Venture Partners News

Eight �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:21:52 +0000

Eight �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Daniel Corbin … Tue, 06/02/2026 - 17:21

Lab Venture Challenge and Colorado State Grants Information Session

Thursday, June 11, 2026, noon-2 p.m. MT
Virtual
For those commercializing technologies from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, �鶹��Ѱ��Denver and UCCS

The CU's Lab Venture Challenge and programs from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) offer up to $250,000 in translational funding to advance laboratory research and early-stage startups.

Learn More

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight �鶹��Ѱ�� researchers and four university-connected startup companies received funding through the latest round of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The awards, granted through the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention programs, represent one of the university's strongest performances to date.

The grants support a range of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder innovations, including gene therapies, augmented reality, aerospace, advanced materials, robotics, AI and regenerative medicine. Statewide, OEDIT awarded nearly $7.5 million to Colorado researchers and companies developing technologies to accelerate and expand Colorado’s advanced-industries economy. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder startups and researchers will receive a total of $2.2 million.

"�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s research enterprise continues to produce discoveries with the potential to address major global challenges, and these awards demonstrate the importance of strategic public investment in helping research breakthroughs achieve their full potential,” said Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. "Programs like the Advanced Industries Accelerator play a critical role in helping transformative technologies move from the laboratory into practical application, delivering tangible benefits to communities in Colorado and beyond."

The Proof of Concept Grant program helps Colorado research institutions accelerate applied research and commercialization activities, while the Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant supports Colorado companies commercializing innovative technologies that will be manufactured or scaled in Colorado.

Historically, these grants have provided powerful returns to the state, in terms of follow-on investment and company growth, according to Bryn Rees, senior associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. “Colorado has built one of the strongest environments in the country for translating research into new businesses. OEDIT has been an essential partner in that effort. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder spinout companies like Forge Nano and OnKure Therapeutics have grown to become publicly traded companies, and for them, early support from the Advanced Industries program was critical. This new round of awards is a great signal of what is to come,” said Rees.

But what is "commercialization?"

The path to commercialization—also known as "research translation" or "tech transfer"—can be challenging, so Venture Partners unites industry partners, entrepreneurs and investors to help researchers, inventors and creators at the University of Colorado bring their groundbreaking discoveries into the marketplace.

Explore the Path to Commercialization

Today, Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and the campus’ Center for Translational Research support researchers and startup teams pursuing translational funding—financial support that helps move discoveries and innovations from the research laboratory toward real-world application and commercialization—opportunities, including OEDIT grants, U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards and other translational research programs.

“These funding programs are often catalytic moments for research teams and startup companies,” said Sarah Hughes, director of the Center for Translational Research at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. “The Center for Translational Research helps innovators identify opportunities, strengthen commercialization strategies and compete for funding that can accelerate the path from discovery to impact.”

The latest Advanced Industries awards come as �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder continues to demonstrate national leadership in research commercialization and startup formation.

Fourteen of the awardees—including teams from the Colorado School of Mines and �鶹��Ѱ��Denver—participated in the National Science Foundation I-Corps™ customer discovery and commercialization programs offered through �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. The university is part of NSF I-Corps Hub West, a partnership of 11 research institutions that includes Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, University of Southern California and others.

Most recently, Forge Nano announced plans to go public through a $1.6B SPAC deal, making it �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s 11th “unicorn” company—a startup valued at $1 billion or more while still privately held. Forge Nano traces part of its early support to funding from OEDIT through a partnership with the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder that would later become the Lab Venture Challenge. The company commercializes atomic layer deposition nanocoating technology developed at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and now produces advanced battery materials and semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

In fiscal year 2024, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder launched 35 new companies based on university intellectual property, more than any other U.S. campus that year. Commercialization activities through Venture Partners generated an economic impact of $8.7 billion nationally and $5.1 billion in Colorado over the last five years, according to a report from the Leeds School of Business.

The university also recently announced a strategic partnership with Techstars, the global startup accelerator and investor network founded in Boulder, to expand opportunities for founders and further strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program received 144 applications during the latest funding cycle, which were reviewed by panels of business, technical and financial experts across Colorado’s advanced industries sectors. Final recommendations were approved by the Economic Development Commission on May 21, 2026. The next application cycle will open July 1, 2026.

�鶹��Ѱ��Proof-of-Concept Grants

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Mirela Alistar - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a nanorobotic DNA synthesis platform that uses real-time error correction to produce the long genetic templates required for advanced gene therapies.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Christopher Bowman - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a photopolymer-based optical materials platform to improve the performance and manufacturing of holographic elements for augmented reality displays.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Xiaoyun Ding - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a microfluidic cell-modification platform to improve the manufacturing efficiency and payload capacity of cell and gene therapies.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Timothy Hellickson - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a satellite-mounted, space-debris detection system to identify and characterize orbital debris that is too small for conventional radar tracking.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Mija Hubler - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a regenerative, biobased tape for the durable repair of cracks in residential, commercial, and municipal concrete infrastructure.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Laila Marzall - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing an innovative in-band full-duplex analog hardware architecture to enable spectrum-agile wireless communication systems.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Jay McMahon - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing an artificial intelligence–powered strategic wargaming platform for evaluating complex conflict scenarios in the defense and aerospace sectors.

�鶹��Ѱ��, PI Stephanie Bryant - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a customizable therapeutic platform to restore cartilage and bone in patients with osteoarthritis at any stage of disease progression.

University of Colorado Denver, PI Zhengxiong Li - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing a foundation model platform that enables robots equipped with high-degree-of-freedom anthropomorphic hands to master complex manufacturing and assembly tasks.

�鶹��Ѱ��Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants

Blue Cubed LLC - Lafayette, CO $250,000: Developing a laser communications terminal designed for seamless interoperability between satellite networks.

Codebreaker Tx Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing a genomic data-as-a-service platform that generates high-resolution biological datasets for artificial intelligence-driven research and drug development.

Modendo Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing an ultrathin, fiber-based optical probing platform designed for the failure analysis and security evaluation of advanced 3D semiconductor architectures.

Vesicle Therapeutics Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing a targeted genetic therapy to treat head and neck cancer by distinguishing between different versions of the same protein.

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with �鶹��Ѱ��researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight �鶹��Ѱ�� researchers and four university-connected startup companies received funding through the latest round of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The awards, granted through the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention programs, represent one of the university's strongest performances to date.

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A powerhouse in battery breakthroughs

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:03:01 +0000

A powerhouse in battery breakthroughs Daniel Corbin … Tue, 06/02/2026 - 13:03

Heather Hansen

Listen to This Story:

Photo: Nick Singstock, CTO and co-founder of new �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder startup Mana Battery holds up a prototype of their new sodium-based battery.

The �鶹��Ѱ�� is at the cutting edge of battery technology, from groundbreaking research to billion-dollar ventures.

