wilson
  • Third Place – Chalaza Technologies – ($1,500 cash) University of Rochester: Sean Humesky, Lei Liao, Kris Page, Brianna Rockwell
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Team Meliora University of Rochester: Edgar Alaniz, Carlos Yuki Gonzales, Ibrahim Muhammad, Omar Soufan

Advanced Technology

  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Gaia Rochester Institute of Technology: Brent Chase

Products Category

  • First Place – OWA Haircare – ($10,000 cash) Rochester Institute of Technology: Kailey Bradt
  • Esprit de Corps Award –Budamundi Lifestyle SUNY Geneseo: Callen Gross, Rachel Chou, Kevin Wright, Sarah Jane Phillips

Services Category

  • First Place – IIID – ($10,000 cash) Syracuse University and Rochester Institute of Technology

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • Third Place – Artemis – ($1,500 cash) University of Rochester: Kat Cook, Fahria Omar, Sarah Spoto
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – StandUp Leadership SUNY Geneseo: Brandon Gaylord, Molly Downey, Lauren Ladeairous, Colleen Steward, Sofia Villalon

2016 New York Business Plan Competition

Energy/Sustainability Category

  • Second Place – Phoenix Pioneer Products – ($5,000 cash) SUNY Geneseo: Joe Chapman, Joseph Potischman, Tyler Short, Ben Stanley
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Hyper-Dry SUNY Geneseo: Peter Borglum, Erica Kosmerl, Marcos Perez, Gabriel Ponce, Brian Rybak
  • People’s Choice Award – Cargo Cabin – ($500 cash) University of Rochester: Jason Bramwell, Andrew Heiligman, Jenae Pitts, Leketa Wesley

Nanotechnology/Advanced Technology

  • Second Place – NullSpace VR – ($5,000 cash) University of Rochester: Jordan Brooks, Lucian Copeland, Morgan Sinko
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Ballhawk SUNY Geneseo: Jessica Bourdage, Josh Fiegel, Jonathan Freedberg, Ryan Lantry

Products/Services Category

  • Second Place – Wavio – ($5,000 cash) Rochester Institute of Technology: Zachary Baltzer, Nicholas Lamb, Chrystal Schlenker, Greyson Watkins

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • First Place – Oasis Foods – ($10,000 cash) University at Rochester: Kat Cook, Fahria Omar, Sarah Spoto
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Five North SUNY Geneseo: Sydney Aspenleiter, Rebecca Caracciolo, Benjamin Conrad, Sean Delles, Kristen Melfi

2015 New York Business Plan Competition

Biotechnology/Healthcare Category

  • First Place – TrainSmart – ($10,000 cash) SUNY Geneseo: Logan Calvey, David Morris, Brett Turner, Susanna Huang

Energy/Sustainability Category

  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – TerraPellets SUNY Geneseo: Dominic Morell, Mizuki Arai, Ishtyaq Habib, Brandon Mark

Information Technology/Software Category

  • Third Place – VISOWORLD – ($1,500 cash) SUNY Geneseo: Luciano Scala, Scott Chauncey

Nanotechnology/Advanced Technology

  • People’s Choice Award – CLambda – ($500 cash) University of Rochester: Seth Reining, Anthony Yee, Xiangzhi Yu, Yang Zhao
  • Undergraduate Excellence Award – Obiex SUNY Geneseo: Sarah Ulrich, Karynil Perez, Andrei Poblaguev, Mauricio Carniero

Products/Services Category

  • People’s Choice Award – QuickStix – ($500 cash) Hobart and William Smith Colleges: Greg Hunt
  • Esprit de Corps Award – Ashley Parrington Co. SUNY Geneseo: Ashley Parrington, Cindy Cole, Nate Joseph, Megan Swartz

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • Third Place – Cataract Innovations – ($1,500 cash) University at Rochester: Brian Ayers, Eryn Fennig, Sarah Walters
  • People’s Choice Award – The Rochester River Foundation – ($500 cash) Hobart and William Smith Colleges: Jericsson Pichardo

