/venturepartners/ en /venturepartners/2026/10/01/internal-news/lab-discoveries-life-changing-heart-drugs-and-billion-dollar-companies <span>From lab discoveries to life-changing heart drugs and billion-dollar companies</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-10-01T14:31:14-06:00" title="Thursday, October 1, 2026 - 14:31">Thu, 10/01/2026 - 14:31</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-09/Leslie%20Leinwand%20Snake%20Research%20092826%20small.png?h=21f46728&amp;itok=GS8lmasc" width="1200" height="800" alt="Two researchers in a lab, one smiling as she looks at a pair of ball pythons, one dark brown and one pale yellow, held by her colleague."> </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/361"> CU Commercialization News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/397"> CU Innovators News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup 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="text-align-right small-text" dir="ltr"><strong>Photo: </strong><span><strong>Leslie Leinwand (left), distinguished professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, converses with graduate student Skip Maas (right), holding two pythons. Photo by Patrick Campbell, CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï.</strong></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/2026-09/Leslie%20Leinwand%20092826.png?itok=MwTX5c5d" width="375" height="500" alt="Leslie Leinwand"> </div> </div> <p class="lead" dir="ltr"><span>Internationally renowned cardiac researcher and serial entrepreneur Leslie Leinwand has revolutionized understanding of the heart through her decades-long mission to bring innovations from the lab bench to patient bedsides — and with billion-dollar “unicornâ€� spinouts Myogen, MyoKardia and, most recently, Kardigan.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>After speaking at a medical conference recently, Leslie Leinwand,&nbsp;</span><a href="/mcdb/leslie-leinwand" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>distinguished professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a><span>, met an appreciative attendee. “She was not a physician or scientist; she was a patient,â€� said Leinwand. The woman had suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a common inherited cardiac disorder that prevents activities that strain the heart. That is, until she started taking mavacamten (CAMZYOS®), a therapeutic developed to treat the underlying mechanism of the disease based on research done in Leinwand’s CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï lab. “She came up to me afterward, and she said, ‘I couldn’t walk up and down the steps to get onto the subway; I can now do it without even thinking about it,’â€� said Leinwand.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>That moving meeting between researcher and patient was decades in the making. Leinwand, founder and head of the&nbsp;</span><a href="/lab/leinwand/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Leinwand Lab</strong></span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/biofrontiers/leslie-leinwand" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>executive scientific officer of CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s BioFrontiers Institute</strong></span></a><span>, was fascinated by genetics by the time she went off to college in the 1970s and has been passionate for nearly as long about unraveling the genetic aspects of HCM, which is the leading cause of sudden death in young people, as well as a chronic, progressive disease that in some people can be asymptomatic.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Leinwand calls HCM “a big sick heart that runs in the family,â€� affecting as many as one in 500 people worldwide. The condition causes thickening of the heart wall and reduced blood flow into and out of the heart. HCM is also the most common cause of sudden death among athletes, who often don’t know they have the disease until their hearts are taxed to a lethal degree. What ultimately causes the disorder had long been a heartbreaking mystery — until a team of scientists, including Leinwand, cracked the code.&nbsp;</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>From bench to bedside — with unicorns</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>The heart is a big muscle that beats about 100,000 times a day, and the motor that drives that contraction is a protein called myosin. Leinwand has been studying cardiac myosin for most of her career, and since 1995 at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, having had the sense early on in her research that a malfunction in the protein played a role in heart disease. When myosin mutates, in fact, it can produce the too-fast, too-powerful heartbeat characteristic of HCM. “My lab studied how certain muscle mutations lead to disease,â€� said Leinwand, “and how a small DNA change leads to an often fatal crisis in the heart.â€�&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Still, into the 2000s, no one knew how exactly the heart’s myosin motors were affected by gene mutations, and the only treatments for HCM were medications to slow heart rate, surgery to trim excess heart muscle or, in extreme cases, a heart transplant. HCM sufferers led sedentary yet anxious lives, trying to prevent the worst-case scenario. Then Leinwand’s lab, one of just a handful in the world studying cardiac myosin at the time, devised a game-changing system for producing lab-made cardiac myosin motors engineered with mutations. Those copies proved to be a critical step in studying the effects of DNA glitches that made the protein overreact, and in identifying them as a promising target for treatment.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Those groundbreaking discoveries led Leinwand to co-found MyoKardia in 2012, with colleagues at Stanford and Harvard. The company was centered on developing a therapeutic for HCM that essentially targeted myosin activity and pumped the brakes on the heart’s overactive motor.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Leinwand said the clinical trials of mavacamten exceeded the scientists’ expectations. “It was even better than what we had hoped for; we thought we might be able to slow the progression of this disease, but we’re seeing reversal of the disease,â€� said Leinwand. “In that population of people who respond very well, it’s been life-changing and life-saving.