When Tyler Evans (Alum: �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering and Material Science) was applying to PhD programs, he knew he wanted to focus on batteries. “I remember having this impression that batteries were literally a way to bottle up energy and put it in your pocket and use it to do what you wanted, anytime you wanted, and that feels a lot like a superpower,” he said.

That was the start of an exciting era in energy storage, and the race was on to build a better battery that lasted longer, was safer and less expensive. At the time, there were just a handful of universities, including �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, working on that kind of technology, and Evans was interested in working specifically with Se-Hee Lee (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), a pioneer in solid state battery technology who had joined �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (now the National Laboratory of the Rockies) several years earlier.

Photo: Tyler Evans, CEO and co-founder of Mana Battery, alum of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering and Material Science.

Evans felt an immediate affinity with Lee’s research objectives and lab culture and wanted to join his team. “Because I knew I wanted to study energy storage and new battery technologies, the support I found was instrumental in setting me up not just to be a good battery scientist and technologist but also to look at the world through the lens of application and understand what could be useful for the world.”

Soon, Evans was part of the team generating test data that led to grant funding for Solid Power Inc., a company spun out of the university by Se-Hee Lee and Conrad Stoldt (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering). At the same time, Evans was crossing paths with Doug Campbell—Solid Power’s co-founder and a deep tech startup veteran, then its CEO—and Josh Buettner Garrett, the company’s CTO. Through those interactions, Evans was learning about the commercialization path for university lab innovations. “It felt exciting to be a part of that, to see your work have a pretty immediate and direct impact on a company that was hopefully going to make a real impact in the world,” he said.

Photo: Se-Hee Lee (left) and Conrad Stoldt (right) both faculty and researchers in �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder's Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, in their lab at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, using a glovebox. The glovebox is used to handle battery materials in an oxygen- and moisture-free environment, preventing reactions with air and enabling the safe development of next-generation energy technologies.

Since then, Solid Power has become an industry-leading developer of next-generation all-solid-state battery technology. The company went public in 2021 with major partnership deals with BMW, Ford and Samsung SDI and now has a 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Thornton. As a company co-founder, Lee is excited to see Solid Power at the forefront of this technology, and he’s equally gratified that the company has hired many past �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder undergraduate, Master’s and PhD students. “Creating so much opportunity for the younger generation, that’s kind of the most exciting stuff,” said Lee.

“Incredible productivity in battery innovation”

Lee was also the principal investigator (PI) guiding the team that led to the spinout of another company, this one co-founded by Evans and fellow student Daniela Molina Piper (Alum: �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering). That venture was SiILion Inc., which focused on developing high-energy, non-flammable, Li-ion (lithium-ion) systems for solid state batteries. Evans saw a new Li-ion cell technology through prototype and early-pilot demonstrations until 2018, when the company was acquired by Tesla.

Photo: Early prototypes of the Solid Power solid state batteries.

Solid Power and SiILion put �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder on the map for battery breakthroughs, giving the outside world a sense of the high caliber of research coming out of the university, according to Bryn Rees, senior associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships. Soon thereafter, in 2020, Michael Marshak (Fmr. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemistry) founded Otoro Energy Inc. to commercialize a breakthrough flow battery—a rechargeable battery in which electrolyte flows through one or more electrochemical cells from one or more tanks—technology developed in his lab. The company’s patented low-cost electrolyte, licensed from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, uses abundant and non-critical minerals, is water-based (pH-neutral), non-corrosive, non-flammable and non-toxic. “We’ve had this incredible productivity in battery innovation at CU. It’s a unique strength that we’ve got here,” said Rees.

But what is "commercialization?"

Explore the Path to Commercialization

Other prolific university labs have contributed to advancing battery technologies in unexpected and intriguing ways. Take Alan Weimer’s (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering) lab, where students work at the forefront of innovation in atomic layer deposition (ALD) nanocoating technology. That’s the process of putting down ultra-thin coatings on particles and plastics to improve the performance of new and existing products, including batteries. Researchers on Weimer’s team have shown that, with lithium-ion batteries, ALD can improve performance, extend life cycle and enhance safety in consumer electronics like laptops, cell phones and electric vehicles.

Photo: Factory floor of Forge Nano.

Weimer co-invented the core ALD tech that formed the foundation for an early spinout, ALD NanoSolutions Inc., which merged with Forge Nano Inc. in 2021. Forge Nano was co-founded by Paul Lichty (Alum: �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering) and Dave King (postdoctoral research assistant) both formerly part of Weimer’s team. Lichty, now Forge Nano’s CEO, developed and patented an idea for scaling up the ALD process, and the company now uses the technology to make scalable nano-coatings for various applications, including batteries, semiconductors, and more. Forge Nano’s proprietary ALD formulation, called “Atomic Armor,” makes batteries’ electrodes better at storing energy. “It's difficult to think of anything else I could have done that would have as big an impact as this company,” Lichty has said.

Photo: Ban Group, including Tyler Evans (left, furthest back), Chunmei Ban (center right), and Nick Singstock (far right)

An ecosystem of great battery scientists

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researchers like Lee, Lichty and Evans have distinguished themselves by taking on the tough challenges inherent in advancing batteries and storage tech, and successfully pushing those innovations out into the world in an unprecedented and meaningful way. “The notion in the field was that battery technology is too hard, and it’s too hard for these companies to successfully raise capital. It’s too hard for them to get partnerships and to commercialize. Yet what we’ve seen at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder has totally turned that thinking upside down,” said Rees. “These really great research capabilities have translated into super impactful ventures.”

Several factors make �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder a powerhouse for battery innovation, according to Evans. “The Front Range and �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder have a unique confluence of ingredients that have [contributed] to our strong track record of battery technology companies in the last decade or so,” he said. “First, the network of universities, national laboratories and entrepreneurial resources provides a pool of world-class people and creates fertile ground for breakthroughs. Second, the representation of major players in the energy industry and industries that use battery technology… creates pull for new technologies with a focus on building commercial value. And finally, situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the people here have a very direct connection to the environment; we’re intimately linked to the impact of our work.”

Evans is now CEO and co-founder of Mana Battery Inc., a 2023 spinout of Chunmei Ban’s (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering) lab. Ban, company co-founder and a leading researcher in batteries and battery materials, focuses on next-generation electrochemical materials, specifically sodium and magnesium, to meet the need to improve renewable energy storage systems. Mana Battery is advancing that groundbreaking work by developing sodium-ion batteries that are cheaper, safer and longer-lasting than standard lithium-ion ones.

At a �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder-hosted conference on batteries and storage technology in 2024, Ban commented, “The U.S. has one of the largest sources of soda ash. The reserve is huge, so we have the resources to do something, and I feel it’s the right time,” she said. “We feel confident about our technology, a gigantic market for batteries is already here, and I have a great team.”

