Dear BIANYS Members and Community,

This month, BIANYS was honored by City & State New York as one of its 2026 Top Trade Associations. Board Director Deborah Novick joined me at the August 11, 2026 reception, where BIANYS was presented with a beautiful plaque recognizing our work to support incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurs, and innovation organizations across New York State.

This recognition belongs to our entire community. It reflects the collective impact of our members, who work every day to help entrepreneurs launch and grow companies, commercialize new technologies, create jobs, and strengthen regional economies. We are grateful to City & State for recognizing the important role BIANYS and its members play in advancing New York’s innovation ecosystem.

August is often a slower month for venture capital, startups, and all of us working in innovation as we make the most of the final warm days of summer, and help get the kids ready to head back to school. But get ready, it is going to be a busy fall for BIANYS!

Our next Monthly Member Meetup will focus on a topic many members have been asking us to explore: rural incubation and entrepreneurship. On September 17, Board Director Jamey Hoose of Clarkson University and BIANYS member Ashleigh Madison of IncubatorWorks will team up for a conversation titled "Keeping Innovation Local: How Rural Communities Attract and Retain Entrepreneurs." They will discuss the opportunities and challenges of supporting entrepreneurs in rural communities, building strong regional partnerships, and creating pathways that allow companies and talent to grow without leaving their communities.

We hope you will join us for this timely conversation and share your own experiences, ideas, and questions!

Warm regards,

Ariella Trotsenko

Interim Executive Director

Business Incubator Association of New York State (BIANYS)

BIANYS September Monthly Meetup

"Keeping Innovation Local: How Rural Communities Attract and Retain Entrepreneurs"

Zoom, Thursday, September 17, 12:00 PM ET!

What actually makes a company stay in New York? Jamey Hoose and Ashleigh Madison will share lessons from supporting entrepreneurs and growing innovation ecosystems across Upstate New York. We'll explore how rural incubators can retain promising startups and talent, create quality jobs, connect founders to capital and customers, build strong communities, and give entrepreneurs compelling reasons to build their companies locally rather than relocate to larger markets. The discussion will also highlight the unique assets rural communities can offer entrepreneurs, and how incubators can turn those strengths into a competitive advantage for their regions. Jamey and Ashleigh will share brief highlights of their incubator programming and success stories from their region.

ESD Announces 20 Grow-NY Finalists

Empire State Development and Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement selected 20 food and agriculture startups for the eighth Grow-NY competition. The companies will compete for a combined $3 million, including a $1 million grand prize, and must commit to growing jobs, partnerships, or operations within Grow-NY’s 22-county Upstate region!

Empire AI Beta Goes Live!

Empire AI Beta is officially operational at the University at Buffalo, giving researchers across New York access to what supporters describe as the country’s most powerful academic AI supercomputer. The new resource will provide computing capacity that was previously accessible primarily to the world’s largest technology companies. Researchers will be able to use it to accelerate work in areas including drug discovery, disease research, and other complex scientific challenges.

SBA Launches $20 Million Critical Suppliers Prize Competition

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced its first-ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition, a national initiative designed to strengthen domestic manufacturing and critical-industry supply chains.The competition will award up to $20 million in non-dilutive capital, including as many as six prizes of up to $6 million each. Eligible small businesses must demonstrate the ability to rapidly scale domestic production and address important supply-chain chokepoints.

NYC Celebrates Startup and VC Internship Programs

NYCEDC recently celebrated the completion of its 2026 startup and venture-capital internship programs, which connected New York City students with hands-on opportunities across the innovation economy.

New York Opens $60 Million Competition for Regional Quantum Technology Hubs

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the launch of a competitive selection process to establish regional quantum technology hubs across New York State. The $60 million initiative is intended to accelerate commercialization, strengthen regional partnerships, and expand New York’s leadership in quantum science and technology.

NextCorps Manufacturing Accelerator

Applications are open through September 30 for this free, nine-week program helping hardware startups move from a working prototype to production. The program is open to teams located anywhere and requires an approximately four-hour weekly commitment.