â€� In 2020, Bristol Myers Squibb acquired MyoKardia for $13.1 billion and brought the myosin inhibitor to market as CAMZYOS^® two years later.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>By the time she co-founded MyoKardia, Leinwand was already a seasoned entrepreneur. Just a year after arriving at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, she co-founded Myogen with the late Michael Bristow, then a professor of cardiology at what is now the </span><a href="https://www.cuanschutz.edu/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</strong></span></a><span>, and two colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>Leinwand credits Bristow, then head of the division of cardiology, with getting her interested in biotechnology. “At one point, he said to me, ‘How’d you like to start a company to treat heart failure?’ And I said, ‘I know nothing about starting companies,’â€� said Leinwand. “He said, ‘Well, luckily for you, I do, and I’ll teach you’ — and we were off to the races.â€�&nbsp;</span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>Myogen focused on discovering, advancing and commercializing drugs for the treatment of heart failure and related cardiovascular diseases. One of its major successes was a therapy called ambrisentan, developed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a progressive disease causing extreme fatigue and breathlessness. Myogen’s savvy strategy of licensing products developed by other companies and then repurposing them for use in the heart caught the attention of private investors, then Gilead Sciences, which bought the company for $2.5 billion in 2006. Soon after the purchase, ambrisentan gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval (marketed as Letairis®) and became a standard-of-care therapy for PAH. “That was very satisfying, because there weren’t any treatments for it, and PAH was quite lethal. Many young women, in particular, were dying as a result of that disease,â€� said Leinwand. “So it was a success commercially and from the patient standpoint.â€�</span></p><div><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><a href="/venturepartners/node/1732" rel="nofollow"> <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/page/path_to_commercialization_mountain_graphic_white_back.png?itok=jASLlu5E" width="375" height="211" alt="Illustration of a mountain as a metaphor where researchers can climb one of two paths with their discovery of either starting a company or licensing their protected intellectual property"> </div> </div> </a><h3 class="text-align-center">But what is "commercialization"?</h3><p class="text-align-center lead">The path to commercialization — also known as "research translation" or "tech transfer" — can be challenging, so Venture Partners unites&nbsp;industry partners, entrepreneurs and investors to help&nbsp;researchers, inventors and creators at the University of Colorado bring their groundbreaking discoveries into the marketplace.</p><p class="text-align-center"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/node/1732" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore the Path to Commercialization</span></a></p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p></div><p dir="ltr"><span>The immense commercial success of Myogen and MyoKardia already makes Leinwand a rarity, said&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryn-rees-53312916/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Bryn Rees</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>,&nbsp;</span><a href="/venturepartners/about/people/bryn-rees-page" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>senior associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a><span>. “As a biotech innovator, Leslie has reached legendary status,â€� he said. That position is based on Leinwand’s prolific discoveries, life-saving drug developments and the success of her commercial ventures, he said.&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>“One of the really remarkable things about Leslie is that Myogen, MyoKardia and now Kardigan are all among [CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s] unicorns,â€� said Rees, referring to the status companies achieve when they reach a valuation of $1 billion. “Having one unicorn is incredible. Building three over the course of a career is almost unheard of.â€�</span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>Luckily for those within and outside the university, Leinwand is an unstoppable innovator, said Rees. In 2023, she co-founded Kardigan with MyoKardia alumni, a “heart healthâ€� biotech company focused on developing therapeutics that prevent and cure heart disease, in addition to treating it. Kardigan is advancing three clinical-stage drug candidates targeting hard-to-treat cardiovascular diseases. The company — Leinwand’s extraordinary third unicorn — had raised nearly $600 million in private venture funding by late last year and, in June, Leinwand and colleagues were ringing the Nasdaq opening bell in Times Square to mark Kardigan’s initial public offering of $400 million.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr"><span>Going out on the edge</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>By her own admission, Leinwand doesn’t sleep much and, when she invariably wakes in the middle of the night, she jots down thoughts in a notebook kept by her bedside. “I actually think sleep is a waste of time,â€� she said. Even today, the waking hours provide her with opportunities to pursue her passion.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>“For me, that passion for discovery and translating research into something that could be useful for humans in both health and disease is what drives me,â€� said Leinwand. “I feel like I’m still learning and I look forward to that.â€�</span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>Throughout her career, Leinwand has also been a strong advocate of encouraging others to follow their passion toward discovery. Over the past few decades, in the Leinwand Lab and beyond, she has mentored hundreds of scientists, some of whom are also now leaders in cardiac research. “Clearly, I’ve had a lot more interest than I ever thought I would in developing these companies, but I never wanted to be out of academics,â€� said Leinwand. “I didn’t want to give up mentoring students; I love that too much.