CU Startup News /venturepartners/ en Prometheus Materials awarded role in $10 million Department of Energy grant for carbon dioxide removal in cement and concrete /venturepartners/2024/11/08/external-news/prometheus-materials-awarded-role-10-million-department-energy-grant-carbon-dioxide <span>Prometheus Materials awarded role in $10 million Department of Energy grant for carbon dioxide removal in cement and concrete</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-11-08T12:53:24-07:00" title="Friday, November 8, 2024 - 12:53">Fri, 11/08/2024 - 12:53</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-11/Prometheus%20Materials%20article%20111424.png?h=1ec74bc1&amp;itok=Enlkq1Ua" width="1200" height="600" alt="A worker places cement blocks"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>World Cement—The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $10 million in funding for federal labs to collaborate with Prometheus Materials to establish methods for measuring, reporting and verifying CO2 removal and sequestration in cement and concrete.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/08112024/prometheus-materials-awarded-role-in-us10-million-department-of-energy-grant-for-carbon-dioxide-removal-in-cement-and-concrete/`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 19:53:24 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2398 at /venturepartners SomaLogic, spun out of the Gold Lab at CU Boulder, revolutionized protein discovery methods to provide insights into disease discovery and treatment /venturepartners/2024/10/30/internal-news/somalogic-spun-out-gold-lab-cu-boulder-revolutionized-protein-discovery-methods-provide <span>SomaLogic, spun out of the Gold Lab at CU Boulder, revolutionized protein discovery methods to provide insights into disease discovery and treatment</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-30T14:38:57-06:00" title="Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 14:38">Wed, 10/30/2024 - 14:38</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/STOCK%20SomaLogic%20article%20header%20102924b.jpeg?h=694a1130&amp;itok=JnHGfqxB" width="1200" height="600" alt="A hand wearing blue medical gloves holds up a small vial with an illustration of DNA superimposed on the image."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/85"> Biosciences </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/397"> CU Innovators News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/398"> Technology and Discovery News </a> </div> <span>Heather Hansen</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead" dir="ltr"><span>Founded by CU Boulder Professor Larry Gold in 2000, </span><a href="https://somalogic.com/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>SomaLogic</strong></span></a><span> revolutionized protein measurement by developing a faster, cost-effective process to monitor the vast number of proteins in the human body. Gold’s discoveries and work at CU Boulder ultimately led to the creation of three spinout companies and a significant impact on global healthcare research and diagnostics.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Like most groundbreaking biotechnology companies, SomaLogic formed around a problem to solve—how to precisely measure the huge number of proteins in the human body. In 2000, when Larry Gold founded the company, measuring proteins was a time-consuming, costly and flawed process reliant on antibodies which are often not specific or sensitive enough detection tools.</span></p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2024-10/Larry%20Gold%20102924.png?itok=Jz7hA7xY" width="375" height="476" alt="Larry Gold"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><span>Larry Gold, PhD</span></p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Gold, who began teaching in the University of Colorado Boulder’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/mcdb/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Molecular, Cellular &amp; Developmental Biology (MCDB)</strong></span></a><span> department in 1970 (and served as its chair from 1988 to 1992), set out to do what no one else in the world was doing at the time—measure proteins more simply, cheaply and quickly. “My whole career at CU in MCDB, for 50 plus years, I have cared about measuring proteins,” said Gold.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Measuring proteins is so important because they’re the building blocks of life. The human body has at least 20,000 different proteins—and many more variants—working together in a complicated choreography. For example, collagen is a protein that structures skin, bones and teeth, while hemoglobin carries oxygen in blood. Proteins are also key to a well-functioning immune system, catalyze reactions in the body, and function as critical messengers within and between cells.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>The ability to identify and count proteins is essential to biomedical research. Quantifying protein concentrations can help measure the presence and progression of diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Proteins are also often the targets of therapeutics—like aspirin for a headache—because of all the biochemical processes they carry out and their ability to intervene in pathologies with high specificity.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>At the start, Gold’s lab could measure roughly 70 proteins by working long hours and sticking with the process despite occasional setbacks. For decades, said Gold, “From morning to night, seven days a week, oftentimes all night, I pipetted the same experiment thousands of times,” he said. “I don’t get bored doing the same thing over and over as long as we’re learning stuff—and we were.”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Gold said advancing their knowledge of proteins little by little while enjoying the camaraderie of life in the lab made long hours and ‘failed’ experiments tolerable, even enjoyable. “You can’t get upset when an experiment doesn't work, it’s a continuing, iterative process,” he said. “And I was doing it with good people–and that’s fun.”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Their process was cutting-edge at the time, but Gold knew that to crack the code on proteins, they’d need to be able to measure more and faster. That mission was the driving force in founding SomaLogic. “The tech for what we wanted to do didn’t exist, so we had to invent it on the spot,” Gold told an entrepreneur forum in 2015. “The basic idea was right about what we wanted to do, but the technology was harder than we thought,” he said.