At that same meeting, Evans expressed gratitude at being part of the ecosystem of great battery scientists at the university. “�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder has a really impressive track record in the battery space, and Mana is sitting in a place to enable a sodium-ion battery transition; they do everything lithium-ion can do at half the cost, which the grid needs. Batteries have the potential to change the world.”

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with �鶹��Ѱ��researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

The �鶹��Ѱ�� is at the cutting edge of battery technology, from groundbreaking research to billion-dollar ventures.

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Forge Nano to go public via $1.6B SPAC, becoming �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s 11th unicorn

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:40:04 +0000

Forge Nano to go public via $1.6B SPAC, becoming �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s 11th unicorn Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/28/2026 - 12:40

Daniel Leonard

Forge Nano, a U.S.-based semiconductor equipment and advanced materials company, plans to go public through a blank-check deal with Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners II. The deal reflects surging demand for AI chips, as companies accelerate investment in data centers and high-performance computing to support generative AI—driving growth across the semiconductor and equipment supply chain. At a $1.6 billion valuation, Forge Nano is the 11th "unicorn" company to spin out of the �鶹��Ѱ��.

The �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Connection

Forge Nano is an advanced materials company based on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) nanocoating technology. The company merged with ALD NanoSolutions in 2020, an earlier spinout founded in 2001 by �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder faculty, including Alan W. Weimer (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering) and Steven M. George (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemistry).

ALD NanoSolutions developed innovative Particle ALD technology for precision coating of powders at the atomic scale, with numerous applications in batteries and other materials. This technology received early-stage funding through a partnership between �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), which later became CU's Lab Venture Challenge (LVC). Forge Nano, which also originated from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder-related research, combined forces with ALD NanoSolutions to consolidate expertise and rapidly scale the atomic-level manufacturing of materials. Forge Nano continues to expand its technology globally, using its proprietary Atomic Armor^TM platform to produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries and commercial semiconductor equipment.

A pipeline of impact

Forge Nano’s listing makes it �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s 11th “unicorn”—a startup valued at $1 billion or more while still privately held—following Infleqtion. Spun out of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as ColdQuanta and rooted in pioneering research led by Dana Anderson (JILA, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering and Applied Science), Infleqtion went public this year at a $1.8 billion valuation. Other �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder unicorns include Amgen, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Solid Power and SomaLogic.

In fiscal year 2024, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder reached a historic milestone, launching 35 new companies based on university intellectual property, more than any other U.S. campus that year. In addition to holding the No. 1 spot for that year, the achievement also placed �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder No. 2 for the most startups launched in a single year by a U.S. campus.

Commercialization activities through Venture Partners had an economic impact of $8.7 billion nationally and $5.1 billion in Colorado over the last five years, according to a new report from the Leeds School of Business. The campus also just announced a new strategic partnership with Techstars, the global startup accelerator and investor, to expand opportunities for founders and strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with �鶹��Ѱ��researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

Forge Nano, a �鶹��Ѱ�� spinout, has announced it will go public through a $1.6 billion blank-check deal, making it the 11th unicorn to spin out of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

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Photo: Factory floor of Forge Nano.

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Thank you, Susan Strong—and happy retirement

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:40:18 +0000

Thank you, Susan Strong—and happy retirement Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/07/2026 - 12:40

Join us in celebrating Susan on LinkedIn!

Comment on Post

Susan Strong has made lasting impacts across the �鶹��Ѱ�� and the larger Colorado innovation ecosystem.

As one of Venture Partners' first Entrepreneurs in Residence, Susan offered her commercial perspectives to our community of faculty inventors, an instrumental part of a changing mindset as the Technology Transfer Office was becoming Venture Partners. Susan joined the inaugural External Advisory Board for the Research & Innovation Office, helping to shape the direction of this important enterprise at the university.

Since then, Susan has been a mainstay within our I-Corps^TM programs, as both an instructor and coordinator. We estimate that she has mentored over 500 early-stage innovators during her time with the university—incredible!

Beyond �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, Susan similarly has supported many other parts of the startup community, including leading SAGE Boulder for many years (which provides pro bono support for new founders) and helping to stand up the Women's Venture Challenge in Boulder this year.

It’s been a great pleasure for me personally, and for so many others at our university, to work with Susan. We have enjoyed and deeply appreciated her energy, meticulous preparation and generous spirit.

Thank you Susan, and congratulations on your retirement!

Bryn Rees
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Partnerships

Susan Strong has made lasting impacts across the �鶹��Ѱ�� and the larger Colorado innovation ecosystem.

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and Techstars announce partnership to accelerate Colorado’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:19:02 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and Techstars announce partnership to accelerate Colorado’s entrepreneurial ecosystem Daniel Corbin … Thu, 04/02/2026 - 13:19

Daniel Leonard

The �鶹��Ѱ�� and Techstars, the global startup accelerator and investor, have announced a strategic partnership to expand opportunities for founders and strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

The collaboration connects �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s entrepreneurship programs and startup pipeline with Techstars’ network of mentors, investors and partners—creating new pathways for innovators to build and scale companies that drive real-world impact.

“This partnership reflects �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s commitment to empowering people across our campus to turn ideas into impact,” said Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes. “Our students, faculty and researchers are developing technologies, launching companies and exploring solutions to real challenges. Working with Techstars connects that talent with a global community of entrepreneurs and investors who can help move those ideas from campus into the world.”

From discovery to startup

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder has emerged as one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems on a university campus in the United States. Through research, entrepreneurial education and the campus-wide Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, the university supports students and faculty pursuing new ventures based on breakthrough discoveries.

Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder—the university’s commercialization arm—has played a central role in that momentum and in initiating the new partnership. Through Venture Partners, more than 220 companies based on �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder technologies have launched and collectively exited for over $11 billion. The campus was ranked first in the nation for the number of such startups launched in 2024, the second-most ever launched by a single university campus in one year.

The partnership with Techstars will connect �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s innovations and entrepreneurs with one of the world’s premier startup accelerators and investors.

Established in Boulder in 2006 by David Cohen, Brad Feld, David Brown and Jared Polis, Techstars helped shape the city’s startup culture. What began as a single accelerator program has grown into a global platform supporting founders across industries and geographies.

“Techstars has operated continuously in Colorado for two decades. The re-launch of our Techstars Boulder accelerator here reflects our renewed commitment to Colorado and reinforces Boulder’s role as an important hub in our system,” said David Cohen, chief executive officer of Techstars and co-founder of the company. “�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder is a powerful source of new ideas and new companies. By building a deeper relationship with the university, we can help more founders turn breakthroughs into companies that scale.”

Today, Techstars has invested in thousands of startups worldwide, whose combined market value exceeds $220 billion.

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and Techstars count dozens of unicorns between them, including DigitalOcean, SendGrid, Salesloft, and Veho (Techstars), Infleqtion, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Solid Power and SomaLogic (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder).

