GENIUS NY

Name

GENIUS NY

Legal name

GENIUS NY

Website

http://www.geniusny.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH)

Keywords

• Drone startup accelerator
• Robotics accelerator program
• Seed-stage investment
• UAS ecosystem support
• Startup mentorship program

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Accelerator Program: GENIUS NY is funded by Empire State Development and operates as a non-profit accelerator. Revenue is not generated from customers; instead, the program distributes capital to qualifying startups. The program is supported by National Grid and managed by CenterState CEO.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GENIUS NY operates a 12-month in-residence seed-stage accelerator that invests $3 million annually into five startups focused on uncrewed aerial systems, automation and advanced air mobility. Each cohort receives a $1 million grand prize and four $500,000 SAFE investments, free office space at INSPYRE Innovation Hub in Syracuse, executive mentorship, investor introductions, regulatory guidance via NUAIR, and approximately $200,000 in in-kind platform and tooling support.

Product overview

GENIUS NY is a unified accelerator program (not a multi-product platform) that provides a comprehensive 12-month in-residence program for seed-stage startups in uncrewed aerial systems, automation, and advanced air mobility. The offering combines investment funding ($1M grand prize or $500K awards), free office space at INSPYRE Innovation Hub in Syracuse NY, executive mentorship, industry networking, investor relations support, recruiting assistance, UAS ecosystem access (including NUAIR partnerships), and events/programming. All these services work together to help startups scale their businesses in Central New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GENIUS NY Accelerator Program A 12-month in-residence accelerator program that selects five seed-stage startups annually focused on uncrewed aerial systems, automation and advanced air mobility. The program distributes $3 million per cohort as one $1 million grand prize SAFE and four $500,000 SAFE investments, and provides free office and lab space at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub in Syracuse, $2,500 monthly stipends, executive mentorship, investor introductions, regulatory guidance through NUAIR, and approximately $200,000 in in-kind support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio companies have raised more than $350 million in follow-on venture capital funding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• StarburstmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Global aerospace and defense startup accelerator that supports GENIUS NY's 12-month accelerator program. Starburst provides Accelerator-as-a-Service, serving as a nexus between global stakeholders in the A&D ecosystem. They offer strategic advice on product-market-fit, access to industry mentors, fundraising support, and introductions to investors and commercial customers.
• CenterState CEOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017GENIUS NY is operated by CenterState CEO, which administers the program through its INSPYRE Innovation Hub (formerly The Tech Garden) in downtown Syracuse. CenterState CEO is Central New York's premier business leadership and economic development organization.
• NUAIRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Alliance) is a key strategic partner managing operations of the FAA-designated NY UAS Test Site and the Center of Excellence for Advanced Air Mobility. NUAIR provides regulatory guidance, testing facilities, and industry connections to GENIUS NY portfolio companies.
• Murzilli ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner providing regulatory and business development guidance to portfolio companies.
• Rohin Sethi ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvisory partner providing expertise to GENIUS NY startups.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Founders Factory: Global accelerator and venture builder operating vertical-specific programs with corporate partners, offering capital and operational support. Comparable as a corporate-affiliated accelerator model serving multiple geographies and verticals.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network operating industry-specific programs with mentorship-driven cohorts and equity investment in early-stage startups. Directly comparable as a multi-sector, equity-taking accelerator with similar cohort structure and follow-on focus.
• Y Combinator: The benchmark startup accelerator providing seed funding, mentorship, and demo-day exposure to early-stage companies. Comparable as the largest accelerator by portfolio size and follow-on capital generated, though not sector-focused.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global corporate innovation platform running industry-specific accelerator programs (including mobility and aerospace verticals). Comparable as a multi-vertical accelerator offering corporate partner introductions and structured cohort programs.
• 500 Global: Global VC and accelerator running vertical-specific programs (including aviation/aerospace) with seed investment and follow-on fund support. Comparable in accelerator-plus-venture-fund structure and emerging-market reach.

Direct peers

• MassChallenge: Global non-profit accelerator with industry-specific tracks providing equity-free or equity-light funding to early-stage startups. Comparable as a non-profit, government and corporate-sponsored accelerator model with similar cohort and mentorship structure.
• AFWERX: U.S. Air Force innovation arm operating accelerator-style programs (e.g., AFVentures, SBIR) for dual-use aerospace startups. Directly comparable as a government-backed aerospace accelerator providing non-dilutive and dilutive capital to UAS/AAM startups.
• Starburst Aerospace: Global aerospace and defense startup accelerator that is already an active GENIUS NY partner. Directly comparable as a sector-focused A&D accelerator offering product-market-fit support, mentor access, and corporate introductions, and competing for the same UAS/AAM deal flow.

Emerging players

• SkyDeck UC Berkeley: University-affiliated accelerator offering seed investment and 6-month programs to early-stage startups with strong aerospace/robotics deal flow. Comparable as a research-anchored accelerator leveraging regional academic and infrastructure resources.
• NUAIR: Alliance managing the FAA-designated NY UAS Test Site and offering technical, regulatory, and operational support to UAS operators and startups. Comparable as the primary regional infrastructure and regulatory partner for the same UAS ecosystem GENIUS NY serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GENIUSNYProgram
• Facebookfacebook.com/geniusny
• Instagraminstagram.com/geniusny
• Pinterestpinterest.com/geniusny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments46 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GENIUS NY