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Inventing those tools ultimately would take a decade and $200 million.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Imagining a bold future</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>In a way, proteins are like locks that Gold and his team were trying to find keys to. That matchmaking effort began decades ago, leading to an underlying innovation that fueled three spinouts and countless ongoing applications.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>In the late 1980s, Gold and his team at CU Boulder, including PhD student Craig Tuerk, made a discovery that led to that original innovation. They were developing a technique to identify molecules that would selectively bind to other compounds (based on a piece of&nbsp;ribonucleic acid, or&nbsp;RNA, which Tuerk was studying).</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Gold recalled the day when—two years into an experiment he’d asked Tuerk to do—they discovered they were onto something big. It was 1989, the day before Thanksgiving, and Tuerk came running out of the darkroom where he’d been working. “That afternoon, it was clear to us he had done something that had lots of possibilities for the future in biotech, and we covered a whiteboard with every idea we had,” said Gold.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>It was a watershed moment that would change the biotech industry significantly. “Craig and I shared the most wonderful moment possible for scientists: we imagined a future in which RNAs were ‘shapes, not tapes’ or ‘strings, not things’ and were useful in the same way that monoclonal antibodies are useful,” Gold wrote in a </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661202/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>2015 article in the Journal of Molecular Evolution</strong></span></a><span>.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>In the process, the group isolated the first-known aptamers, a class of molecules with the unique binding ability—the keys—they were looking for. Then, they devised a system called SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), which could generate aptamers reliably and efficiently.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>That discovery and development revolutionized biological research and medical diagnostics with wide-ranging applications from biomarker detection (indicating diseases like cancer and viral infections) to targeted therapies with fewer side effects.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>From CU Boulder to the world</span></h2><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">The Path to Commercialization</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p>When a university startup is created, it is the culmination of years of research and significant work by the founders to build a compelling company vision, strategy and business model. The team at Venture Partners is here to help with each step along the way,&nbsp;including:</p><ul><li><a href="/venturepartners/node/805" rel="nofollow"><strong>intellectual property (IP) services</strong></a>,</li><li><a href="/venturepartners/node/791" rel="nofollow"><strong>entrepreneurial training</strong></a> through the I-Corps<sup>TM</sup> Hub West,</li><li>a network of <a href="/venturepartners/node/323" rel="nofollow"><strong>industry mentors</strong></a>,</li><li>funding through the <a href="/venturepartners/node/288" rel="nofollow"><strong>Lab Venture Challenge</strong></a>,</li><li>the&nbsp;<a href="/venturepartners/node/1299" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator</strong></a>,</li><li>fast and simple IP licensing through the <a href="/venturepartners/node/421" rel="nofollow"><strong>Licensing with EASE<sup>®</sup></strong></a> program,</li><li>and many <a href="/venturepartners/node/789" rel="nofollow"><strong>other resources</strong></a>.</li></ul></div></div></div><p dir="ltr"><span>Remarkable biotechnology breakthroughs don’t happen often, and even fewer enter the marketplace—and with such exceptional results. But Gold seems to have a knack for bringing them to light, combining decades of experience with a passion for inquiry. “You have to do the mundane work, but you also have to try to ask big questions, too,” he said, “Most people don't do that because they're afraid; our culture, in general, breeds a fear of failure.”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>But to make the big discoveries, Gold said scientists have to take chances and cling to small victories in the process. “You should take some shots that are slightly ridiculous,” he said. “And enjoy all these little moments along the way where you learn something. The business of science for me is incredibly fun, and so that makes it easy to do for a long time.”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Since Gold and colleagues developed the SELEX platform, various academic and biopharma partners have also used it to develop new diagnostic tests, discover new drugs, accelerate their translation to clinical practice and reveal a deeper understanding of basic human biology and disease. In one such collaboration,&nbsp;Imperial College London is using a SomaLogic platform to analyze tens of thousands of biological samples as part of an investigation into how&nbsp;lifestyle, diet, genetic, metabolic and other factors affect the development of serious illnesses.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Soon after developing SELEX, Gold co-founded and served as co-director of research at Synergen, Inc., a biotechnology company later acquired by Amgen, Inc. and he founded NeXagen, Inc. (later called NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which merged with Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 1999. One major accomplishment of NeXstar centered on Macugen, a drug used to treat age-related macular degeneration and only the second-ever RNA aptamer to gain FDA approval.