â€�</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>By design, the Leinwand Lab and later the BioFrontiers Institute have always taken an interdisciplinary approach to human health and disease. Leinwand attributes much of her success to working with others at the university who can look at a shared problem from a different angle. “Human health is very complex and requires true interdisciplinary approaches. Being able to learn from people who do and think a little bit differently [is important],â€� she said. That collaborative environment encourages people to “go out on the edge,â€� she said, where answers to complex questions often lie.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Leinwand’s mentorship and policy of academic freedom drew&nbsp;</span><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/jack-gugel-ph-d-96a991337/?skipRedirect=true" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Jack Gugel</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>&nbsp;to her lab when he was pursuing his PhD several years ago. And then there were the pythons in residence in the Leinwand Lab. “The snakes were one of the things that really got me,â€� Gugel said. “And yeah, they are pretty awesome.â€�&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>The “Python Projectâ€� launched two decades ago at the Leinwand Lab to study the remarkable snakes whose heart size increases 25 percent or more after eating a massive meal — then shrinks back to normal. That led to Leinwand’s short-lived startup called Hiberna, which looked at translating research on “metabolic depressionâ€� (like that experienced by hibernating animals) into treatments that could protect the heart during adverse events by slowing metabolism in a controlled way. Her lab continues to study the ways in which understanding a python’s powerful, pliable heart may inform human health.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>More recent python research led to another Leinwand Lab startup, Arkana Therapeutics, co-founded in 2025 by Gugel, Leinwand,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-martin-ph-d-045504146/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Thomas Martin</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>&nbsp;(a postdoctoral fellow in the Leinwand Lab at the time) and Jonathan Long at Stanford. The company is based on research into pythons’ response to eating a big meal, which, in the wild, can equal their body weight. “They can really eat one of the biggest meals of any animal in the animal kingdom,â€� said Gugel, “so we wanted to see what happens to their physiology and what kind of molecules they were producing.â€�&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="align-right image_style-medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-10/LVC%202025%20Arkana%20Therapeutics.JPG?itok=9Y_DtEAe" width="750" height="750" alt="Three people stand on stage smiling and holding an oversized check for $127,500 made out to Arkana Therapeutics, winners of the 2025 Lab Venture Challenge hosted by Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï."> </div> </div> <p class="small-text" dir="ltr"><strong>Photo: Members of Arkana Therapeutics with their prize-winning check at the 2025 Lab Venture Challenge. From left: </strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuxiao-tan/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Yuxiao Tan</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><strong>, </strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-martin-ph-d-045504146/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Thomas Martin</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><strong>&nbsp;and </strong><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/jack-gugel-ph-d-96a991337/?skipRedirect=true" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Jack Gugel</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><strong>.</strong></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Ultimately, they discovered a molecule that increases 1,000-fold after the python eats, acting as a natural appetite suppressant. That science laid the groundwork for Arkana’s metabolite-based therapeutics for obesity, which are now in the proof-of-concept phase.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>For Gugel, now CEO of Arkana, Leinwand has been a north star in getting the company off the ground. “She’s been huge both on the scientific side as a grad student, and especially as I’ve been transitioning into this startup role,â€� he said. Leinwand has opened up her network on the science and business fronts, said Gugel. “She’s walked down this road so many times before with previous companies and is so helpful in that regard,â€� he said.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Gugel and his team have also benefited tremendously from the commercialization arm of the campus, Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, which didn’t exist when Leinwand launched her first companies but now helps would-be entrepreneurs follow in her footsteps.&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>“Venture Partners has really helped lay out the roadmap of ‘here are all the things you need to do, and all the sources of funding you can get,’â€� said Gugel. “They stand out compared to what I’ve seen at other universities in terms of their professionalism and how good they are at what they do.â€�&nbsp;</span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>Arkana has participated in several Venture Partners programs, including the 2025&nbsp;</span><a href="/venturepartners/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Lab Venture Challenge</strong></span></a><span> (in which it won $127,500); the 2026&nbsp;</span><a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/ascent-deep-tech-accelerator" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator</strong></span></a><span>, supporting business formation, market strategy and fundraising; and it was among the first recipients of a new translational funding program that provided up to $50,000 per project to advance promising, early-stage therapeutics with strong commercial potential.