It’s been a decade since Central New York launched what would become the world’s largest business accelerator for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and robotics. And now, we have the names of the five startups selected by Empire State Development (ESD) for Round 10 of GENIUS NY.
These five finalists will move to downtown Syracuse later this summer, where they’ll take up office space out of CenterState CEO’s INSPYRE Innovation Hub to scale their technology. That’ll enable them to tap into the region’s rich uncrewed test corridor, and compete for a piece of $3 million in funding (broken out as a shot at a $1 million grand prize, or otherwise four $500,000 awards). By participating in the program, companies get not just guaranteed investment dollars but access to a support system that includes executive mentorship, fundraising guidance, AWS credits, access to PitchBook and entry into the regional UAS Job Fund.
Here is a look at who made the cut in the 10th edition of this startup accelerator program, and why Central New York continues to be such a powerhouse for drone startups.
A history of GENIUS NY
GENIUS NY launched in 2017 in an effort to supported the “CNY Rising” economic strategy, which was an effort to build a permanent, thriving drone ecosystem in New York.
Ten cohorts and $27 million in state investments later, participating startups have gone on to raise over $500 million in follow-on funding and create hundreds of high-tech jobs.
Some of the biggest names that have come out of the program over the decade include:
- Ascent AeroSystems (Cohort 1), which is famous for its NDAA-compliant, coaxial nano UAV called Helius. It was acquired by Robinson Helicopter Company in 2024.
- Aloft Technologies (Cohort 7), which builds airspace authorization software that has powered over 1.6 million FAA LAANC approvals. It was acquired by Versaterm earlier this year.
- Flox Intelligence was the grand prize winner of Cohort 9. In fact, it just made the INSPYRE Innovation Hub its global headquarters and was selected to pitch at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
Meet the GENIUS NY Round 10 Finalists
Those are some of the biggest names of the past, but these companies have the potential to be the biggest names of the future. These five teams selected for Cohort 10 bring a mix of AI command software, heavy-lift logistics, hybrid robotics and advanced sensing. Here are the five names to know:
- Astrabeam (Scarsdale, NY, USA): Astrabeam is developing compact, high-performance radar sensors and AI navigation software. Designed to help drones, mobile robots and autonomous machines navigate complex, low-visibility environments, their tech spans commercial construction, mining, defense and space applications.
- BonV Aero (Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India): Originally built to support military operations in remote, high-altitude mountain environments, BonV Aero designs autonomous heavy-lift aerial platforms. They are taking on demanding logistics and emergency response missions where traditional ground transport falls short.
- Full Spectrum Research (Taberg, NY, USA): Creator of PRISM, an operational intelligence platform that integrates live data streams from drones, sensors and cameras into a single, real-time operating picture for defense, public safety and critical infrastructure teams.
- Revolute Robotics (Boston, MA, USA): Revolute is tackling industrial inspections with hybrid robots that can both drive and fly. This dual-mobility approach allows operators to inspect hard-to-reach industrial spaces safely without putting human workers in harm’s way.
- Vigilare AI (Fayetteville, NY, USA): Vigilare AI is building intelligent command software for autonomous fleets. Its AI-driven platform processes live sensor streams in real time to help operators quickly evaluate threats and make rapid decisions across commercial and defense operations.
The yearlong in-residence program will culminate at the GENIUS NY Pitch Finals during the annual Innovation Night event in May 2027. There, teams will pitch live to an expert panel of industry judges for the $1 million grand prize.
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