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Innovation that keeps on giving</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Recognizing there was still work to be done in developing accessible diagnostics, Gold launched SomaLogic in 2000 where he served as CEO and chairman. He knew that focusing on proteomics—the field of measuring proteins—would be tough but, he wrote, “We also believed (and I continue to believe) that medical diagnostics was not as useful for patients and healthcare as it had to be, and that personalized medicine would depend on genomics and proteomics (and other ‘omics’ technologies).”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Based on the original SELEX technology developed at CU Boulder, SomaLogic pioneered the development of proteomics diagnostics and experiments. That is, they set out to create arrays of aptamers (keys) to fit thousands of proteins (locks) simultaneously to make disease discovery as simple as possible. Their unique “SOMAmers” can distinguish between nearly identical proteins and their SomaScan Assay is the first and only platform enabling 11,000 protein measurements from a tiny fluid sample.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Spinning three companies out of a single innovation developed at CU Boulder was an incredible feat, according to Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation and managing director of </span><a href="/venturepartners/home" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="911921eb-6ff5-4bee-bcd3-9a863add3789" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Home"><span><strong>Venture Partners at CU Boulder</strong></span></a><span>. “Larry was a pioneer and did this at a time when universities really weren’t set up to support that,” said Rees. “It was transformative. None of the whole innovation ecosystem that we currently have would exist without Larry doing that. The whole thing is a major CU Boulder success story.”</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Venture Partners, the commercialization arm for CU Boulder, now has myriad programs to help would-be entrepreneurs launch their innovations into the world. “Fast forward to today where it’s a wholesale culture change, and the university really understands how intertwined the mission of the university is, with folks like Larry being able to spin their work out and impact so many, in his case, patients and labs around the world,” said Rees.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>In 2021, SomaLogic went public, and in January 2024, it merged with Standard BioTools Inc., which uses next-generation technologies to transform scientific discoveries into better patient outcomes.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>The sky’s the limit when thinking about how the discoveries originally made at CU Boulder will continue to be used to improve healthcare, Gold wrote. “…the future for applications of aptamers will be limited only by our imaginations…”</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Founded by CU Boulder Professor Larry Gold in 2000, SomaLogic revolutionized protein measurement by developing a faster, cost-effective process to monitor the vast number of proteins in the human body.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/STOCK%20SomaLogic%20article%20header%20102924b.jpeg?itok=UIcmtjtM" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A hand wearing blue medical gloves holds up a small vial with an illustration of DNA superimposed on the image."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:38:57 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2390 at /venturepartners JILA-based innovation team Flari Tech wins CU Boulder’s 2024 Lab Venture Challenge for breakthrough breath diagnostic technology targeting lung cancer /venturepartners/2024/10/29/external-news/jila-based-innovation-team-flari-tech-wins-cu-boulders-2024-lab-venture-challenge <span>JILA-based innovation team Flari Tech wins CU Boulder’s 2024 Lab Venture Challenge for breakthrough breath diagnostic technology targeting lung cancer</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-29T12:32:13-06:00" title="Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - 12:32">Tue, 10/29/2024 - 12:32</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/DSCF3823.JPG?h=31326c3a&amp;itok=s_YzYadX" width="1200" height="600" alt="An asian woman smiles and holds up a giant prize-winning check for $125,000"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/85"> Biosciences </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/317"> Quantum &amp; Photonics </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/398"> Technology and Discovery News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>JILA—Flari Tech Inc., a startup rooted in cutting-edge JILA research, has clinched one of the prestigious 2024 Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) grants from the University of Colorado Boulder, advancing its pioneering work to build a breathalyzer for diagnostics use targeting life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer. </div> <script> window.location.href = `https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/news/jila-based-innovation-team-flari-tech-wins-cu-boulders-2024-lab-venture-challenge`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:32:13 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2388 at /venturepartners CU Boulder spinout LongPath Technologies to expand methane detection with $162M DOE loan /venturepartners/2024/10/28/external-news/spinout-longpath-technologies-expand-methane-detection-162m-doe-loan <span>CU Boulder spinout LongPath Technologies to expand methane detection with $162M DOE loan</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-28T16:27:33-06:00" title="Monday, October 28, 2024 - 16:27">Mon, 10/28/2024 - 16:27</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/LongPath%20article%20thumbnail%20102824.png?h=21938622&amp;itok=Xj65usGW" width="1200" height="600" alt="An outdoor event with attendees wearing business suits sitting on a green field next to a tall white tower."