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Leinwand was reflective when asked what those moments of discovery are like — when a scientific mystery is solved, or a person reaches out to you whose life has been improved by a therapeutic you helped develop. “[Those moments] are indescribable in the sense that you have this sort of feeling of satisfaction, that you are glad you stuck with this idea and didn’t get distracted. 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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/2026-09/Leslie%20Leinwand%20Snake%20Research%20092826%20small.png?itok=F-ERUyK1" width="1500" height="642" alt="Two researchers in a lab, one smiling as she looks at a pair of ball pythons, one dark brown and one pale yellow, held by her colleague."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:31:14 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2967 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/30/external-news/zircadia-receives-314k-national-institutes-health-award-advance-ear-sleep-sensor <span>Zircadia receives $314K National Institutes of Health award to advance in-ear sleep sensor</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-30T13:11:19-06:00" title="Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - 13:11">Wed, 09/30/2026 - 13:11</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-04/STOCK%20woman%20sleeping%20042225.jpeg?h=16b6bbb4&amp;itok=B3mbhA8W" width="1200" height="800" alt="A woman sleeps in a comfortable bed"> </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 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"><strong>Secure Non-Dilutive Funding with the Center for Translational Research</strong></div><div class="ucb-box-content"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p><span>As a resource for startups partnering with or originating from the university seeking non-dilutive funding—including Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards—the center advises on best practices for securing non-dilutive capital, provides market research and industry analysis and offers proposal editing and critique.</span></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/funding-opportunities-and-support/center-translational-research" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><span>Visit the CTR Website</span></span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/zircadia-inc-prev-eerdx-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Zircadia</strong></a>, a °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup, has received a $314,318 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The award supports real-world testing of the company’s in-ear sensor system for in-lab and at-home sleep monitoring, along with the data collection and algorithm development needed to enhance clinical workflows.</p><p>Zircadia’s soft, earbud-style platform captures electroencephalography (EEG) and other physiological signals from inside the ear. The company aims to extend accurate home-based EEG diagnostics to sleep conditions such as central sleep apnea and narcolepsy, which still depend on in-lab testing today. Under the Phase I project, Zircadia will expand its validation of in-ear signal quality, clinical utility and patient comfort during overnight use, in collaboration with clinical partner Rebis Health.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://zircadia.com/news/nih-sbir-nhlbi-award" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: Zircadia</span></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11408109" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: <span>NIH RePORT</span></span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/zircadia-inc-prev-eerdx-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Zircadia</strong></a> is commercializing flexible biosensor technology developed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jianliang-xiao-03614671/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jianliang Xiao</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/mechanical/jianliang-xiao" rel="nofollow"><strong>associate professor of mechanical engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>. CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartonemery/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Bart Emery</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;met Xiao through the CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" rel="nofollow"><strong>Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator</strong></a> and learned about the technology, which now underpins the company’s earbud device.</p><p>The startup has since advanced through Venture Partners programs including the <a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/entrepreneurial-training/nsf-i-corps-hub-west/research-market-r2m-customer" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="332960db-05d1-4a80-9167-1caa59419eef" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program"><strong>Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program</strong></a>, <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/ascent-deep-tech-accelerator" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator</strong></a> and <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/destination-startup" rel="nofollow"><strong>Destination Startup^®</strong></a>.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/zircadia-inc-prev-eerdx-inc" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">View Full Profile</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p></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 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>What could you do with a CU technology?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners manages a portfolio of over 1,000 technologies from university investigators and partners with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes—from startups to the Fortune 500—to bring these inventions to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-04/STOCK%20biosciences%20lab%20040425.jpeg?h=cdcef113&amp;itok=4wKWhG8k" alt="Close up on a researcher using a pipette" loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </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 2"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-left col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-article-media-img ucb-article-media-img--original" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/original_image_size/public/2024-11/Handheld%20device%20article%20111424.png?itok=IoFK6H4r" alt="A man uses an injector in a bio lab" loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>Venture Partners helps researchers, inventors and creators take their groundbreaking discoveries every step of the way, from intellectual property (IP) management to market launch.