Hempitecture is pleased to share that the brand is a recipient of the $500,000 award of the fourth annual Grow-NY business competition. Funded by Empire State Development and administered by Cornell University, the innovation and technology startup challenge focuses on enhancing the emerging food, beverage, and agriculture hub in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier regions of New York state. Hempitecture is one of seven finalists to take home prize money after the two-day Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Summit held in Syracuse, New York on November 15 and 16.

“We are thrilled by Grow-NY’s honorable recognition and this opportunity to grow Hempitecture’s footprint on the East Coast,” says Mattie Mead, founder and CEO of Hempitecture. “Returning to New York is very nostalgic for our team––this is where the concept for the brand was born and expanding here is a full circle moment for us. We are excited for what the future holds and are prepared to hit the ground running with Hempitecture in New York and beyond.”

Award decisions were based on five criteria: viability of the startup’s business model, the diversity, quality, completeness, and readiness of the team, the value the brand has to customers, innovation, and job growth opportunities. As an award recipient, Hempitecture commits to making a quantifiable, enduring local impact during a 12-month period, creating lasting economic opportunity in the region. With the award money, the brand plans on creating an East Coast manufacturing and distribution hub to expand Hempitecture’s presence nationwide. Additionally, Hempitecture will work closely with Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to advance its innovative research on industrial hemp and help bring agricultural hemp based materials to market in the region.

“Grow-NY finalists and winners continue to surpass our expectations on all fronts, successfully leveraging the strengths of the region to scale their ventures, adding jobs, attracting investment, and reinforcing New York’s role as a global agrifood leader,” said Jenn Smith, Program Director, Grow-NY. “I offer my most enthusiastic congratulations to all of this year’s winners.”

Hempitecture is on a mission to use plant-based resources to replace toxic, synthetic materials used in industries such as construction, cold chain packaging materials, and pharmaceuticals. By designing, manufacturing, and distributing biobased thermal insulation products like HempWool®, Hempitecture is helping industries optimize performance with a lower embodied carbon and creating a healthier future for all. As a winning business of this year’s Grow-NY competition, Hempitecture will help foster job growth, connect with local industry partners, and contribute to a thriving economy. For more information on Hempitecture, please visit hempitecture.com

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Hempitecture is a nonwoven materials manufacturer that uses biobased, carbon-capturing inputs to create healthier, high-performing products for a more sustainable planet. In 2012, Founder & CEO Matthew Mead set out for tangible solutions to the climate crisis and founded the Hempitecture concept. The brand’s mission is to use plant-based resources to replace toxic, synthetic materials used in industries such as construction. By designing, manufacturing, and distributing biobased thermal insulation products like HempWool®, Hempitecture is helping construction projects optimize performance with a lower embodied carbon.

In 2018, the company was formally founded alongside Co-Founder Tommy Gibbons, as a Public Benefit Corporation, enabling a scalable business model that achieves public benefits such as reduced embodied carbon, improved health in homes, and increased sustainability across multiple industries. Since its inception, Hempitecture has become a pioneer of biobased building methods in the United States, including the supply and completion of over 20 hempcrete projects, ranging from small builds to intricate projects designed by world-renowned architects. With headquarters in Sun Valley, ID, and manufacturing and distribution locations in Twin Falls, ID, and Knoxville, TN, Hempitecture is committed to reducing the embodied carbon of the built environment, increasing operational sustainability, and ultimately building a better world.

Empire State Development (ESD) promotes a vigorous and growing state economy, encourages business investment and job creation, and supports diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance. To learn more about ESD visit https://esd.ny.gov

The Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) supports economic impact in Upstate New York through entrepreneurship and innovation. We help people advance ideas that will create jobs in all fields in our region, to enrich the area’s economic diversity. To learn more, visit https://crea.cornell.edu