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/525"> Climate, Energy &amp; Sustainability </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/317"> Quantum &amp; Photonics </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU Boulder Today—A small crowd, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, gathered on a wide stretch of lawn on the CU Boulder campus to witness a one-of-kind technology demonstration—a laser device that could soon transform the oil and gas industry in the American West and keep potent greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/today/2024/10/25/spinout-longpath-technologies-expand-methane-detection-162m-doe-loan`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 28 Oct 2024 22:27:33 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2387 at /venturepartners $1.25M awarded to University of Colorado innovators to advance their discoveries /venturepartners/2024/10/28/internal-news/1m-awarded-university-colorado-innovators <span>$1.25M awarded to University of Colorado innovators to advance their discoveries</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-28T15:10:46-06:00" title="Monday, October 28, 2024 - 15:10">Mon, 10/28/2024 - 15:10</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/LVC%20Thumbnail%20for%20article%20100224b.png?h=04d92ac6&amp;itok=PJNjyAxm" width="1200" height="600" alt="Lab Venture Challenge"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/251"> Advanced Materials </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/85"> Biosciences </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/525"> Climate, Energy &amp; Sustainability </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/247"> Hardware &amp; Instrumentation </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/317"> Quantum &amp; Photonics </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/361"> Venture Partners News </a> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/daniel-leonard">Daniel Leonard</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead">Fourteen teams of University of Colorado faculty, researchers and graduate student innovators competed for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s <a href="/venturepartners/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><strong>Lab Venture Challenge (LVC)</strong></a>. Judges from CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial network heard Shark-Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in biosciences and another for physical sciences and engineering.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Interested in the 2025 LVC?</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p>LVC supports CU projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Learn More</span></a></p></div></div></div><p>Through LVC, top innovators from CU Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants of up to $125,000. LVC supports projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. The LVC grants are funded by the <a href="https://oedit.colorado.gov/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program</strong></a>, as well as Venture Partners at CU Boulder and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund. Ten awards were granted this year for a total of $1,250,000.</p><p>This culminating event for these groundbreaking teams showcased the university’s initiative to support innovators from discovery to economic success. LVC is run by Venture Partners at CU Boulder, the university’s commercialization arm and central resource for researchers who wish to translate their work into impactful business and social ventures. As part of the LVC program, all the competitors worked with Venture Partners to protect their innovations and practice their funding pitches for business audiences. LVC awardees will continue to work and collaborate with Venture Partners on their <a href="/venturepartners/path-commercialization" rel="nofollow"><strong>path to commercialization</strong></a>.</p><p dir="ltr"><span>“At this early stage, funding is essential, but can be a challenge to obtain,“ said Joshua Bennett, director of LVC and senior licensing manager at Venture Partners. “All of these teams have promising innovations ready to launch new businesses. LVC is a unique opportunity for those innovators to receive that vital funding, and we’re proud to work with the State of Colorado to make it happen..”</span></p><p>To date, LVC has funded over 117 projects through 64 new deep-tech startup companies; collectively, these companies have raised over $349 million in follow-on financing.</p><p>Applications for the next LVC will open in July 2025.</p><p>This year’s LVC was additionally made possible by <a href="https://bhgrlaw.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.wsgr.com/en/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Wilson Sonsini</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.cooley.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Cooley</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.cozen.com/offices/denver" rel="nofollow"><strong>Cozen O'Connor</strong></a>.</p><h2>2024 Physical Sciences $125,000 Winners</h2></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/LVC%202024%20LVC%20physical%20sciences%20winners%20102824.png?itok=WEHj11xB" width="1500" height="500" alt="A diverse group of people stand with giant prize checks."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Winners of the physical sciences competition from left to right: Gerry Conroy, Gregor P. Henze and Galen Williams of WHISPER Energy; Joshua Bennett, director of the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC); Roberta Leão of EcoValeric Innovations; Anthony Straub, Kian Lopez of OsmoPure Technologies; Gregory Whiting, Taylor Sharpe of Tierra Metrics; Thomas R. Schibli of Mode-Locked Laser Technology. Photo: Keanan Wilson.</p> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h3>EcoValeric Innovations</h3><p>EcoValeric's invention is an electrochemical process that converts biomass-based levulinic acid into 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (HVA), a versatile intermediate for producing biodegradable plastics, biofuels and green solvents. This scalable, renewable process reduces reliance on fossil fuels while enhancing sustainability. <a href="https://ecovaleric.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Visit EcoValeric's website</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://linkedin.com/in/robertaleao" rel="nofollow"><strong>Roberta Leão</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fc3e2b60-233e-49b0-ad58-49b487588eff" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator"><strong>CU Boulder Embark EIR</strong></a>): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-holewinski-03785631/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Adam Holewinski</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/chbe/adam-holewinski" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering</strong></a>): PI</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/f-willian-s-lucas-351709b4/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Will Lucas</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: CTO</li></ul><div><div><div><div><h3>Mode-Locked Laser Technology</h3><p>This groundbreaking mode-locked laser technology overcomes the limitations of existing systems and is suitable for harsh environments. These systems excel in applications that require the best phase noise performance in a small and efficient device. Applications include PNT and RF instrumentation.