Every year, a handful of hopeful drone startups pack their bags (and propellers) and head to Syracuse, New York. To mainstream audiences, it’s a lace better known for snowstorms and Orange basketball than cutting-edge tech.
But the drone industry knows better. Why? Because GENIUS NY, the world’s biggest UAS and robotics accelerator, is dangling a $1 million check in front of them. And this year, 11 semifinalists from around the globe just made the shortlist for that very prize as part of the 2025 GENIUS NY accelerator.
GENIUS NY is backed by CenterState CEO and invests more than $3 million annually in five finalist companies. That includes the big kahuna: a single, dramatic, seven-figure check awarded live on stage at “Innovation Night.” That night is set for spring 2026 — a far out deadline that might be critical to give teams more time to, well, be geniuses.
So, who’s in the running The next drone unicorn? 11 companies are vying for $1 million in the 2025 GENIUS NY accelerator?
Some of the biggest names participating in the 2025 GENIUS NY accelerator include:
- Alerion (Spain): Building drones that won’t explode in explosive environments.
- Skyfire AI (New Jersey): Making drone swarms for first responders.
- Lamarr AI (New York): Drones that inspect building exteriors faster and cheaper than humans on scaffolding. I recently took a deep dive into Lamarr AI’s building inspection software.
- Modovolo (also NY): Think Lego-style drones, but for serious commercial and defense use.
- IONA (UK): A full-stack drone delivery solution.
Other contenders are throwing down with radar systems (Lighthouse Avionics), animal-feeding robots (Vetkiosk, from Argentina), and even Vertiport-as-a-Service (Kookiejar, a Swedish startup).
Notably, at least eight of the 11 semifinalists are directly drone-focused, while others play in the same sandbox of robotics, sensors and smart infrastructure for airborne tech.
GENIUS NY is having a moment
This year’s cohort drew 91 applications, with over half from U.S.-based companies and 60% in the “validation” stage (startup speak for “this thing actually works”). More than 43% of applicants also identified as women, minority, or veteran-owned—a huge deal in an industry often criticized for being overwhelmingly homogenous.
“This round saw record interest from U.S. and international startups,” said Kara Jones, GENIUS NY director.
We’ve followed GENIUS NY in past coverage, and it’s clear the bar is getting higher every year. This cohort might just include the next Skydio or Zipline… or the future inventor of a drone that finally delivers tacos to my condo in San Francisco.
What happens next?
In August, five of the 11 semifinalists will be crowned finalists and will begin their move to Syracuse in September. From there, it’s bootstraps, business plans, and (hopefully) a big payday come spring 2026.
So what happens if you win? Finalists must move to Syracuse for a year (yes, even if they’re from Sweden or Argentina), embed themselves in the region’s drone ecosystem, and try to build a company that can go the distance. The accelerator has already pumped nearly $24 million into drone and robotics startups, with alumni raising $350 million in follow-on funding and creating hundreds of jobs in upstate New York.
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