Commercialization and collaboration center (c3)
NY THRIVE Innovation Vouchers for Semiconductor R&D
Funded access to cleanrooms, lithography, and research expertise across Upstate New York, starting at $50,000 with no match required.
What NY THRIVE is
What NY THRIVE and C3 Do
Across the region’s universities, many of the capabilities small businesses need already exist. The cost of using them has been the obstacle. NY THRIVE vouchers cover that cost.
NY THRIVE, which stands for Tech Hub Resources and Innovation Vouchers for Enterprises, funds companies to use advanced facilities, specialized equipment, maker spaces and research assistance they could not otherwise afford. Vouchers come in three tiers:
Tier 1
Up to $50,000
No match required
12 months to use it
Tier 2
$50,001 to $250,000
10% match
12 months to use it
Tier 3
Over $250,000
25% match
Up to 24 months to use it
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Behind the vouchers sits C3, the Commercialization and Collaboration Center, led by Syracuse University with Cornell, RIT, the University of Rochester and the University at Buffalo. It turns more than 30 academic institutions and 18-plus semiconductor-relevant facilities into a single point of entry. C3 is one program of the NY SMART I-Corridor, the federally designated Tech Hub across Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca.
How C3 helps businesses
Innovation support
Businesses developing new strategies or preparing to meet investors can access support on patent landscape, patentability and freedom-to-operate, IP protection, and market and competitive insights, along with one-on-one mentoring.
Collaborative partnerships
Companies commercializing new products can partner with universities and industry to access facilities, research expertise, and patents at Cornell, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester.
Access to capital
The NY THRIVE Innovation Voucher Program supports companies across the semiconductor ecosystem – including design, manufacturing, materials, process optimization and supply chain. Vouchers provide access to facilities, equipment and intellectual assets at participating universities.
Cross-sector collaboration
Partnership opportunities with universities, nonprofits, researchers, OEMs, startups and other participating organizations, supported through events, trainings and knowledge sharing across the Tech Hub.
$2M+
More than $2 million in NY THRIVE vouchers is now under contract with 18 companies across the corridor. For context, E-beam lithography alone can cost around $350 an hour without a voucher.
Source: NY SMART I-Corridor funding round, September 2026; University at Buffalo equipment rates
Commercialization and Collaboration Center
To keep the NY SMART I-Corridor at the forefront of the semiconductor industry, the C3 initiative is investing in research institutions and organizations – both those entering and those already engaged in the supply chain – that want to push the boundaries of innovation. C3 connects startups, universities, labs and manufacturers with the tools, expertise and capital needed to bring new semiconductor-related products to market – from proof of concept to scaling production – while removing barriers for diverse founders and institutions.
One way C3 is making those connections easier is through the Asset Inventory, which allows businesses to search facilities, specialized equipment, research groups and patents across five partner universities.
Who is NY THRIVE for
Who Can Use NY THRIVE Vouchers?
01
Startups and founders
You have a technology at prototype stage and need facilities you cannot justify buying. Vouchers cover access to university cleanrooms, lithography, metrology and packaging. This is the equipment that otherwise forces founders to raise far more capital or build their own.
02
Established manufacturers with an R&D need
You are developing a new product or process and need testing, characterization or prototyping capability. C3’s focus is technologies at readiness levels 6 through 9, meaning work that is close to market rather than early research. If the goal is qualifying as a supplier rather than commercializing something of your own, the SCAN supply chain program is the better starting point.
03
Researchers with something worth protecting
You have results that could become a product and no experience turning them into one. C3 runs patent and licensing training with the New York State Science and Technology Law Center, and an IP coordinator works across the partner institutions on protection and licensing terms.
what you get
What C3 Gives You Access To
NY THRIVE vouchers
Three tiers from $50,000 to above $250,000, on a rolling application basis. Concierges can issue vouchers up to $50,000 for a single project; larger requests go to the universities’ Vice Presidents of Research. Applications are submitted through the NY THRIVE portal, and a concierge can walk you through it first.
More than 18 facility spaces
Cleanrooms, lithography tools, metrology labs, packaging and prototyping equipment across Cornell, RIT, the University of Rochester, the University at Buffalo, Syracuse, and partner institutions.
Five innovation concierges
Full-time staff at the flagship universities whose job is to help you find the right equipment and the right expertise, including researchers and graduate students.
IP and licensing support
An IP coordinator at RIT leading standardized IP protection across institutions, greater transparency on licensing terms, and training on patents and licensing for entrepreneurs.
why here, why now
Why Commercialize Semiconductor Supply Chain in New York State
$2M+
in NY THRIVE vouchers under contract across 18 companies, in every city along the corridor
$50K
Tier 1 voucher ceiling, with no matching funds required
Source: NY THRIVE program announcement
18+
semiconductor-relevant facility spaces in the C3 network
30+
academic institutions across the corridor with shareable research assets
~$350
per hour is what E-beam lithography can cost without a voucher
148
firms C3 aims to serve over 10 years
proof
Which Research Facilities You Can Book
Facilities in the C3 network:
Partner networks you can reach through C3:
Cornell’s open cleanroom exceeds 15,000 square feet; RIT’s nanofabrication lab runs a complete CMOS processing line; the Institute of Optics at Rochester educates 60% of the optics PhDs awarded in the United States.
FAQ
NY THRIVE and Innovation Funding Questions, Answered
NY THRIVE stands for Tech Hub Resources & Innovation Vouchers for Enterprises. It funds businesses to access advanced facilities, specialized equipment, maker spaces and research assistance across Upstate New York in order to commercialize semiconductor technologies.
Three tiers. Tier 1 is up to $50,000 for small-scale projects over 12 months, with no matching funds required. Tier 2 is $50,001 to $250,000 over 12 months, with a 10% match. Tier 3 is above $250,000 for large-scale projects over up to 24 months, with a 25% match.
Senior representatives such as CEOs, CTOs or R&D leaders, at companies working in semiconductor design, manufacturing, technology development or related sectors, based in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Batavia or Auburn.
Access to university and nonprofit facilities, equipment and intellectual assets for the development, prototyping and testing of semiconductor technologies. It pays for the use of capability that already exists rather than for buying your own. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the NY THRIVE portal.
Yes. More than $2 million is under contract across 18 companies, in every city along the corridor. In Buffalo: Carbonix, Excellerix, IBEX Materials and Retech Systems. In Rochester: amPICQ, Era73 Technologies, Oculi, Photonect, Stamper Technology and TOPTICA. In Syracuse and Ithaca: Conamix, Flox Intelligence, INFICON, Menlo Micro, OWiC, tomPhyzx, TTM Technologies and TunaBotics. The work spans photonics, advanced materials, robotics, testing equipment and battery technologies.
Keep Reading
More on Semiconductor Innovation Funding in New York
Talk to an Innovation Concierge
Tell us what you’re building and what you need access to. A concierge at the nearest flagship university will tell you which facilities fit and whether a voucher applies. No cost to ask.
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