Expanding pathways for founders

Apply to the Techstars Boulder Accelerator

Join the 10,000+ founders who built their businesses with Techstars! Each company receives funding, access to the worldwide network of investors, hands-on mentorship, and over $4 million of perks.

Apply Now

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s students and faculty will engage with Techstars staff, mentors and alumni through university entrepreneurship programs such as the New Venture Challenge and Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator. The collaboration will also create opportunities for Techstars founders to work with �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researchers and students while accessing specialized facilities and technical expertise.

For startups emerging from the university, the partnership opens a direct pathway to Techstars’ accelerator programs and investor network.

“This collaboration brings together two communities deeply committed to building great companies,” said Shay Har-Noy, managing director of Techstars Boulder. “�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder consistently produces exceptional research, founders and high-potential companies. By working closely, we can help even more of these teams scale into enduring, world-class businesses.”

“Techstars Boulder just opened applications for its first new cohort, kicking off in person this September,” said Har-Noy, “We’re passionate about backing the strongest founders and companies from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, across Colorado and from around the country.”

Strengthening Colorado’s innovation economy

The partnership strengthens the connection between �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s research and academic mission and the global startup community while expanding opportunities for founders emerging from the university.

“Boulder has long been a catalyst where research, entrepreneurship and community come together to improve people’s lives,” said Bryn Rees, senior associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. “This partnership with Techstars builds on that foundation. Together, we can help more great ideas become companies and more founders bring transformative ideas to the world.”

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Move your innovation forward with funding support from the Center for Translational Research

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:30:38 +0000

Move your innovation forward with funding support from the Center for Translational Research Daniel Corbin … Thu, 04/02/2026 - 03:30

Daniel Leonard

Researchers across the �鶹��Ѱ��—and the startups and partners working with them—are developing discoveries with the potential to address global challenges. Moving those breakthroughs beyond the lab often requires specialized funding and insight into industry needs.

Secure non-dilutive funding to translate your invention into real-world impact

The Center for Translational Research (CTR) mission is to bring to market innovations from the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus through non-dilutive funding.

Learn More and Get Started

The Center for Translational Research (CTR), part of Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, helps researchers and startup founders at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, as well as external partners, to secure non-dilutive funding (financial support that does not require giving up equity) and advance promising technologies toward the marketplace. This year, the center welcomes new director Sarah Hughes.

“Many researchers have technologies with real-world potential but aren’t sure where to begin with translational funding,” Hughes said. “Our goal is to help innovators understand the landscape, identify the right opportunities and build strong proposals that position their innovation’s transition from the lab to the market.”

Guidance from idea to proposal

The center works with innovators at multiple stages of the translational funding process, helping principal investigators identify appropriate grant mechanisms and develop a strategy for pursuing competitive opportunities. The center advises team formation, company formation and proposal topic alignment while helping coordinate proposal timelines, preliminary work and supporting materials.

To strengthen proposals, the center also provides market research and industry analysis, helping research teams understand the competitive landscape and broader industry trends shaping their field.

As proposals develop, the center provides writing and editing support to ensure drafts align with solicitation requirements, strengthen the overall narrative and improve clarity.

Pursuing translational funding

One of the most significant sources of translational support comes from the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Known collectively as SBIR/STTR, or “America’s Seed Fund,” the programs provide non-dilutive funding to U.S. small businesses working to commercialize innovative technologies.

Established in 1982, SBIR/STTR has supported thousands of technologies and companies through early-stage research and development awards issued by agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and NASA.

“SBIR and STTR awards are powerful programs for researchers and startups to move promising technologies toward real-world impact,” Hughes said. “The center is here to help applicants navigate recent changes to the program, and to support future applications.”

Beyond SBIR/STTR, the center helps innovators pursue a broader range of translational funding opportunities. These include other federal programs such as the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Translation to Practice program, state initiatives like the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Advanced Industries Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants, and founder-focused programs such as the Activate Fellowship and West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program that support scientists and engineers as they bring research breakthroughs to market.

Connecting innovators with resources and expertise

Through the center, innovators are connected to the broader commercialization ecosystem at Venture Partners, helping researchers and founders access entrepreneurial training, startup support and opportunities to engage with industry partners.

But what is "commercialization?"

Explore the Path to Commercialization

Throughout the year, the center hosts workshops and events designed to help researchers better understand translational funding pathways and prepare competitive proposals.

“We’re excited to launch this new chapter for the Center for Translational Research and expand the ways we support our innovation community,” said Sarah Hughes. “There is extraordinary work happening across CUB, and we look forward to helping translate those discoveries into transformative technologies and companies.”

Researchers and startup founders interested in SBIR/STTR or other translational funding opportunities are encouraged to connect with the center to learn more about available support and upcoming events and resources.

The Center for Translational Research (CTR), helps researchers and startup founders at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, as well as external partners, to secure non-dilutive funding (financial support that does not require giving up equity) and advance promising technologies toward the marketplace. This year, the center welcomes new director Sarah Hughes.

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Commercialization through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder drives $8.7 billion impact nationwide

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:33:09 +0000

Commercialization through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder drives $8.7 billion impact nationwide Daniel Corbin … Mon, 03/09/2026 - 14:33

Photo: Christopher Bowman (left), professor of chemical and biological engineering at the �鶹��Ѱ��, holds a beaker of hydrogel as a graduate student illuminates the material with a flashlight. Supported by an up-to-$5.8M contract from ARPA-H, the team is developing a hydrogel that could lead to new treatments for a host of serious tissue injuries, from battlefield blast wounds to frostbite and diabetic ulcers.

2025 Venture Partners Economic Impact Report

Read the Full Report

Commercialization activities through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder had an economic impact of $8.7 billion nationally and $5.1 billion in the state of Colorado over the last five years, according to a new report from the Leeds School of Business.

The study was completed by the Business Research Division of the Leeds School of Business—led by Brian Lewandowski, executive director—which conducts economic impact studies and research projects for the state, the university and local organizations. The report reinforces the economic growth that results from the �鶹��Ѱ��’s leadership in commercializing new discoveries and launching ventures. It also underlines commercialization as a significant addition to the economic impact of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder reported recently in a separate report.

Highlight findings from the report on fiscal years 2021–2025 include:

Venture Partners held 405 unique commercialization agreements, which included 364 revenue-generating intellectual property (IP) licenses and 67 licenses to startups that raised capital.
Startups founded on �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder technology generated $3.7 billion in capital funding.
The economic impact on the national economy included an estimated 31,200 jobs, 19,156 in Colorado.
Commercialization of licenses and startups spanned 41 states and 40 countries.

In fiscal year 2024, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder reached a historic milestone, launching 35 new companies based on university IP during fiscal year 2024, more than any other U.S. campus that year. In addition to holding the No. 1 spot for that year, the achievement also places �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder No. 2 for the most startups launched in a single year by a U.S. campus.

But what is "commercialization?"