&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Zircadia, a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup commercializing flexible biosensor technology developed by Jianliang Xiao, has received a $314,318 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to test its in-ear sleep monitoring sensor.</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/2025-04/STOCK%20woman%20sleeping%20042225.jpeg?itok=NslGXOTm" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A woman sleeps in a comfortable bed"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:11:19 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2975 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/24/external-news/mesa-quantum-raises-118m-scale-gps-independent-quantum-timing <span>Mesa Quantum raises $11.8M to scale GPS-independent quantum timing</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-24T13:59:09-06:00" title="Thursday, September 24, 2026 - 13:59">Thu, 09/24/2026 - 13:59</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-03/Mesa%20Quantum%20expanded%20image_0.png?h=b727c03f&amp;itok=PUE5crZy" width="1200" height="800" alt="From left to right: William Raasch, Haoquan Fan, Sristy Agrawal, Austin Granmoe, Andres cuellar Vega (below), Antonio Yervez, Wale Lawal"> </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><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/mesa-quantum-systems-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mesa Quantum</strong></a>, a °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup developing chip-scale quantum sensing technology, has raised an oversubscribed $11.8 million round led by Playground Global. The funding will help the company move from component-level development to full system integration and scaled production of deployable quantum timing and navigation units.</p><p>Mesa Quantum is working to address the global dependence on vulnerable satellite-based GPS signals for time synchronization across data centers, power grids, financial markets and military operations. The round brings the company’s total venture funding to nearly $16 million, and Mesa Quantum is expanding its operations in New Mexico, establishing manufacturing infrastructure at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) and through its Sandia National Laboratories partnerships.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924055614/en/Mesa-Quantum-Raises-Oversubscribed-%2411.8-Million-Round-to-End-Dependence-on-Fragile-GPS" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: Business Wire</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/mesa-quantum-systems-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mesa Quantum</strong></a> licenses chip-scale atomic clock technology developed in the lab of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenja-knappe-701aa613a/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Svenja Knappe</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/mechanical/svenja-knappe" rel="nofollow"><strong>associate research professor of mechanical engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>. Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï connected co-founder and CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sristy-agrawal-718a17ba/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sristy Agrawal</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD alum of <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow"><strong>physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, with the technology, and the startup emerged from customer discovery through the <a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/entrepreneurial-training/nsf-i-corps-hub-west" rel="nofollow"><strong>National Science Foundation I-Corpsâ„¢ Hub West</strong></a> at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï.</p><p>Mesa Quantum has since advanced through Venture Partners programming, including a $125,000 award from the <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><strong>Lab Venture Challenge (LVC)</strong></a> and support from the <a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/funding-opportunities-and-support/center-translational-research" rel="nofollow"><strong>Center for Translational Research (CTR)</strong></a> and the <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/ascent-deep-tech-accelerator" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator</strong></a>.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/mesa-quantum-systems-inc" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">View Full Profile</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p></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 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>What could you do with a CU technology?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners manages a portfolio of over 1,000 technologies from university investigators and partners with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes—from startups to the Fortune 500—to bring these inventions to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2026-02/Quantum%20icon%20021026.png?h=65dfd3f7&amp;itok=gwzWR_Mc" alt="Abstract illustration of a glowing atomic structure with orbiting light trails and particles, representing quantum science or advanced physics concepts." loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </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 2"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-left col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-06/New%20quantum%20article%20061325_0.png?h=601e5bfe&amp;itok=yQkEUTn0" alt="Two people peer inside a complex machine" loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>Venture Partners helps researchers, inventors and creators take their groundbreaking discoveries every step of the way, from intellectual property (IP) management to market launch.