Ulster County Revolving Loan Fund

The Ulster County Revolving Loan Fund is offering low-interest, fixed-rate financing to eligible businesses and organizations seeking to expand, stabilize growth, or create and retain jobs. Available financing includes microloans of $7,500–$15,000, gap loans of up to $75,000, and bridge loans tied to reimbursement-based nonprofit grants.

Climate Week NYC Events Roundup

This newsletter features a special events roundup in recognition of Climate Week NYC, taking place September 20–27, 2026. BIANYS members and partners will be participating in events throughout New York City focused on climate innovation, clean technology, investment, and entrepreneurship. Explore the Climate Week NYC calendar and register for events happening across NYC!

September 3 — Coffee & Concepts: Empire APEX Accelerator

The Griffiss Institute’s fall series begins with Manna Doyle, Procurement Consultant, and Lenora Leasure, Program Manager at NYSTEC.

September 14 — ASRC CAT Pitch Competition with NYU and Falling Walls Lab

Students and early-career innovators will pitch for an opportunity to attend the Falling Walls Science Summit finals in Berlin and compete for the title of Breakthrough Winner.

September 17 — Coffee & Concepts: BeamFeed

Featuring Erina Vela, Executive Founder of BeamFeed, an NSF STTR- and ESD Innovation Matching Grants-funded company.

September 20 — Fostering State and City-Level Support for Climate Innovation

Advanced-energy incubators and government leaders will discuss best practices and lessons learned for advancing climate innovation. Hosted by Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) at BATWorks.

September 21 — Venture For ClimateTech Innovation Showcase

Join the For ClimateTech team for an immersive day of startup pitches, panel discussions, and networking with more than 100 climate innovators, investors, industry leaders, hardware experts, and manufacturers. Ten founders from Venture For ClimateTech’s sixth cohort will present solutions addressing buildings, transportation, the electric grid, and industry. Hosted at NewLab.

September 22–23 — Buffalo Private Equity Summit

The Buffalo Private Equity Summit is Upstate New York’s premier gathering for private equity professionals, business owners, and transaction advisors. Over two days, the Summit will bring together leaders from across the investment ecosystem to explore growth capital, liquidity strategies, and regional market opportunities. Hosted by Upstate Capital.

September 23 — Carbontech Summit

The Carbontech Summit returns during Climate Week NYC with industry programming followed by a networking reception featuring an open bar and light bites. Hosted by the Carbontech Development Initiative (CDI) in collaboration with Columbia Technology Ventures, NYSERDA, and the Urban Future Lab’s Carbon-2-Value Initiative.

September 28 — Startup World Cup: New York Regional

Join founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for panels, networking, and a live pitch competition offering one startup the opportunity to represent New York City at the Global Grand Finale and compete for a $1 million investment prize.

September 29–30 — NYSEDC 2026 Leadership and Policy Summit

NYSEDC will bring together economic-development leaders from across New York to discuss emerging policies, statewide priorities, and strategies for strengthening regional economies.

September 30 — Luminate Finals 2026

Celebrate the ten deep-tech startups graduating from the Luminate accelerator as they compete for $2 million in follow-on funding. In Rochester and online.

September 30 — NewYorkBIO Innovation Summit

Biotechnology leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and industry partners will convene to explore emerging innovations and opportunities across New York’s life-sciences ecosystem in NYC.

New Report Examines the Cost of Doing Business in New York City

A report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli finds that New York City remains one of the country’s most expensive places to start or operate a business. However, several major expenses, including private-sector wages, office rents, and employee benefits, have grown more slowly than national averages or costs in competing metropolitan regions. Electricity, natural gas, health insurance, and business taxes continue to pose significant challenges. The report underscores the importance of policies that preserve New York City’s advantages in talent, capital, and customer access while addressing escalating operating costs.

State Finalizes Stronger Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Regulations

August 5, 2026 - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced the adoption of regulations to strengthen the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to achieve affordable and effective emissions reductions through 2037. The regulatory updates follow a multi-state program review decided by consensus to confirm the states’ long-term commitments to energy affordability, public health, and environmental protection.

