CU Startup News

PAGE Technologies among 24 small businesses receiving a total of $2.4M to develop innovative environmental technologies

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:55:25 +0000

PAGE Technologies among 24 small businesses receiving a total of $2.4M to develop innovative environmental technologies Daniel Corbin … Mon, 01/13/2025 - 14:55

U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—“EPA congratulates PAGE Technologies on receiving this grant award,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “The company’s development of low-cost, handheld printable sensors for water quality monitoring will deliver an innovative, new tool for safeguarding water quality and public health."

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Local tech startup ExoPower aims to power commercial robots

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:02:59 +0000

Local tech startup ExoPower aims to power commercial robots Daniel Corbin … Sat, 01/11/2025 - 15:02

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel—Brandon Regensburger, founder and CEO of ExoPower, a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� startup, is developing a technology that can wirelessly charge robots as they move and work. He has set up shop in the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center, where he continues developing technology he has worked on for years as a graduate student at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� and Cornell University.

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Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 13:06:32 +0000

Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation Daniel Corbin … Thu, 01/09/2025 - 06:06

FY 2023-24 was another tremendous year for innovation and entrepreneurship at the CU. University researchers, inventors and creators began working with Venture Partners at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� to advance 144 breakthrough innovations, and 36 CU startups were launched through Venture Partners based on campus discoveries.

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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� shines with record-breaking year for startups

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:07:28 +0000

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� shines with record-breaking year for startups Daniel Corbin … Thu, 01/09/2025 - 05:07

Bryn Rees , Daniel Leonard

Photo: Associate Professor and co-founder of Mana Battery, a startup developing sodium-based batteries for sustainable energy storage, Chunmei Ban, is working with chemical engineering student Kangmin Kim in the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� College of Engineering and Applied Science lab. Source: Jesse Morgan Petersen

Innovation at the University of Colorado Boulder reached an unprecedented milestone in fiscal year 2023-24 by launching 35 startup companies based on university innovations. This achievement shattered ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� previous record of 20 startups in FY 2021 and placed it among the most prolific single-campus institutions in the country.

As the commercialization arm for ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��—as well as CU Denver’s physical sciences which launched one startup in the same year and UCCS—Venture Partners at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� is at the heart of transforming new inventions and discoveries into real-world impact by empowering university innovators to build new companies and industry partnerships.

This leap from launching just four to six startups annually a decade ago is a testament to years of strategy and investment in entrepreneurship. Considering CU’s location outside traditional venture capital hubs like Silicon Valley and Boston, its rise as a startup powerhouse showcases a unique ecosystem driving extraordinary results.

Journey to the Top

In data collected and published by AUTM (the leading association for university “technology transfer,” which tracks the number of startups launched by universities to commercialize university-owned intellectual property) from FYs 1990-2023, the standing leaders of startups launched in a year by a single-campus are Stanford with 38 startups in 2022 and MIT with 32 startups most recently in 2020. Full university data from FY 2024 is expected from AUTM in late 2025.

“Universities spinning out similar numbers of startups have significantly larger research budgets feeding their innovation pipeline,” says Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships, “But this is actually where ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� really shines, when we look at our efficiency: the number of startups we’re launching per dollar of funding.”

“Among institutions with the highest output of startups, Columbia University tops that indicator with 3.5 startups launched in FY 2018 per $100 million in research funding. With 34 startups out of ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� in FY 2024, that’s 4.7 startups per $100 million of funding. That is a top result among leading universities and a real credit to our approach,” says Rees.

Strategic Pillars of Success

Through experimentation and entrepreneurial thinking, the Venture Partners team has redefined how academic research translates into impactful businesses. “Our journey reflects years of careful planning, experimentation and a relentless commitment to supporting our startup founders,” says Rees. “We’ve embraced Boulder’s collaborative ethos and created a model that aligns with our community’s values while delivering national impact.”

Founder-First Philosophy

Venture Partners prioritizes the experience and development of its founders—primarily faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. Innovations like Licensing with EASE^® simplify the startup process with pre-negotiated intellectual property licensing terms, reducing administrative friction and allowing founders to focus on building their ventures. This philosophy extends to providing tailored mentorship and long-term support, creating an environment where new founders thrive.