&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Mesa Quantum, a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup developing chip-scale quantum sensing technology, has raised an oversubscribed $11.8 million round led by Playground Global.</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/2025-03/Mesa%20Quantum%20expanded%20image_0.png?itok=uOwN3iZk" width="1500" height="471" alt="From left to right: William Raasch, Haoquan Fan, Sristy Agrawal, Austin Granmoe, Andres cuellar Vega (below), Antonio Yervez, Wale Lawal"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:59:09 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2972 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/29/external-news/codebreaker-labs-raises-45m-seed-round-scale-data-genomic-ai <span>Codebreaker Labs raises $4.5M seed round to scale data for genomic AI</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-24T13:27:40-06:00" title="Thursday, September 24, 2026 - 13:27">Thu, 09/24/2026 - 13:27</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-09/DSCF3819%20-%20edited.png?h=9af29b44&amp;itok=kvgzTQeR" width="1200" height="800" alt="A smiling woman in a purple blazer holds an oversized Lab Venture Challenge check for $125,000 made out to Codebreaker in the Bio Sciences category"> </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><p class="text-align-right small-text"><strong>Photo: Tanya Warnecke, co-founder and CTO of Codebreaker, at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's 2024 Lab Venture Challenge</strong></p><p><a href="https://codebreakerlabs.io/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Codebreaker Labs</strong></a>, a °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, Colorado-based genomic artificial intelligence (AI) company, has closed a $4.5 million seed round led by Kickstart, with continued support from <a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/funding-opportunities-and-support/buff-venture-fund" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="16f379a2-e6b8-4b9c-a6f2-40af9b977eb8" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Buff Venture Fund"><strong>Buff Gold Ventures</strong></a> and Children’s Hospital Colorado. The company introduces thousands of genetic variants into disease-relevant human cells and measures their effects at genome scale, generating functional evidence for variant interpretation and data to train genomic AI models.</p><p>The funding will support laboratory scale-up, scientific hiring and development of the company’s variant Atlases and AI-powered interpretation tools. Its first commercial Atlas, targeted for 2027, is designed to measure the effects of 100,000 genomic variants, with an initial focus on immunology and blood cancers.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.einpresswire.com/article/944368561/codebreaker-labs-raises-seed-round-to-scale-first-of-its-kind-data-for-genomic-ai" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: EIN Presswire</span></a><br>&nbsp;</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"><h3><strong>2026 Lab Venture Challenge Showcases</strong></h3><p><span lang="EN-US">The can't-miss showcases of the year to see CU's next wave of breakthrough innovations!&nbsp;</span><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p><i class="fa-solid fa-calendar-days ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Oct. 21-22, 6-8:30 p.m.&nbsp;</strong><br><i class="fa-solid fa-location-dot ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Dairy Arts Center, °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/lab-venture-challenge#showcase" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Get Tickets</span></a></p></div></div></div><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="https://codebreakerlabs.io/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Codebreaker Labs</strong></a> received a $125,000 award in the biosciences category of CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><strong>Lab Venture Challenge (LVC)</strong></a> in 2024, with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-layer-bab6bb69/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ryan Layer</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/cs/ryan-layer" rel="nofollow"><strong>assistant professor of computer science at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a> and a member of the BioFrontiers Institute, as the project’s principal investigator.</p><p>Co-founder and CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-t-gill-9388238/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Ryan T. Gill</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;is a former faculty member in <a href="/chbe/" rel="nofollow"><strong>chemical and biological engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, where CRISPR gene-editing technology developed in his lab led to the formation of genome engineering company Muse Biotech — later <a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/inscripta-inc-now-manus-bio-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Inscripta</strong></a> — in 2015.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p></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 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>What could you do with a CU technology?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners manages a portfolio of over 1,000 technologies from university investigators and partners with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes—from startups to the Fortune 500—to bring these inventions to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2025-04/STOCK%20biosciences%20lab%20040425.jpeg?h=cdcef113&amp;itok=4wKWhG8k" alt="Close up on a researcher using a pipette" loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </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 2"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-left col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2026-03/Mark%20Borden%20Biomedical%20Laboratory%20030226.png?h=0352db88&amp;itok=LkQ-_e8r" alt="Researcher wearing a lab coat and gloves operates a computer workstation in a biomedical laboratory, analyzing data displayed on a monitor amid scientific equipment and benches." loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>Venture Partners helps researchers, inventors and creators take their groundbreaking discoveries every step of the way, from intellectual property (IP) management to market launch.