Explore the Path to Commercialization

Venture Partners leads commercialization with a comprehensive approach and suite of programming. This includes the new Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator, which matches industry entrepreneurs with groundbreaking university discoveries, and Creative Futures Fellowship, which provides grants, training and community for promising ventures in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

“One of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s priorities is supporting our innovators,” said Bryn Rees, senior associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships. “Through Venture Partners, that means supporting our creative faculty, graduate students and postdocs who are addressing important problems in their work. Commercialization increases the campus’s ability to translate promising discoveries and innovations into real-world solutions. ”

This year, Infleqtion, spun out of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as ColdQuanta and rooted in pioneering research led by Dana Anderson (JILA, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering and Applied Science), went public at a $1.8B valuation—becoming �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s tenth unicorn alongside companies including Amgen, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Solid Power and SomaLogic.

The revenue �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder receives from licensing innovations created at the university is reinvested in what Rees calls a “virtuous cycle,” supporting the innovators themselves as well as the commercialization training, mentorship and funding programs run by Venture Partners.

“Today, someone wishing to commercialize an innovation at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder has access to a tremendous amount of support, and they have that because of the past successes of their peers and the reinvestment of the university’s share in that success,” said Rees. "The end result is a greater capacity for �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder to deliver on the promise of breakthrough research that benefits society and promotes economic growth.”

Additional impact metrics can be found in the Venture Partners Annual Report and the previous economic impact study 2018-22.

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with �鶹��Ѱ��researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

Commercialization activities through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder had an economic impact of $8.7 billion nationally and $5.1 billion in the state of Colorado over the last five years, according to a new report from the Leeds School of Business.

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Hannah Nelson of Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder joins Colorado BioScience Association board leadership

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:54:09 +0000

Hannah Nelson of Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder joins Colorado BioScience Association board leadership Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/05/2026 - 10:54

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), which creates co-opportunity for Colorado’s life sciences community by championing a collaborative ecosystem and advocating for a supportive business climate, announces new leadership for its Board of Directors and welcomes new board members, including Hannah Nelson, associate director of licensing at Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

Read the Full Announcement

Hannah Nelson

Hannah Nelson is the associate director of licensing at Venture Partners, where she leads the bioscience team and works with university inventors to commercialize their research. Hannah has over a decade of experience in strategic licensing and intellectual property management from various U.S. institutions, including UTHealth Houston and the University of Texas at Austin. Hannah holds a PhD in microbiology from The University of Texas at Austin.

Contact Hannah

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�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder hosts showcase of investment-ready ventures from across the Inter-Mountain West

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:49:50 +0000

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder hosts showcase of investment-ready ventures from across the Inter-Mountain West Daniel Corbin … Fri, 02/27/2026 - 17:49

Join us at Destination Startup 2027

Are you an investor or researcher looking to bring the next great breakthrough to market? Learn more about getting involved with Destination Startup, a collaboration among leading research universities and federal laboratories across the Intermountain West to showcase the best companies from our innovation ecosystem.

Learn More

Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and its partners across the Intermountain West once again demonstrated the power of university innovations at Destination Startup®.

Destination Startup is a collaboration among leading research universities and federal laboratories across the Intermountain West to showcase the best companies from the innovation ecosystem. Hosted by Venture Partners, the showcase connects investors ready to fund breakthrough companies with founders actively raising capital to bring research-driven innovations to market.

“The startups that have come through Destination Startup have raised more than $1.2 billion to date,” said Amy Dodenhoff, director of venture development at Venture Partners and director of Destination Startup. "That's key capital they need to take promising new tech and turn it into real improvements to people's lives while also creating economic impact throughout our region. These kinds of inter-institutional, inter-state collaborations are what make this region a destination for entrepreneurs, and we're proud to lead it," she said.

Since its launch in 2018, Destination Startup has hosted over 128 startups, and over 1,000 investors, business leaders and innovators have attended. It remains critical to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s expanding innovation ecosystem, providing early-stage ventures with the exposure and connections needed to scale.

The startup application for Destination Startup is expected to open in the fall of 2026.

This year's Destination Startup was presented with financial support from Cooley, Cozen O’Connor, J.P. Morgan, Foley Hoag, NOD Law, TriNet Group and Wilson Sonsini and in partnership with Arizona State University, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Montana State University, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), Texas Tech University System, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), University of Arizona, University of Colorado (Boulder, Anschutz, Denver and Colorado Springs), University of Denver, University of Kansas, University of Nebraska-UMC, University of New Mexico, University of Utah, University of South Dakota and University of Wyoming.

2026 Presenting Startups

EsterCycle

EsterCycle breaks down mixed petroleum and bio-based polyester plastics to enable the transition to renewable and circular materials. At commercial scale, plastics recycled by EsterCycle will be economically competitive with and indistinguishable from virgin materials while reducing emissions by 46%. Visit Website

Team: Julia Curley, Founder, CEO; James Custer, CCO
Contact: Julia Curley, julia@estercycle.co

Affiliation: National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)
Funding Round: Pre-Seed
Industry Applications: Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Manufacturing, Chemicals

Genexgen

We are developing epigenetic therapies to modulate undruggable immune pathways. Our lead program uses mRNA-delivered epigenetic repressors to silence MYD88, a central driver of hyperinflammation previously considered beyond reach. This approach enables the first targeted treatment for HLH, a fatal orphan disease. Visit Website

Team: Amir Kiani, Co-Founder, CEO; Jin Huh, Co-Founder, CTO; Samira Kiani, Scientific Co-Founder
Contact: Amir Kiani, amir@genexgen.com

Affiliation: Arizona State University
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Biotech, Therapeutics

Green Steel Environmental

At Green Steel Environmental, we are redefining how industry thinks about environmental stewardship. Our mission is to eliminate hazardous chemicals from wastewater treatment and replace them with clean, upcycled materials that protect our water ecosystem. Join us as we build a circular economy in nutrient recovery. Visit Website

Team: Jonathan Teaford, Co-Founder, CEO; Jon Jonis, Co-Founder, COO; Mark Hernandez, Co-Founder, CSO; Ron Zighelboim, CRO; Amulya Ganiga Lingaraj, Environmental Engineer
Contact: Jonathan Teaford, jteaford@greensteelenvironmental.com

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Series A
Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Food and Agriculture, Chemicals

Kioga

Kioga is a biotech company developing clinically validated neuromodulating postbiotics based on beneficial microbes in nature, essential for immune and mental resilience that are missing from modern life. Kioga is building a new ingredient category at the intersection of immunology, neuroscience and wellness. Visit Website

Team: Justin Whiteley, Co-Founder, CEO; Adam Bohr, Co-Founder, Head of Business Operations; Chris Stamper, Co-Founder, Head of R&D; Chris Lowry, Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor; Noah Fierer, Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor
Contact: Justin Whiteley, justin@kioga.bio

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Food and Agriculture, Health and Wellness, Biotech