Holistic Support for Founders

Recognizing the distinct challenges academic founders face, Venture Partners offers a comprehensive suite of resources from idea to launch. From entrepreneurial training to funding, academic founders receive support tailored to their unique needs, even as the fundamentals of entrepreneurship are constant. For example, Venture Partners’ Center for Translational Research (CTR) helps bridge the “valley of death” between early-stage research and commercialization with comprehensive support for researchers applying for grants that cater to startups.

Integration and Collaboration

To ensure a seamless startup pipeline, Venture Partners integrates resources across the university and community. In federal partnership, the National Science Foundation I-Corps^TM Hub: West Region programming at Venture Partners provides startup training to researchers in and outside of the university, while the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) awards over $1.25 million in proof-of-concept grants annually in partnership with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

Experimentation and Adaptation

Venture Partners’ willingness to experiment and learn from failure has been critical to its success. “Have you heard of the ‘i-Teams’ program?” Rees jokes. “Of course not! It was a failure. We wanted to match lab innovations with business students. It was a fun experience and great learning for the students, but we didn’t start any new companies.” However, it provided insights that led to the creation of the highly successful Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator, which launched 10 of the 35 companies in 2024 by matching experienced entrepreneurs with cutting-edge ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� innovations. New partnerships through the New Venture Launch class at the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Leeds School of Business are also proving to be a successful approach to the original idea. Venture Partners has also adapted lessons learned from Columbia University’s leveraging of state economic development grants, MIT’s mentorship strategy and the University of Utah’s end-to-end solution for startups to fill gaps in the local ecosystem to inspire similar initiatives to suit Colorado’s ecosystem.

Startups Accelerating Toward Impact

Venture Partners Annual Report

Explore more about these startups and how Venture Partners achieved record-breaking success in transforming innovation into impact.

Explore Our Annual Report

The 35 startups launched in FY 2024 represent a diverse array of industries, from clean energy to biotech. Among them is Mana Battery, founded on research from Chunmei Ban’s laboratory (��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), winner of a 2023 LVC grant. Mana Battery is developing sodium-based batteries as a safer, more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion technology, addressing critical challenges in energy storage. Over the past decade, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� has spun out several battery-focused startups, collectively creating hundreds of jobs and attracting over $1 billion in investment to Colorado. These startups exemplify ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� ability to address pressing global challenges while driving economic growth in the state.

CU is a growing international leader in both quantum and healthcare research and technologies, both found in the new startup Flari Tech. The company is developing technology created by Jun Ye (��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Physics, JILA, NIST) and Qizhong Liang (JILA) to detect diseases via the breath, all built upon the Nobel Prize-winning frequency comb developed at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� and NIST. The company was founded by Eva Yao in the first cohort of Embark.

Another shooting star is Mesa Quantum. Venture Partners helped match a motivated grad student, Sristy Agrawal (NIST, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Mathematical Physics), with a novel atomic clock invented in Svenja Knappe’s lab (��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering). Mesa Quantum was first conceived in the I-Corps Hub West programming offered at Venture Partners. Mesa Quantum is ushering in the next generation of chip-scale atomic clocks and quantum sensors, powering the industries of tomorrow in fields like autonomous vehicles and advanced deep-water oil exploration.

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� success is bolstered by recent ecosystem wins like the NSF Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine and the Elevate Quantum Tech Hub designations. These initiatives enhance ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� capacity to attract top talent, secure funding and support high-impact startups.

“These programs bring together the resources and expertise we need to address global challenges,” says Rees. “They’re amplifying our impact and positioning CU as a leader in innovation.”

Looking ahead

As Venture Partners celebrates its record-breaking year, the team is focused on the future. Plans include expanding incubator spaces, enhancing funding opportunities and increasing diversity within the entrepreneurial mentor network. The university is also working to refine programs like Embark and explore new collaborations with other institutions.

“Our goal is to create ventures with lasting impact,” Rees emphasizes. “We measure success not only by the number of companies we create but by the societal and economic benefits they deliver.”

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� dramatic rise as a leader in university-driven entrepreneurship has illuminated its role in the broader U.S. innovation ecosystem. By prioritizing founders, embracing Colorado’s unique strengths and continually evolving its approach, Venture Partners offers a model for other institutions seeking to foster innovation.