The changes are intended to further reduce power-sector emissions and generate resources for clean-energy and climate-related investments.

The announcement also highlights the state’s $2 billion Sustainable Future Program, which will support projects that lower emissions and energy costs while creating green jobs. These investments could produce new commercialization, demonstration, and partnership opportunities for clean-technology startups and incubators throughout New York.

WithCoverage Plans $25 Million New York R&D Investment

August 12, 2026 - AI-powered risk-management company WithCoverage will expand its New York City operations, invest $25 million in research and development, and create 205 full-time jobs over five years. ESD is supporting the expansion with up to $3 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits.

NSF Invests $290 Million in National Quantum Research Institutes

August 25, 2026 - The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a five-year, $290 million investment in eight Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes focused on advancing quantum computing, sensing, communications, materials, and workforce development. The institutes connect 36 universities, federal laboratories, and more than 30 U.S. companies to accelerate the translation of quantum research into scalable technologies, complementing New York’s growing investments in quantum research and commercialization.

Cornell University and NY CREATES will participate in the new Princeton-led NSF MARQUIS Quantum Leap Challenge Institute, which will receive $27.9 million over five years to advance the materials, components, and manufacturing processes needed for scalable quantum computers. Cornell physicist Valla Fatemi will serve as deputy director, while NY CREATES will contribute advanced semiconductor fabrication capabilities through Albany NanoTech.

Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, Long Island

BIANYS member organization Broad Hollow Bioscience Park is home to a nonprofit biotechnology research park supporting early-stage companies that need affordable wet laboratory and office space. Through approximately 102,500 square feet of specialized facilities, shared laboratory equipment, flexible leases, and connections to academic and industry resources, the Park enables startups to dedicate more of their resources to research and development. A partnership among Farmingdale State College, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Research Foundation for SUNY, Broad Hollow Bioscience Park helps attract and retain biotechnology companies, create skilled jobs, and strengthen Long Island’s Route 110 Bioscience Corridor.

New NSF award at CUNY creates two jobs!

Executive Director, AI-BIOME PCL

Director of Operations, AI-BIOME PCL

The City University of New York and The City College of New York have received an $18.1 million NSF award to establish the AI-Enabled Bio-Inspired Materials Ecosystem (AI-BIOME), a programmable cloud laboratory (PCL) that will use artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation to accelerate the discovery and production of advanced bio-inspired materials. Researchers nationwide will be able to remotely access AI-BIOME’s automated scientific tools and research infrastructure.

These positions offer an opportunity to build a first-of-its-kind national research resource alongside investigators from CCNY’s Center for Discovery and Innovation, the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and other academic and industry partners.

Associate Vice President, Innovation and Commercialization, SUNY at Binghamton

Binghamton University is seeking an Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization to lead university-wide efforts at the intersection of research, technology development, entrepreneurship, and economic development. Reporting to the Vice President for Research, the Associate Vice President will develop strategic initiatives that engage faculty and students in entrepreneurship, support technology transfer, and translate university research into societal and economic impact. View the position and apply.

Business & Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) at the University at Buffalo (UB). 3 New Roles!

1. Senior Program Associate, Physical Sciences

2. Operations Assistant, Center of Excellence, Bioinformatics Life Sciences (CBLS)
3. Contracts Manager, Technology Transfer

The first role will build research partnerships with companies. The next will help keep CBLS running day to day. The third will work with faculty and industry on research agreements to move new technologies toward the market.

Director, Entrepreneur Development

Empire State Development

This role oversees New York State's Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers (EAC) network and other entrepreneur development programs that help startups and small businesses launch, grow, and succeed. The position manages statewide program operations, including grants, budgets, contracts, performance evaluation, compliance, and technical assistance to ensure successful program delivery. Working closely with government, community organizations, and business support partners, the role advances entrepreneurship and economic development across New York State while leading staff and cultivating strategic partnerships.