Buffalo to Host 2026 New York State Innovation Summit October 27 – 28
Registration is now open for multi-day event organized annually by FuzeHub to champion innovation and drive technology-led economic development across the Empire State
BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New York State Innovation Summit will be held in Western New York this year at the Buffalo Convention Center on October 27 – 28. Hosted by FuzeHub, in partnership with Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), the Innovation Summit is the premier event facilitating collaboration among the state’s technology leaders, manufacturers, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and economic developers who together are shaping the next era of American innovation.
With over 550 participants and more than 50 exhibitors annually, the Summit promotes technology-led economic growth while providing an unrivaled opportunity for New York companies to showcase disruptive products, forge strategic partnerships and accelerate the commercialization of tomorrow's game-changing technologies.
The ninth annual New York State Commercialization Competition—backed by FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund—will also be held during the Innovation Summit with nine startup companies competing for $430,000 in funding. The firm that best demonstrates the commercialization potential of its technology or product will receive $150,000, the runner-up will be awarded $110,000 and $85,000 prizes will go to two additional companies.
In addition to serving as a lively, welcoming venue for entrepreneurs to connect with potential customers, investors and support professionals, the New York State Innovation Summit will gather leading industry experts to explore urgent technology topics including quantum, AI, advancements in healthcare research, emerging applications for glass-based microelectronics, venture capital, aerospace systems, emerging markets and much more.
Summit Sessions Set Agenda for NY’s Innovation Future
Keynote addresses—delivered by leaders of GE Vernova and NYSTAR—will unpack high priorities for innovation statewide, and two headline-making panel talks will dig into what comes next in the quantum revolution and how venture capital firms are shaping reindustrialization in New York and beyond.
This year’s keynote speakers are:
- Ben Verschueren, Executive Director, NYSTAR. At NYSTAR, Verschueren serves as a leader in innovation with expansive experience connecting technology to real-world outcomes and effectively motivating and managing interdisciplinary teams. Verschueren, who carries more than 20 years of industry experience from his time in General Electric’s research division, established an incubator lab at GE focused on funding projects and building prototypes for industrial ecosystems.
- Marco Aimi, Ph.D., Director of Research Operations, GE Vernova. With over 20 years of experience at GE, including serving as Innovation Leader for Advanced Electronics, Aimi brings a depth of hands-on knowledge and unique insights into the latest advancements out of GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center, a 500-person global organization headquartered in Niskayuna, New York. Aimi also led the build-out of the recently launched Frontier Campus, a more than $110 million investment by GE Vernova with support from New York State that brought 75 new research positions.
Headline panels at the New York State Innovation Summit will be:
- The Quantum Revolution: What Comes Next. This leadership discussion, moderated by NYSTAR’s Verschueren, will feature Charles (Chuck) Black, PhD, Deputy Associate Lab Director, Energy and Photon Sciences, and Director, Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), at Brookhaven National Laboratory; Eden Figueroa, PhD, Stony Brook Presidential Innovation Endowed Professor, Director of the Quantum Institute, Joint Appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory; and Anna W. Topol, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Qlithic Technologies Inc.
- VCs Shaping Reindustrialization. Hosted by New York Ventures, a division Empire State Development that serves as an early-stage venture capital fund investing in high-growth startups statewide, this panel will feature Bryanna Samuels, Director, NY Ventures; Zak Schwarzman, General Partner, MetaProp; Jeanne Casey, Head of Nuveen Real Asset Ventures; and Lisa Morales-Hellebo, Founder & Managing General Partner, REFASHIOND Ventures.
The New York State Innovation Summit’s welcome address will be delivered by Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development. New York State Senator April N.M. Baskin, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, will offer special remarks ahead of the Commercialization Competition awards ceremony.
Startup Founders Shown Path to Venture Investment
Access to funding can unlock startups’ growth potential—which is why FuzeHub and its partners New York Ventures and Launch NY have expanded the New York State Innovation Summit’s focus on venture education for founders.
Far more than “VC 101” talks, the Innovation Summit will show founders the fast track to venture investment, equipping them with need-to-know insights that will make their startups more attractive to investors.
- The Imperfect Pitch: Storytelling at Pre-Seed is an interactive workshop for founders to pitch out loud and get direct feedback on how to lead with their most meaningful strengths and present their weaknesses as risks they’re already managing.
- The Metrics that Matter: How Investors Evaluate Seed & Series A Startups will show founders how to present revenue growth, customer acquisition, retention, engagement, burn efficiency, capital efficiency and more without leaning on vanity metrics.
- Rounding Out the Capital Stack will introduce founders to sources of financing they can combine to bring products to market—and explain why that’s attractive for investors.
- Concept to Contract: How to Capture First Money & First Pilots in DeepTech will feature investors and ecosystem-builders who can explain first-hand how to secure a pilot and early capital before a product is finished.
- Ten Dysfunctions of a Startup will turn to entrepreneur-turned-investor Dan Goldsmith of Proofpoint Capital to break down ten common early-stage mistakes from chasing volume too soon to over hiring, and how to avoid them.
- LaunchNY Investor Connect will connect startups raising equity to relevant investors for initial conversations and future follow-up meetings.
Each of these venture-for-founders sessions have attendance limits to allow for hands-on guidance and instruction—register for the Innovation Summit and request to attend using the links on the Agenda page.
Innovation Summit is Moving the Needle, Organizers Explain
“FuzeHub is proud to bring the New York State Innovation Summit to Buffalo, a historic hotbed of innovation dating back to the opening of the Erie Canal. It’s the right city for us to gather the Empire State’s innovation leaders to look forward to what’s next and shape the vision for what’s possible in this great state,” said FuzeHub Executive Director Elena Garuc. “New York's brightest minds don't just discuss the future of innovation at this event—they actively create it, fostering progress, building partnerships and positioning the Empire State as a global leader in the technologies that matter most.”
FuzeHub, which serves as the statewide center of the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP), has organized the New York State Innovation Summit for the last seven years. Born from the longstanding tradition of uniting NYSTAR-supported innovation resources, the Summit has grown into a dynamic forum where critical conversations about technology convergence, emerging markets and manufacturing excellence take center stage.
“Year after year, this Summit brings together brilliant innovators and inspiring leaders in pursuit of a common goal: to advance New York innovations that have potential to improve lives and livelihoods and strengthen our state’s economy,” said NYSTAR Executive Director Ben Verschueren. “Alongside our partners at FuzeHub, NYSTAR looks forward to convening New York’s innovation ecosystem every year and celebrating the latest and most promising technological advancements New York State has to offer.”
For the latest on 2026 New York State Innovation Summit and to register for the event, visit nysinnovationsummit.com.
About FuzeHub
FuzeHub is a not-for-profit organization that connects New York’s small to medium-sized manufacturing companies and tech firms to the resources, programs, and expertise they need for technology commercialization, innovation, and business growth. Through its custom assessment, matching, and referral platform, FuzeHub helps companies navigate New York’s robust network of industry experts at Manufacturing Extension Partners centers, universities, economic development organizations, and other providers. FuzeHub is the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation. For more information on FuzeHub, visit www.fuzehub.com.
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