Commercialization Academy

The AFRL Commercialization Academy is a Griffiss Institute entrepreneurial education program sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI). The Academy pairs high-caliber founders with high-potential AFRL technologies with the goals of developing entrepreneurial leaders and launching new technology ventures.

The Commercialization Academy program consists of a comprehensive curriculum and acceleration process focused on:

1. Entrepreneurship education for founders
2. Technology due diligence, ideation and market validation
3. Technology licensure, business acceleration and go to market strategy

The 2021 Commercialization Academy program has been suspended for one year and will be reevaluated for continuance in 2022. 

If continued, startups will be drawn from across the country, as well as New York State. Teams will complete a 16-week Commercialization Academy curriculum that will qualify them to compete for prize money on Demo Day.

Two Tech Startups Win Big at First Ever Virtual AFRL Commercialization Academy Demo Day; $300,000 Awarded

Rome, NY – The Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI), together with Griffiss Institute is happy to announce the winners from the AFRL Commercialization Academy Demo Day and IDEA NY business accelerator competition, held on Thursday, July 16, 2020, virtually, for the first time ever, due to safety concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With nearly 167 registered to virtual attend, BloomOptix from Rochester, NY, pitched their way to the Grand Prize of $200,000, and runner-up, Vistex Composites, from Schenectady, NY, took home $100,000 for their startup!

The four remaining teams were awarded up to $8,000 in "consolation" prize money to reimburse for expenses incurred during the incubation process.

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