&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Codebreaker Labs, a °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï genomic AI company and 2024 CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Lab Venture Challenge awardee, has closed a $4.5 million seed round led by Kickstart.</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/2026-09/DSCF3819%20-%20edited.png?itok=x3nYJiIB" width="1500" height="696" alt="A smiling woman in a purple blazer holds an oversized Lab Venture Challenge check for $125,000 made out to Codebreaker in the Bio Sciences category"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:27:40 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2970 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/23/external-news/green-steel-environmental-named-aquaactions-first-us-water-tech-cohort <span>Green Steel Environmental named to AquaAction's first U.S. water-tech cohort</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-23T13:50:50-06:00" title="Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - 13:50">Wed, 09/23/2026 - 13:50</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-02/STOCK%20water%20treatment%20022726.jpeg?h=9148ed95&amp;itok=gP2tpwXu" width="1200" height="800" alt="Worker wearing a red hard hat, safety glasses, and reflective vest records data on a clipboard beside an outdoor water treatment tank with pipes and aerated water."> </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><p>AquaAction has launched its first U.S. wave in Michigan, selecting 10 water-tech companies for its new AquaEntrepreneur Michigan program, including <a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/green-steel-environmental-llc" rel="nofollow"><strong>Green Steel Environmental</strong></a>, a °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup. Over the 10-month program, the selected entrepreneurs will receive customized coaching, technical guidance and guaranteed opportunities to pilot their technologies in real-world settings.</p><p>Green Steel Environmental turns steel-industry by-products into low-cost materials that remove phosphorus and sulfur from wastewater, helping protect waterways while supporting a more circular economy. The cohort was announced at the Michigan Blue Economy Summit, held in partnership with AquaAction and the University of Michigan-Flint.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aquaaction-selects-10-water-tech-companies-to-accelerate-michigans-blue-economy-302888002.html" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: PR Newswire</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p>Green Steel Environmental was co-founded by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanteaford/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jonathan Teaford</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-jonis/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Jon Jonis</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;through CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/embark-deep-tech-startup-creator" rel="nofollow"><strong>Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator</strong></a>, and advanced through <a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/entrepreneurial-training/nsf-i-corps-hub-west" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="1733bb2f-2a18-43d7-9594-35a8f267ff4f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="NSF I-Corps Hub West "><strong>I-Corps Hub West</strong></a> programming and <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/ascent-deep-tech-accelerator" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c08ebb07-1159-4805-8252-ef44e3820f89" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator"><strong>Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator</strong></a>. Its patented Green Steel PSRâ„¢ technology, which sequesters phosphorus and sulfur using upcycled iron- and steel-manufacturing slags, originated in the lab of company co-founder Mark Hernandez, <a href="/ceae/mark-hernandez" rel="nofollow"><strong>professor of environmental engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>.</p><p>The startup received a $125,000 award from CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><strong>Lab Venture Challenge (LVC)</strong></a> in 2023 and was selected to present at <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/destination-startup" rel="nofollow"><strong>Destination Startup®</strong></a> hosted by Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï in 2026.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/green-steel-environmental-llc" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">View Full Profile</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p></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 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>What could you do with a CU technology?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners manages a portfolio of over 1,000 technologies from university investigators and partners with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes—from startups to the Fortune 500—to bring these inventions to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2024-09/Climate%20Energy%20Sustainability%20technologies%20header%20092524.jpeg?h=f52e7eb6&amp;itok=SN75VRq1" alt="Sunset over farm land covered in windmills and solar arrays." loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </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 2"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-left col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-content-row-img-lg" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/wide_image_style/public/2024-10/Elliot%20Strand%20working%20greenhouse%20102824.png?h=6161a13d&amp;itok=AGXAM-vP" alt="Researcher in safety glasses working in a greenhouse." loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>Venture Partners helps researchers, inventors and creators take their groundbreaking discoveries every step of the way, from intellectual property (IP) management to market launch.&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Green Steel Environmental, a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startup, is one of 10 water-tech companies selected for AquaEntrepreneur Michigan, the first U.S. wave of AquaAction's commercialization program.