Kitsune Biotherapeutics

Kitsune Bio develops shape-shifting cyclic peptides that penetrate cells to hit intracellular protein targets. Our ML platform accelerates permeability optimization for internal programs and helps partners rescue stalled peptide assets. Visit Website

Team: Deacon Santiago, Co-Founder, CEO; Makenna Morck, Co-Founder, CEO; Michael Stowell, Co-Founder, CSO; Thomas Fallon, Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor
Contact: Deacon Santiago, deacon@kitsunebio.com

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Pre-Seed
Industry Applications: Biotech, Therapeutics

LIDG3D

LIDG3D develops a powderless metal 3D printing technology that uses light to directly form metal parts from metal salts derived from raw minerals or recycled electronic waste. By eliminating metal powders and molds, the process reduces cost, energy use and waste. Visit Website

Team: Cindy Li, Founder, CTO; Dylan Joralmon, CEO
Contact: Dylan Joralmon, lidg3d@gmail.com

Affiliation: Arizona State University
Funding Round: Pre-Seed
Industry Applications: Additive Manufacturing

Loop Clinical Systems

TrialWear by Loop Clinical Systems is a wearable and analytics platform integrating real-time patient signals, self-reported experiences and geospatial data to improve safety monitoring, adverse event detection and equitable access in decentralized and rural clinical trials. Visit Website

Team: Elizabeth Johnson, Founder, CEO; Brianna Daniels, Community Engagement; Noah Hedding, Electrical Engineering; Lea Molnar, Mechanical Engineering; Jiahui Ma, Data Science
Contact: Elizabeth Johnson, elizabeth.johnson37@montana.edu

Affiliation: Montana State University
Funding Round: Pre-Seed
Industry Applications: Health and Wellness, Information Technology

Manifest Technologies

Manifest Technologies is building the next generation of manufacturing. Its Parallax Volumetric Additive Manufacturing uses precision light to form fully solid parts instantly delivering 10 to 100x faster production and unlocking true design freedom for factory-scale manufacturing in optics and medical devices. Visit Website

Team: Camila Uzcategui, Co-Founder, CEO; Johnny Hergert, Co-Founder, CTO; Robert R. McLeod, Chief Scientist; Alex Granquist, Product Engineer; Darren Liu, Materials Engineer; Gabriel Seymour, Senior Optical Scientist; Alfredo Velasco, Director of Software Innovation; Nick Gow, Product Manager
Contact: Camila Uzcategui, camila@manifest.tech

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Hardware and Instrumentation, Robotics, Manufacturing

Modendo

Modendo develops ultra-thin fiber endoscopes—probes as small as a human hair—that deliver high-resolution imaging in regions inaccessible to conventional microscopes. Our patented technology enables new applications in research, advanced electronics failure analysis and intraoperative cancer detection. Visit Website

Team: Antonio Caravaca, Co-Founder, CEO; Omer Tzang, CTO; Sarah Montgomery, Principal Neuroscientist; Rafael Piestun, Co-Founder, President; Christophe Moser, Co-Founder, Advisor; Co-Founder, Demetri Psaltis, Advisor
Contact: Omer Tzang, omer.tzang@modendo-inc.com

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Cybersecurity, Hardware and Instrumentation, Medical Devices, Diagnostics

NemaLife

NemaLife is a TechBio company utilizing bio-intelligence to turn nutraceuticals into bioactive breakthroughs for human health and wellness. We combine whole-organism biology, microfluidic automation and AI to deliver fast, actionable, in vivo evidence for developing new consumer health ingredients and products. Visit Website

Team: Siva Vanapalli, Co-Founder, CEO; Mizanur Rahman, Co-Founder, CTO; Nicki Vanapalli, Co-Founder, Head of Business Administration
Contact: Siva Vanapalli, siva.vanapalli@nemalifeinc.com

Affiliation: Texas Tech University System
Funding Round: Series A
Industry Applications: Health and Wellness, Biotech

Perlion

Perlion is a materials chemistry company developing next-generation sunscreen active ingredients. Its flagship product, Solir, is a first-of-its-kind sunscreen filter that blocks UV and high-energy visible light using only FDA-approved components. Visit Website

Team: Logan Chang, Co-Founder, CEO; Don Seo, Co-Founder, President; Alex Volosin, Co-Founder, CTO
Contact: Logan Chang, ldchang@asu.edu

Affiliation: Arizona State University
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, Chemicals

Rahm Sensor Development

Rahm Sensor Development (“Rahm”) is building the Guardian™ platform, a multi-sensor, AI-driven, non-contact monitoring system delivering continuous physiological and safety awareness without wearables or wires. The platform is commercialized in corrections and expanding into elder care. Visit Website

Team: Vik Ramprakash, Co-Founder, CEO; Dave Holden, AI Director; Deva Seeta, Software Director; Vivek Puthezath, Operations
Contact: Vik Ramprakash, vik.ramprakash@rahmsd.com

Affiliation: Texas Tech University System
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Civic Engagement and Government, Hardware and Instrumentation, Sensors, Medical Devices, Diagnostics

Ramsi

Ramsi is an agentic AI for hotel pricing. Most hotels don’t have a formal pricing system, and the tools that exist are expensive, complex and require specialized staff. Ramsi delivers 24/7 dynamic pricing using a foundational pricing model that continuously learns and grows revenue. Visit Website

Team: Dan Zhang, Co-Founder; Jeff Loucks, Vice President of Revenue Strategy
Contact: Jeff Loucks, jeff@ramsi.com

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Information Technology, Software, Tourism and Hospitality

SusMer

SusMer is a Colorado-based healthcare biomaterials supplier that chemically manufactures poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB), a bioresorbable polymer for implantable medical devices. Our scalable process enables reliable supply, high purity and tunable properties for sutures, meshes and fibers. Visit Website

Team: Todd Blair, CEO; Jake Larger, CFO/COO; Ravikumar Ramegowda, President, CTO; Eugene Chen, Scientific Advisor
Contact: Jake Larger, jake.larger@susmer.com

Affiliation: Colorado State University
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Cleantech, Medical Devices, Biotech, Manufacturing, Chemicals

Tynt Technologies

Tynt is revolutionizing the way that people look at (and through) transparent surfaces with their dynamic tinting platform. From wearables to windows, Tynt makes glass smart. Visit Website

Team: Tyler Hernandez (frm. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CEO; John Dwyer, Co-Founder, COO/CPO; Mike McGehee, Co-Founder, Chief Scientist
Contact: Tyler Hernandez, tyler@tynt.io

Affiliation: �鶹��Ѱ��
Funding Round: Series A
Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), Environment and Sustainability, Hardware and Instrumentation

Vital Foams

Vital Foams develops flowable, bioabsorbent foams for advanced wound care. Engineered for adaptability, our non-solidifying formulations enable field-ready delivery of hemostatic, anti-infective, wound healing and analgesic therapeutics in both civilian and military trauma settings. Visit Website

