Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) is pleased to award funding to three New York State startups through its 2026-27 Innovation Fund pitch competition.
The Innovation Fund is a seed fund designed to help companies overcome research and development barriers to commercialization, leveraging the support of SyracuseCoE’s affiliated universities, faculty and students. Projects must address a challenge within the focus areas of healthy and efficient buildings, clean energy, and resilient, low-carbon communities. The fund is supported by the SyracuseCoE Partner Program—meaning Partners’ membership fees are directed back into the innovation ecosystem.
Three New York-based companies, KLAW Industries, Mission Power, and TKF, have been selected to receive awards of up to $7,500 each for research and development projects.
KLAW Industries: “Leveraging Glass to Improve Concrete Microbial Environments and Promote Self-Healing Properties”
This project will explore the potential for windowpane and bottle glass to improve the microbial environments of concrete, provide self-healing properties, and prevent salt corrosion in critical infrastructure. KLAW Industries, based in Binghamton, NY, will collaborate with SUNY ESF faculty members Dr. Mohammad Uzzal Hossain and Dr. Julia Maresca, building on previous collaborative research that revealed ground windowpane glass could alter the active assemblage of microbes in concrete and lead to durability benefits.
Mission Power: “Novel Shielded Solid Insulation Joint”
This project will design and mold components to be used in an advanced insulation scheme that is required for the upcoming market of solid-state transformers (SSTs). The components will result in a smaller, high-reliability SST that will reduce size and cost in solar, storage, electric vehicle, and building-integrated power systems. The principal investigator for this project will be Dr. Brian Helenbrook, Paynter-Krigman Endowed Chair in Engineering Science Simulation at Clarkson University, working as an independent consultant to Mission Power, which is based in Potsdam, NY.
TKF: “Execution of Building-level Apartment Monitoring System (BAMS) Software and Hardware for Commercial Scale Hydropod Monitoring and Maintenance”
This project will build out a software-based monitoring platform for the Hydropod XL, an integrated mechanical system that eliminates the use of fossil fuels for space conditioning and domestic hot water (DHW) in low-rise residences in cold and very cold climates, while also drastically reducing on-site installation time for new construction and renovation. Pods can be installed and started up in one to two days and are delivered with a fully integrated, AI-enabled, cloud-based, Building-side Apartment Monitoring System (BAMS), saving on maintenance and repair diagnostics throughout the lifetime of Hydropod operation and service in multifamily homes. TKF is based in Syracuse, NY.
Innovation Fund pitches are evaluated by a panel of volunteer reviewers. SyracuseCoE is grateful to this year’s reviewers, who provided valuable feedback to applicants. The 2026 judging panel included:
- Nick Bruno, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Workforce Development, Manufacturers Association of Central New York, Inc. (MACNY)
- Ian Herrmann, Research Engineer and Lab Manager, SyracuseCoE
- Bill Leiker, Senior Project Manager, TDO (Train Develop Optimize) — the CNY Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center
- Scott MacBain, Carrier Corporation (retired)
- Laura Welch, Director, Innovation Ecosystem Development, NYSTAR/Empire State Development
“I am pleased we can continue to support the Innovation Fund program, an essential and integral part of SyracuseCoE’s effort in fostering close collaborations between industrial partners and faculty researchers. All three projects selected this year involve development of innovative technologies for commercialization. I look forward to seeing great success from these projects,” says Dr. Jensen Zhang, Executive Director of SyracuseCoE and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).
“The Innovation Fund is a great example of how academia and industry can work together to make innovation happen. By bringing university resources to support the regional economy, we are helping turn promising ideas into technologies that can be commercialized and scaled,” says Dr. Bing Dong, SyracuseCoE’s Co-Director, Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Associate Dean for Research in ECS.
To date, the Innovation Fund has invested over $732,000 in nearly 70 commercialization projects throughout New York State and beyond. Eligibility for Innovation Fund awards is open to current members of the SyracuseCoE Partner Program. To become a Partner of SyracuseCoE, contact Tammy Rosanio at tlrosani@syr.edu.