2014 New York Business Plan Competition

Biotechnology/Healthcare Category

  • Ovitz – 2nd Place in Category Statewide Finals ($5,000 cash) University of Rochester: Felix Kim, Samuel Steven, Pedro Vallejo-Ramirez, Len Zheleznyak
  • SmartDialysis – Rookie of the Year Award Statewide Finals University of Rochester: Li Deng, Steven Gillmer, Kenny Goodfellow, Christopher Wong, Aizhong Zhang, Bowei Zhang

Energy/Sustainability Category

  • Plastofuel – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals Geneseo: Scott Chauncey, Matthew Dobjeleski, Michael Hartman, Carly Lauricella, Matthew Lawrence, Jon Owejan
  • Precision Watercraft Enterprises – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals RIT: Mike Buffalin, Jordan Darling

Information Technology/Software Category

  • Skooloko – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals Geneseo: Toyese Adeyeye, Oyin Akindele, Madison Rittenhouse, Olivia Sluzar, Sewedo Whenu, Nathan Wilson
  • TygerIndustries – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals RIT: Aleks Litynski, Jared Mistretta, Sophie Song

Products/Services Category

  • Just Dangle Hockey – Crowd’s Pick Award Statewide Finals St. John Fisher: Matthew Keeler, Nathan Woods
  • VisoWorld – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals Geneseo: Casey McCormack, Michael Melohusky, Luciano Scala

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • Batavia Loop Trail – Team Spirit Award Statewide Finals Genesee Community College: Tara Beckens, Danielle Cannella, Richard DelPlato, Adrienne Payne, Maryssa Peirick
  • Imagine Soap – 1st Place in Category Statewide Finals ($10,000 cash) RIT: Rahul Gadre, Brendan Gordon

2013 New York Business Plan Competition

Biotechnology/Healthcare Category

  • TrakOR – 3rd Place in Category in Statewide Finals ($1,500 cash) TrakOr is making a more accurate electronic tracking system to replace pencil and paper tracking systems for intravenous (IV) drugs.
    W. Spencer Klubben ’13, Ankit Medhekar ’13, Michael Nolan ’13, Sonja Page ’13, Matt Plakosh ’13, and Erin Schnellinger ’13
  • Health Care Originals, LLC – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals Health Care Originals is developing a patent-pending app to keep track of asthma attacks and upload daily data for review.
    Prinson Dsouza ’14 (MS), Ran Gao ’13 (MS), ChenChen Qu ’13 (MS), and Sharon Samjitsingh ’13 (MS)

Information Technology/Software Category

  • MedThru ICT – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals MedThru ICT is developing an integrated scheduling and communication system that facilitates the processes involved in adding unforeseen medical procedures to a day’s schedule. Sarah Catheline ’13 (MS), Nirish Kafle ’14 (MS), Nick Lewandowsk ’13 (MS), and Alvin Lomibao ’09 (BS), ’13 (MS)

Nanotechnology/Advanced Technology Category

  • SMP Microstamps – 2nd Place in Category in Statewide Finals ($5,000 cash) SMP Microstamps had created an integrated platform for micro-contact printing applications with a stamp material with highly tunable surface properties. Megan DeWitt ’13 (MS), Andrew Durney ’16 (PhD), Will Finnie ’13 (MS), and Kwaku Owusu ’13 (MBA)
  • Formation 3D – Advanced from Regional Contest to Statewide Finals Formation 3D is making 3D printers accessible to home users. Alex Feiszli ’14, Eric Frank ’13, and Steven Trambert ’13

Social Entrepreneurship/Non-Profit Category

  • Sound ExChange – 2nd Place in Category in Statewide Finals ($5,000 cash) SoundExchange is developing alternative ways to listen to orchestral music. Emily Wozniak ’14 (MM)
NYBPC Website

Deadline

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Presentation Events

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Questions?

Contact Matthew Spielmann, Senior Program Manager.

Need an Idea?

Contact UR Ventures. UR Ventures has viable patents that can be used as the basis of a business idea.