</p><ul><li><strong>Thomas R. Schibli</strong> (<a href="/physics/thomas-schibli" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Physics</strong></a>): PI, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fsingerchris&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cdaniel.leonard%40Colorado.EDU%7Ce640465c0ec84cbe420008dce18ad070%7C3ded8b1b070d462982e4c0b019f46057%7C1%7C0%7C638633233548657593%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=8yzUUKnJH1XEDjTzg8dsyr7bN4E9DkGshU1b2SLRb5E%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="nofollow"><strong>Chris Singer</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(Alum: CU Boulder <a href="/business/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Business</strong></a>):<strong> </strong>Business Development</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisoei/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Christopher B. Oei</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a><strong>:</strong> Product Design, Advanced Manufacturing</li></ul><div><div><h3>OsmoPure Technologies</h3><p>OsmoPure is introducing a membrane for ultrapure water production tailored to the stringent demands of electronics, aerospace and green hydrogen sectors. The technology uses distillation driven by pressure, rather than heat, to produce high-purity product water with ten times higher energy efficiency. <a href="https://www.osmopuretechnologies.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Visit the OsmoPure website</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kian-lopez-45089a128/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Kian Lopez</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(PhD student, <a href="/chbe/" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering</strong></a>): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-straub-8137156a/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Anthony Straub</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering): Principal Investigator (PI)</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-jorgenson/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Nadia Jorgenson</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(PhD candidate, CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering): Director of R&amp;D</li></ul><div><div><h3>WHISPER Energy</h3><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/whisper-energy" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>WHISPER Energy</strong></span></a><span>&nbsp;is a wireless, battery-free sensor platform for smart buildings. It uses machine learning to cut energy consumption by 30%+, providing real-time data to optimize energy use and reduce emissions. Developed with a $2 million ARPA-E grant, it advances zero emissions economically and efficiently. </span><a href="https://whisperenergy.io/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Visit the WHISPER website</strong></span></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://linkedin.com/in/galenwilliams" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Galen Williams</strong></span></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i><span>&nbsp;(</span><a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fc3e2b60-233e-49b0-ad58-49b487588eff" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator"><span><strong>CU Boulder 2023 Embark EIR</strong></span></a><span>): Co-Founder and CEO</span></li><li><span><strong>Gregor P. Henze</strong>&nbsp;(</span><a href="/ceae/gregor-p-henze" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering</strong></span></a><span><strong>, </strong></span><a href="/rasei/gregor-henze" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>RASEI</strong></span></a>)<span>: PI and Co-Founder</span></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryconroy" rel="nofollow"><strong>Gerry Conroy</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: Technical Lead&nbsp;and Advisor</li></ul><div><div><h3>Tierra Metrics</h3><p>Tierra Metrics' novel high-spatial density sensor innovation will enable real-time characterization of the soil nitrogen cycle which will help growers, land managers and others to improve efficiency and profitability, as well as improve soil health and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. <a href="https://www.tierrametrics.net/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Visit the Tierra Metrics website</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-l-whiting/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Gregory Whiting</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/mechanical/gregory-l-whiting" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering</strong></a>): PI, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-sharpe-75597585/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Taylor Sharpe</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering) Chief Engineer</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/whendee-silver-b297a7292/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Whendee Silver</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: Co-Founder</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-claudia-arias-b5a324/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ana Claudia Arias</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: Co-Founder</li></ul><h2>2024 Biosciences $125,000 Winners</h2></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/LVC%202024%20LVC%20biosciences%20winners%20102824.png?itok=NiuyYW1O" width="1500" height="500" alt="A diverse group of people stands on a presentation stage holding giant prize checks."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Winners of the biosciences competition from left to right: Emmalee Biesiada of Sterio3; Eva Yao of Flari Tech; Tanya Warnecke of Codebreaker; Jesse M. Sheppard of IntraLumenus; Makenna Morck, Alec Santiago, Michael Stowell of Kitsune Bio. Photo: Keanan Wilson.