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Mallinda launches Vitrimax VHM resin for complete composites recyclability

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 19:03:03 +0000

Mallinda launches Vitrimax VHM resin for complete composites recyclability Daniel Corbin … Fri, 01/03/2025 - 12:03

Composites World—Mallinda Inc., a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� spinout and global developer of vitrimer resin systems, announces the commercial launch of Vitrimax versatile hot melt (VHM) resin, a vitrimer-based composite resin system. According to the company, this technology combines the optimal mechanical properties of thermosets with the processing flexibility of thermoplastics, while enabling economic recyclability and reuse for high-performance composites.

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Rising Startup Stars: Sristy Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Mesa Quantum

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:46:44 +0000

Rising Startup Stars: Sristy Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Mesa Quantum Daniel Corbin … Mon, 12/23/2024 - 11:46

ColoradoBiz—Agrawal, 29, moved from India to Colorado to study quantum computation at CU in 2019. “Boulder, in general, has the most thriving quantum ecosystem in the world,” she says. The overwhelming focus on quantum computing, however, paved the way for Agrawal to co-found ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Startup Mesa Quantum with Wale Lawal in early 2024.

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Colorado’s life sciences ecosystem raised $1.47 billion in 2023

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 20:22:37 +0000

Colorado’s life sciences ecosystem raised $1.47 billion in 2023 Daniel Corbin … Sat, 12/21/2024 - 13:22

Colorado Bioscience Association—Colorado's life sciences ecosystem raised $1.47 billion in 2023, demonstrating the resilience of life sciences companies and organizations in the state during a challenging year for U.S. life sciences fundraising.

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Semiconductor startup Ayar Labs raises $155M at $1B valuation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 20:23:02 +0000

Semiconductor startup Ayar Labs raises $155M at $1B valuation Daniel Corbin … Thu, 12/12/2024 - 13:23

Yahoo Finance—Ayar Labs, a semiconductor startup based in San Jose and spun out of ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��, has raised $155 million in new funding to accelerate the development of its optical I/O technology.

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Application open for startups and teams to present at the 2025 Destination Startup Investor Showcase

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 22:26:04 +0000

Application open for startups and teams to present at the 2025 Destination Startup Investor Showcase Daniel Corbin … Tue, 12/10/2024 - 15:26

Destination Startup brings groundbreaking startups built on novel discoveries from top national labs and universities together with investors from throughout North America to catalyze real-world impact. This showcase demonstrates a powerful way to invest in and get funding for innovative research and translate it into impactful business ventures.

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Sionic Energy uses advanced material to fully displace graphite for a fully silicon battery with increased energy density

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 19:59:44 +0000

Sionic Energy uses advanced material to fully displace graphite for a fully silicon battery with increased energy density Daniel Corbin … Tue, 12/10/2024 - 12:59

PR Newswire—Sionic Energy, a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� spinout and a recognized leader in electrolyte and silicon battery technology for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, announced that the world's lithium-ion battery producers no longer have to rely on graphite. Designed for seamless integration into existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes, Sionic's Silicon Battery Platform maximizes silicon material performance with regard to energy density, extended cycle life, and rapid charge rates.

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CU Startup News

PAGE Technologies among 24 small businesses receiving a total of $2.4M to develop innovative environmental technologies

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Local tech startup ExoPower aims to power commercial robots

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Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation

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���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ shines with record-breaking year for startups

Journey to the Top

Strategic Pillars of Success

Founder-First Philosophy

Holistic Support for Founders

Integration and Collaboration

Experimentation and Adaptation

Startups Accelerating Toward Impact

Looking ahead

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Mallinda launches Vitrimax VHM resin for complete composites recyclability

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Rising Startup Stars: Sristy Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Mesa Quantum

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Colorado’s life sciences ecosystem raised $1.47 billion in 2023

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Semiconductor startup Ayar Labs raises $155M at $1B valuation

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Application open for startups and teams to present at the 2025 Destination Startup Investor Showcase

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Sionic Energy uses advanced material to fully displace graphite for a fully silicon battery with increased energy density

Off

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� shines with record-breaking year for startups