Team: Kirk McGilvray, Co-Founder, CEO; Steve Dow, Co-Founder, CTO; Lynn Pezzanite, Co-Founder, CSO; Nicholas Alfonso, Co-Founder, CMO
Contact: Kirk McGilvray, kirk@vitalfoams.com

Affiliation: Colorado State University
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Medical Devices, Biotech

X-Centric Sciences

X-Centric facilitates a more efficient, sustainable and resilient agricultural system driven by better soil measurement for people, planet and profit. We are replacing inefficient lab analysis with portable multimodal AI-enabled hardware, leveraging X-rays for instant geochemical insights spanning beyond carbon. Visit Website

Team: Roozbeh Ravansari, Co-Founder, CEO; Junghyun Lee, Co-Founder, Engineer; Matt Tighe, Advisor in Soil Science; David Weindorf, Advisor in Soil Science
Contact: Roozbeh Ravansari, rravansari@xcentric.tech

Affiliation: Texas Tech University System
Funding Round: Seed
Industry Applications: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Financial Technology (Fintech), Food and Agriculture, Hardware and Instrumentation, Sensors, Information Technology, Software, Quantum

Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and its partners across the Intermountain West once again demonstrated the power of university innovations at Destination Startup®.

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The University of Colorado Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator announces 2026 cohort

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:35:39 +0000

The University of Colorado Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator announces 2026 cohort Daniel Corbin … Thu, 02/12/2026 - 11:35

Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase

Attendees will have a chance to see pitches from each of the Ascent 2025 cohort startups, followed by a networking happy hour to learn more.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Byron R. White Stadium Club, Folsom Field

The University of Colorado's Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator has announced its 2026 startup teams. The selected companies span a wide range of disciplines, reflecting the depth and breadth of innovation emerging from CU’s research enterprise.

Launched in 2021 by Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator addresses the unique challenges faced by deep tech startups (companies based on groundbreaking science or engineering) that often require substantial time, research and capital to reach the market. The five-month program builds upon prerequisite customer-discovery training through the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps^TM Hub West —also offered through Venture Partners—and provides tailored support in business formation, market strategy and fundraising.

Now in its fifth year, Ascent has announced its largest cohorts to date. The 2026 cohort includes startups tackling critical challenges in physical and life sciences, from hydrogen-powered energy systems and wildfire detection to regenerative medicine, advanced materials and next-generation robotics.

Since its inception, Ascent has graduated 47 companies, which collectively have raised more than $20 million in non-dilutive grants and $47 million in seed funding from venture capital investors. Alumni have gone on to secure spots in nationally recognized incubators such as NREL’s West Gate, Creative Destruction Lab, Techstars and Activate, further validating the program’s role in accelerating �鶹��Ѱ��startups toward commercial success.

2026 Ascent Cohort

Agami Zero

Agami Zero Inc. develops hydrogen-powered, off-grid EV fast charging and clean power systems for grid-constrained and remote locations. Leveraging CU-licensed electrolysis technology, Agami Zero enables reliable EV charging and energy access without requiring utility upgrades, using cost-effective green hydrogen. Visit the Agami Zero Website

Team Members: Jafar Makrani, Co-Founder, CEO, jafar.makrani@agamizero.com*; Lyle Antieau, Co-Founder, CTO

Industry Applications: Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Hardware and Instrumentation

Arkana Therapeutics

Arkana Therapeutics leverages animals with extreme physiology to discover novel therapeutic molecules and drug targets.

Team Members: Jack Gugel, Co-Founder, CEO, jack@arkanatx.com*; Thomas Martin, Co-Founder, CSO; Jonathan Long (Stanford Medicine), Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor; Leslie Leinwand (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, BioFrontiers Institute), Scientific Advisor

Industry Applications: Biotech

BioStamp

BioStamp synthesizes DNA barcodes for engineered microorganisms, enabling biological intellectual property protection, compliance and high-fidelity identification. BioStamp's technology reduces detection false positives and collision probability through deterministic sequences, improving upon core limitations of random barcoding.

Team Members: John Docter (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Environmental Engineering Program), Co-Founder, CEO, john.docter@colorado.edu*; Cresten Mansfeldt (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO

Industry Applications: Environment and Sustainability, Biotech, Genomics, Research and Exploration

BoBoRobo

BoBoRobo (Boulder-Born Robotics) automates the design, validation and deployment of industrial robotic workcells from a simple English prompt, cutting integration costs by 50% and time-to-live from six months to 10 days. Visit the BoBoRobo Website

Team Members: Alessandro Roncone (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Computer Science), Co-Founder, CEO; Anuj Pasricha (Alum: �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Computer Science), Co-Founder, CTO, anuj.pasricha@colorado.edu*

Industry Applications: Robotics

Enlixa Bio

Enlixa Bio helps biopharma precisely drug the “undruggable” world of transcription by turning complex transcriptional machinery into actionable, tractable targets.

Team Members: Nik Chopra (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, chopranik@gmail.com*; Elie Maksoud (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CTO

Industry Applications: Biotech, Genomics, Diagnostics

Flari Tech

Flari Tech Inc. is building a breath analysis platform powered by the 2005 Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb technology, based on cutting-edge innovations from Jun Ye's lab at JILA. Flari Tech aims to provide affordable, accessible disease detection solutions by revolutionizing breath diagnostics with quantum sensing. Visit the Flari Tech Website

Team Member: Eva Yao, Founder, CEO, info@flaritech.com*

Industry Applications: Medical Devices, Diagnostics

FlowPoint Bio

FlowPoint Bio is redefining cell engineering with its high-viability, continuous-flow microfluidic platform that enables delivery of gene-editing payloads directly into the nucleus, regardless of cell type or payload size. Visit the FlowPoint Bio Website

Team Members: Vineet Erasala, Co-Founder, CEO, vineet@flowpoint.bio*; Xiaoyun Ding (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor

Industry Applications: Biotech, Manufacturing

iMembrane Therapeutics

iMembrane Therapeutics develops AI-designed miniproteins that overcome limitations of conventional biologics. The iMembrane Therapeutics platform enables stable, tunable and precisely dosed cytokine modulators for treating severe inflammatory diseases such as sepsis.

Team Members: Jingshi Shen, Co-Founder, CSO; Suzhao Li, sli@imembranetherapeutics.com*, Co-Founder, CEO; Charles Dinarello, Advisor

Industry Applications: Therapeutics

LeTau Robotics

LeTau Robotics develops AI foundation models to teach robots human-like dexterity with 100x less training data. LeTau Robotics enables rapid deployment (hours vs. months) for complex manipulation across manufacturing, logistics and labs—at a fraction of traditional costs.