</p> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div><div><h3>Codebreaker</h3><p>Codebreaker is building a platform for generating variant genomes at scale in an AI&nbsp;framework that drives variant genome design and machine learning to generate significance maps broadly across human&nbsp;disease and drug response.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-layer-bab6bb69/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ryan Layer</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/biofrontiers/ryan-layer" rel="nofollow"><strong>BioFrontiers Institute</strong></a>: PI, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-t-gill-9388238/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ryan T. GIll</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: CEO</div></li><li><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-warnecke-22913011/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Tanya Warnecke</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: CTO</div></li><li><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-abbott-md-ma-9874935/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jordan Abbott</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a><strong>:</strong> KOL-Collaborator</div></li></ul><div><div><h3><span>Flari Tech</span></h3><div><div><p>Flari Tech is building a laser-based breathalyzer to detect lung cancer noninvasively and rapidly with high sensitivity. Powered by CU's Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb, it would empower healthcare providers, patients and researchers in lung cancer prevention, treatment and monitoring. <a href="/venturepartners/investors-partners/startup-portfolio/flari-tech-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Read more about Flari</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinyao/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Eva Yao</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder 2023 Embark EIR</strong></a>): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jun-ye-57aa3088" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jun Ye</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/physics/jun-ye" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Physics</strong></a>, <a href="https://jila.colorado.edu/yelabs/people/ye" rel="nofollow"><strong>JILA</strong></a>): PI</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/qizhong-liang-323439312/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Qizhong Liang</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(PhD candidate, CU Boulder Physics, JILA): Technical Lead</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/apoorva-bisht-227419241/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Apoorva Bisht</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(PhD student, CU Boulder Physics, JILA): Research Assistant</li></ul><h3><span>Kitsune Bio</span></h3><p><span>Kitsune Bio enhances the structural adaptability of cyclic peptides, improving their ability to bind, inhibit and access challenging intracellular targets. This unique platform unlocks new opportunities for treating complex diseases and improving patient outcomes.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/makenna-morck/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Makenna Morck</strong></span></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Embark EIR</strong></a>): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecsantiago/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Alec Santiago</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(CU Boulder Embark EIR): COO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><span>Michael Stowell (</span><a href="/mcdb/michael-stowell" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular &amp; Developmental Biology</strong></span></a><span>): PI</span></li></ul><div><div><h3><span>IntraLumenus</span></h3><p>Let’s never cut open a patient again. <span>IntraLumenus</span> is a treaded robotic capsule endoscope that travels through the colon under its own power, provides localization and mapping, and dual channel tool access, enabling colorectal procedures to be performed intraluminally, or from within the colon.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessesheppard/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jesse M. Sheppard</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fc3e2b60-233e-49b0-ad58-49b487588eff" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator"><strong>CU Boulder Embark EIR</strong></a>): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rentschler-533822/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mark Rentschler</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(<a href="/mechanical/mark-rentschler" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering</strong></a>): PI</li></ul><div><div><h3>SteriO3</h3><p>Peroxide Enhanced Germicidal Irradiation (PEGI) provides rapid, low-resource sterilization of microbial contaminants. With adaptable configuration capabilities, PEGI will be engineered into compact, portable units for low-temperature sterilization of surgical equipment, including 3D-printed implants. <a href="https://sterio3.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Visit the SteriO3 website</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmalee-biesiada-phd/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Emmalee Biesiada</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;(<a href="/ceae/" rel="nofollow"><strong>CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering</strong></a>): Principal Investigator (PI), LVC Pitch Presenter</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-hughes-executive-leader/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Steve Hughes</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>: CEO</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hernandez-0a60122a0/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mark Hernandez</strong></a><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;(CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering): Chief Scientific and Project Advisor</li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Fourteen teams of University of Colorado faculty, researchers and graduate student innovators competed for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC).</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/LVC%20article%20title%20image%20100124.png?itok=UZ9hMb3H" width="1500" height="844" alt="Lab Venture Challenge"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:10:46 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2385 at /venturepartners CU Boulder teams among first winners of the NSF-funded Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine /venturepartners/2024/10/22/external-news/cu-boulder-teams-among-first-winners-nsf-funded-colorado-wyoming-climate-resilience <span>CU Boulder teams among first winners of the NSF-funded Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine </span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-22T12:01:49-06:00" title="Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 12:01">Tue, 10/22/2024 - 12:01</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/Elliot%20Strand%20working%20greenhouse%20102824.png?h=6161a13d&amp;itok=vhkQiSed" width="1200" height="600" alt="A white man with brown hair in blue t-shirt and wearing protective glasses concentrates on his work in a greenhouse."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/397"> CU Innovators News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/525"> Climate, Energy &amp; Sustainability </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><em>This article was initially published at </em><a href="https://innosphereventures.org/governors-of-colorado-and-wyoming-announce-3m-in-funding-for-climate-resilience-projects-through-the-nsf-funded-colorado-wyoming-climate-resilience-engine/" rel="nofollow"><em><strong>innosphereventures.org</strong></em></a>.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">&nbsp;</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><strong>Ready to explore opportunities in research translation? </strong>Venture Partners at CU Boulder brings the university’s world-class researchers with the business, startup and entrepreneurial communities to translate groundbreaking solutions into economic and social impact.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Opportunities and Events</span></a></p></div></div></div><p><span>Over the past two months, the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine has been focused on identifying and supporting groundbreaking climate resilience projects across the region. This included launching the first round of investments in Research and Development and Translation/Startup projects with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. Interdisciplinary, collaborative teams from across the region’s leading universities and startup companies answered the Engine’s request for proposals with an overwhelming and diverse range of climate resilience solutions.</span></p><p><span>Governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Mark Gordon of Wyoming collaborated to announce the recipients of the inaugural grant program by the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine. This partnership signifies a new phase in the joint efforts of the two states to create climate resilience solutions that safeguard communities, encourage innovation, and stimulate economic development.</span></p><p><span>“Colorado is leading the way in addressing climate change and using innovative solutions to become more resilient in the face of its impact. I’m thankful for Wyoming and Governor Gordon’s partnership and openness to work together to drive innovation, strengthen public-private partnerships, and make the region more climate resilient. These projects will help secure our water future, protect Coloradans from wildfire dangers, and protect our air and I am excited to see them in action,” said Governor Polis.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">“When Wyoming joined the engine, we were focused on identifying and addressing specific Wyoming issues, including the impacts of droughts and wildfires,” Governor Gordon said. “Wyoming and Colorado may not be in alignment on many issues, but I&nbsp;will always support efforts within&nbsp;each of our states to benefit our citizens.”</span></p><p><span>The CO-WY Engine received nearly 50 proposals across two areas: R&amp;D, which focuses on catalyzing the commercialization of university-based projects, and Translation/Startups, which supports bringing early-stage commercial solutions to scale. The winning projects address key issues in climate resilience in our region, including water security, wildfire prediction and response, extreme weather modeling, soil carbon sequestration, and methane emissions mitigation. These projects build on and strengthen critical capabilities in advanced sensing and data science, positioning Colorado and Wyoming at the forefront of innovation nationally. These projects demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships and investments in innovation to drive meaningful impact.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>For more information about future proposal requests and opportunities with the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine visit </span><a href="https://www.co-wyengine.org/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>co-wyengine.org</strong></span></a><span>.</span></p><h2><span>University of Colorado Boulder Winners of the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine Request for Proposals</span></h2><h3><span>Use-Inspired Funding</span></h3><p><strong>Wildfire Risk and Prediction</strong><br><span><strong>Project title:</strong> </span><em><span>Mapping Vulnerability: Assessing the Built Environment’s Susceptibility to Wildfires through AI and Big Data.</span></em><br><span><strong>Principal investigator: </strong>Virginia Iglesias, PhD (</span><a href="https://earthlab.colorado.edu/our-team/virginia-iglesias" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Earth Lab, CIRES</strong></span></a><span>)</span><br><span><strong>Lead institution: </strong>University of Colorado Boulder</span><br><span><strong>Key partners: </strong>CoreLogic, CyVerse</span></p><h3><span>Translational Funding</span></h3><p><span><strong>Complex Earth Sensing/Soil Carbon Capture Data &amp; Analytics&nbsp;</strong></span><br><span><strong>Project title:</strong> Next-Gen Soil Monitoring: Wireless Printed Sensors for Agriculture&nbsp;</span><br><span><strong>Principal investigator:</strong> Elliot Strand (</span><a href="/lab/whiting/elliot-strand" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>BEEM Lab, College of Engineering and Applied Science</strong></span></a><span>)</span><br><span><strong>Company name:</strong> Page Technologies</span><br><span><strong>Key partners:</strong> Syngenta Group, University of Wyoming, 3 Rocks Ranch, Colorado State University, Growing Gardens, Meshcomm Engineering&nbsp;</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder teams are among the first winners of the NSF-funded Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine, which supports innovative climate resilience projects across the region1. This initiative, backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation, aims to address key issues like water security, wildfire prediction, and extreme weather modeling through interdisciplinary collaboration.