Rochester's Tech Innovators Take Center Stage as GREAT Awards Nominations Open

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — TechRochester is accepting nominations for its 2027 GREAT Awards, an annual celebration recognizing the individuals, companies and teams driving technology innovation and economic growth across the Greater Rochester region.

GREAT stands for Greater Rochester Excellence and Achievements in Technology. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to the region's technology industry, from emerging startups and established businesses to innovative teams and community leaders.

Nominations are open through Nov. 15, 2026, with winners scheduled to be recognized at the awards ceremony Jan. 28, 2027, at Comedy at the Carlson in Rochester.

Recognizing Rochester's Technology Community

Organized by TechRochester, the GREAT Awards have recognized the region's technology leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators for more than a decade.

The program highlights achievements in technology development, business growth, leadership and community impact.

Rochester has an incredible history of innovation, and that spirit continues today through the entrepreneurs, technology professionals and organizations building what's next," said Greg Kauffman, president of TechRochester. "The GREAT Awards give us an opportunity to recognize the people and teams moving Rochester forward, celebrate their achievements and shine a spotlight on the strength of Rochester's technology community.

The awards recognize a broad range of industries, from software development and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing, health care technology and professional services.

Beyond recognizing technical achievements, the program celebrates organizations and individuals translating innovation into measurable business results, stronger communities and new economic opportunities.

2027 GREAT Awards Categories

The 2027 program features seven competitive award categories:

• Best Tech Startup: Recognizes emerging technology companies five years old or younger demonstrating innovation, market traction, growth potential and strong leadership.
• Outstanding Tech Team: Honors teams delivering exceptional technical solutions through collaboration, creativity and measurable results.
• Tech for Good: Celebrates organizations using technology to address social, environmental or community challenges.
• Tech Rebel: Recognizes innovators challenging established industries, introducing disruptive technologies and creating new market opportunities.
• Tech Service Provider Excellence: Honors technology service providers demonstrating technical expertise, exceptional customer service and measurable client impact.
• Exceptional Agile Leadership: Recognizes project managers demonstrating excellence in Agile methodologies, adaptability and collaborative leadership.
• Student Tech Leader: Celebrates students demonstrating academic achievement, technological innovation, leadership and community involvement.

Nominees are evaluated against criteria specific to each category, including innovation, leadership, business performance and demonstrated impact. Full category descriptions and nomination information are available on the 2027 GREAT Awards website.

Looking Back at the 2026 GREAT Awards Winners

The 2026 GREAT Awards, held Feb. 25, recognized technology companies, entrepreneurs and community leaders making an impact across the Rochester region.

The 2026 honorees included:

• Best Tech Startup: Phlotonics Inc., a Rochester-based company developing silicon photonic biosensors for real-time biological monitoring.
• Outstanding Tech Team: Ben Sebree and three+one, a financial technology company providing liquidity and treasury management solutions.
• Tech Rebel: Ulrik Soderstrom, co-founder of Benchmark Labs, which develops artificial intelligence-powered weather forecasting and analytics technology.
• Tech Service Provider Excellence: Entre Computer Services, a Rochester-based provider of IT services, cybersecurity, cloud solutions and technology consulting.
• Tech for Good: Pluta Cancer Foundation, which supports cancer patients and families through programs, services and research initiatives.
• Student Tech Leader: Joseph Ferreri.
• Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Kenneth Reed.

The honorees reflected the diversity of Rochester's technology ecosystem, from emerging companies and established service providers to students and community-focused organizations.

The awards also highlighted the region's continued strength in translating technical expertise into business opportunities and community impact.

How to Submit a Nomination

Nominations for the 2027 GREAT Awards opened Sept. 15 and will close Nov. 15, 2026.

Following the nomination deadline, judging is scheduled to take place from Nov. 16 through Dec. 15.

The awards ceremony will be held Jan. 28, 2027, from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. at Comedy at the Carlson in Rochester.

Businesses, technology professionals, educators and community members interested in recognizing outstanding achievements can learn more about the award categories, nomination requirements and event registration through TechRochester's official 2027 GREAT Awards page.

Nominations close Nov. 15, 2026.