Team Members: Zhengxiong Li (�鶹��Ѱ��Denver Computer Science and Engineering), CEO, Co-Founder, zhengxiong.li@ucdenver.edu*; Lingfeng Tao, Co-Founder, Advisor; Xinmin Fang (Student: �鶹��Ѱ��Denver Engineering, Design and Computing), Co-Founder, Advisor; Fenglong Ma, Co-Founder, CTO

Industry Applications: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Robotics

PEGI LLC

Peroxide Enhanced Germicidal Irradiation (PEGI) rapidly inactivates microbes, allergens and volatile organic compounds in HVAC systems, keeping coils clean between seasonal maintenance. PEGI boosts energy efficiency, extends system life, improves indoor air quality, and is easily retrofitted into existing commercial and residential systems.

Team Members: Emma Biesiada (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Aerobiology and Disinfection Lab), Founder, CTO, emmalee.biesiada@gmail.com*; Mark Hernandez (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Environmental Engineering Program), Advisor

Industry Applications: Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Medical Devices

Renovare Therapeutics

Renovare Therapeutics Inc. is developing regenerative therapeutics for osteoarthritis (OA). The Renovare Therapeutics portfolio of products can be customized to meet OA patients where they are, enabled through technologies including innovative biomaterials, gene therapies and controlled delivery of drugs and biologics that regenerate joint tissues.

Team Members: Stephanie Bryant (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Founder; Liz Scott, Fractional-CEO, elizabeth.scott-2@colorado.edu*; Karin Payne, Co-Principal Investigator (PI); Laurie Goodrich, Co-PI; Kelly Santagelo, Senior Investigator; Mike Zuscik, Co-PI

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Biotech, Therapeutics

RipaLith

RipaLith is based on the research by Mija Hubler (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering), an expert in concrete degradation and structural performance. RipaLith is developing a concrete preservation solution that can be applied to existing concrete infrastructure to repair cracks—extending lifespan without costly replacement.

Team Members: Mija Hubler (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering), Co-Founder, Engineering Advisor; Elena Forchielli (Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, elena.forchielli@colorado.edu*; Paolo Forchielli, Co-Founder, COO;

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Construction, Biotech

NITRO mBMAT

A collaboration between �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, AMC and Colorado State University, developing therapeutics to regenerate cartilage and bone in osteoarthritis. Founded by Stephanie Bryant, principal investigator (PI), they have $40 million in non-dilutive funding from ARPA-H and are raising funds to support IND-enabling studies and commercial plans.

Team Members: Liz Scott, CEO, elizabeth.scott-2@colorado.edu*; Stephanie Bryant (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Founder, CSO; Karin Payne, Co-Principal Investigator; Kelly Santangelo, Senior Investigator

Industry Applications: Biotech, Therapeutics

SureFire

SureFire employs breakthrough LLM and quantum information techniques to more quickly and accurately detect wildfire ignitions from existing thermal camera images. SureFire is launching solutions for fire detection and risk management for customers such as fire agencies, power utilities, insurance companies, and sensor vendors.

Team Members: Gary Robert Dolsen (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, garydolsen@gmail.com*; Longji Cui (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO, Principal Investigator (PI); Kyle Kuczun, Co-Founder, CTO, CPO;

Industry Applications: Environment and Sustainability, Sensors, Software

Synteric Robotics

Synteric Robotics builds small, autonomous insect-inspired inspection robots designed to navigate tight, hazardous environments. Our technology combines novel micromechanics, sensing and autonomy to inspect infrastructure humans can’t easily reach.

Team Members: Rob Carpenter (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Founder, rob@frostrivercapital.com*

Industry Applications: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Robotics

VeriLocal

VeriLocal Inc. is an AI platform that filters out non-local social media noise during fast-moving events. Using machine learning to identify geographically authentic content, it delivers real-time, high-signal local insight for crisis response, utilities, insurance, media and other decision-makers. Visit the VeriLocal Website

Team Members: Todd McGuire (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, todd@verilocal.ai*; Lise St. Denis (Earth Lab), Co-Founder, CSO

Industry Applications: Information Technology, Software, Smart Cities

VersaMesh

VersaMesh develops software-designed, 3D-printed impact-absorbing metamaterials that outperform traditional foams. Our precisely tuned materials protect against repetitive low-energy hits and high-impact forces, enabling safer, customizable protection for helmets and other impact-critical applications.

Team Members: Teri Ham (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, hamteri@gmail.com*; Renee Sanchez (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, COO; Sloan Le, CTO

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Software, Additive Manufacturing

YarraBio

Yarrabio develops technologies for cancer research, drug discovery and clinical oncology.

Team Members: Savanh Chantha-Phavong (�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Embark Startup Founder), Co-Founder, CEO, CSO, savanh.c@yarrabio.com*; Corey Neu, Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor, Principal Investigator (PI)

Industry Applications: Biotech

*Team's primary point of contact for inquiries.

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Venture Partners News

Eight �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator

Lab Venture Challenge and Colorado State Grants Information Session

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A powerhouse in battery breakthroughs

“Incredible productivity in battery innovation”

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Forge Nano to go public via $1.6B SPAC, becoming �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder’s 11th unicorn

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Thank you, Susan Strong—and happy retirement

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�鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder and Techstars announce partnership to accelerate Colorado’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

From discovery to startup

Expanding pathways for founders

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Move your innovation forward with funding support from the Center for Translational Research

Guidance from idea to proposal

Pursuing translational funding

Connecting innovators with resources and expertise

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Commercialization through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder drives $8.7 billion impact nationwide

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Hannah Nelson of Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder joins Colorado BioScience Association board leadership

Hannah Nelson

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�鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder hosts showcase of investment-ready ventures from across the Inter-Mountain West

2026 Presenting Startups

EsterCycle

Genexgen

Green Steel Environmental

Kioga

Kitsune Biotherapeutics

LIDG3D

Loop Clinical Systems

Manifest Technologies

Modendo

NemaLife

Perlion

Rahm Sensor Development

Ramsi

SusMer

Tynt Technologies

Vital Foams

X-Centric Sciences

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The University of Colorado Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator announces 2026 cohort

2026 Ascent Cohort

Agami Zero

Arkana Therapeutics

BioStamp

BoBoRobo

Enlixa Bio

Flari Tech

FlowPoint Bio

iMembrane Therapeutics

LeTau Robotics

PEGI LLC

Renovare Therapeutics

RipaLith

NITRO mBMAT

SureFire

Synteric Robotics

VeriLocal

VersaMesh

YarraBio

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Eight �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder researchers and four startups receive funding through Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator

�鶹��Ѱ��Proof-of-Concept Grants

�鶹��Ѱ��Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants

Forge Nano to go public via $1.6B SPAC, becoming �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s 11th unicorn

The �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Connection

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and Techstars announce partnership to accelerate Colorado’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Commercialization through Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder drives $8.7 billion impact nationwide

Hannah Nelson of Venture Partners at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder joins Colorado BioScience Association board leadership

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder hosts showcase of investment-ready ventures from across the Inter-Mountain West