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-10/Elliot%20Strand%20working%20greenhouse%20102824.png?itok=W3iDtfdx" width="1500" height="598" alt="A white man with brown hair in blue t-shirt and wearing protective glasses concentrates on his work in a greenhouse."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> <div>Elliot Strand (photo: CU Boulder)</div> Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:01:49 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2386 at /venturepartners GM Ventures invests $10M in Forge Nano’s game-changing EV battery technology /venturepartners/2024/10/16/external-news/gm-ventures-invests-10m-forge-nanos-game-changing-ev-battery-technology <span>GM Ventures invests $10M in Forge Nano’s game-changing EV battery technology</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-16T11:43:45-06:00" title="Wednesday, October 16, 2024 - 11:43">Wed, 10/16/2024 - 11:43</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/Forge%20Nano%20Electrek%20article%20101824.png?h=8523bfc4&amp;itok=8KCdbw4T" width="1200" height="600" alt="Two men work on a large space full of mechanical machinery"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Electrek—Capital investment into Forge Nano, a CU Boulder spinout, now exceeds $100 million; GM joins Volkswagen, LG, Hanwha, and Mitsui Kinzoku as shareholders.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://electrek.co/2024/10/16/gm-ventures-invests-10m-in-forge-nanos-game-changing-ev-battery-technology/`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 16 Oct 2024 17:43:45 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2374 at /venturepartners We went to a startup symposium at the University of Colorado. We saw these nine cool startups. We said “wow” a lot. /venturepartners/2024/10/11/external-news/we-went-startup-symposium-university-colorado-we-saw-these-nine-cool-startups-we-said <span>We went to a startup symposium at the University of Colorado. We saw these nine cool startups. We said “wow” a lot.</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-11T13:37:55-06:00" title="Friday, October 11, 2024 - 13:37">Fri, 10/11/2024 - 13:37</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-image/solid_power.jpeg?h=0e51f3ec&amp;itok=omsR6BcG" width="1200" height="600" alt="Scientist holds up batteries"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/361"> Venture Partners News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Colorado Public Radio—The pace of innovation and spin-off companies at the four-campus system is accelerating, particularly in the fields of health and bioscience, quantum, cybersecurity, aerospace, climate innovation, the outdoors and the food and beverage industries. The university system has 80 innovation and business accelerator programs that give patent legal, and financial support to budding entrepreneurs.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/11/nine-startup-stories-university-of-colorado/`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:37:55 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2371 at /venturepartners Forge Nano, a CU Boulder spinout, subsidiary selected for $100M U.S. Department of Energy award /venturepartners/2024/10/07/external-news/forge-nano-cu-boulder-spinout-subsidiary-selected-100m-us-department-energy-award <span>Forge Nano, a CU Boulder spinout, subsidiary selected for $100M U.S. Department of Energy award</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-10T15:55:45-06:00" title="Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 15:55">Thu, 10/10/2024 - 15:55</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/Forge%20Nano%20article%20101024.png?h=b10b8877&amp;itok=jTAKSCwa" width="1200" height="600" alt="Illustration of a gigafactory"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Forge Nano Inc.—Forge Battery, the commercial lithium-ion battery production subsidiary of Forge Nano, a CU Boulder spinout, announced it was selected for award negotiations of up to $100 million in non-dilutive funding by the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) to expand its North Carolina lithium-ion battery gigafactory production capacity to 3-gigawatt hours per year (GWh/year). </div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.forgenano.com/forge-battery-to-receive-100m-from-u-s-department-of-energy-to-expand-production-capacity-of-north-carolina-lithium-ion-battery-gigafactory/`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 10 Oct 2024 21:55:45 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2363 at /venturepartners OnKure, a CU Boulder spinout, and Reneo Pharmaceuticals complete merger /venturepartners/2024/10/07/external-news/onkure-cu-boulder-spinout-and-reneo-pharmaceuticals-complete-merger <span>OnKure, a CU Boulder spinout, and Reneo Pharmaceuticals complete merger</span> <span><span>Daniel Corbin …</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-10T15:53:18-06:00" title="Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 15:53">Thu, 10/10/2024 - 15:53</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-10/OnKure%20merger%20article%20101024.png?h=06637230&amp;itok=ykr2Uzg_" width="1200" height="600" alt="Illustration of microscopic cells"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Yahoo Finance—OnKure has announced the successful completion of its merger with Reneo Pharmaceuticals, with the combined entity set to operate under the OnKure Therapeutics name.</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://finance.yahoo.com/news/onkure-reneo-pharmaceuticals-complete-merger-083240643.html`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 10 Oct 2024 21:53:18 +0000 Daniel Corbin Leonard 2362 at /venturepartners