</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/2026-02/STOCK%20water%20treatment%20022726.jpeg?itok=agU1ShlI" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Worker wearing a red hard hat, safety glasses, and reflective vest records data on a clipboard beside an outdoor water treatment tank with pipes and aerated water."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:50:50 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2971 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/22/page-technologies-joins-breakthrough-energy-fellows-cohort-6 <span>PAGE Technologies joins Breakthrough Energy Fellows Cohort 6</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-22T16:56:42-06:00" title="Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - 16:56">Tue, 09/22/2026 - 16:56</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-09/PAGE%20article%20092326.png?h=f2be2dfd&amp;itok=AlI23qKj" width="1200" height="800" alt="An open white equipment cabinet on a dark background. Inside are seven blue pumps, wired electronics, a black unit with a small display, and three brown bottles with tubing attached"> </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><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/page-technologies-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>PAGE Technologies</strong></a>, a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï spinout, is one of 21 companies joining Breakthrough Energy Fellows’ Cohort 6, the program’s most globally diverse yet, with fellows from nine countries. Company co-founders <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-strand/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Elliot Strand</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paytongoodrich/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Payton Goodrich</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;will both join as fellows. The one-year fellowship pairs up to $500,000 in research and development funding with technology, business and commercialization support, mentorship and network access. Across six cohorts, Breakthrough Energy Fellows has now backed more than 100 companies and 200 Fellows, generating more than $750 million in follow-on funding.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://images.breakthroughenergy.org/4bb91847-d552-009a-ce6f-52272156c6c2/ebc7c934-2559-4c83-9f91-b9c9afb421d3/BE%20Fellows%20C6%20Announcement.pdf" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More From Breakthrough Energy</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/page-technologies-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>PAGE Technologies</strong></a> was founded in 2023 by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-strand/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Elliot Strand</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD alum of <a href="/mse/" rel="nofollow"><strong>materials science and engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paytongoodrich/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Payton Goodrich</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>, who developed the company’s low-cost environmental monitoring platform as PhD students at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï and UC Berkeley, respectively. The startup’s real-time chemical sensing technology digitizes water and land systems, helping industrial, municipal and agricultural operations manage fertilizer use, water and energy more precisely.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/page-technologies-inc" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">View Full Profile</span></a></p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none 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"><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>What could you do with a CU technology?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners manages a portfolio of over 1,000 technologies from university investigators and partners with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes—from startups to the Fortune 500—to bring these inventions to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>Venture Partners helps researchers, inventors and creators take their groundbreaking discoveries every step of the way, from intellectual property (IP) management to market launch.&nbsp;</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div><div>&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>PAGE Technologies, a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï spinout, is one of 21 companies selected for Breakthrough Energy Fellows' Cohort 6, the program's most globally diverse yet.</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/2026-09/PAGE%20article%20092326.png?itok=c_hll21Z" width="1500" height="1386" alt="An open white equipment cabinet on a dark background. Inside are seven blue pumps, wired electronics, a black unit with a small display, and three brown bottles with tubing attached"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:56:42 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2959 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/15/external-news/polaris-electro-optics-secures-50m-series-b-scale-next-gen-optical-engine-platform-ai <span>Polaris Electro-Optics secures $50M Series B to scale next-gen optical engine platform for AI infrastructure</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-15T15:27:47-06:00" title="Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - 15:27">Tue, 09/15/2026 - 15:27</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-09/Polaris%20Electro-Optics%20article%20093024.png?h=b387d4f9&amp;itok=WTuwGYQP" width="1200" height="800" alt="An illustration of computer circuits."> </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><p>Polaris Electro-Optics Inc. announced $50 million in new financing to bring its FenGlassâ„¢ electro-optic modulator platform to production. As AI workloads exponentially grow in the agentic era, data movement has become a crucial bottleneck in AI infrastructure. Not only are networks severely bandwidth-constrained, but energy consumption per bit is also unsustainable. To address these challenges, hyperscalers, neoclouds, and infrastructure providers are attempting to scale both the data rate per lane and the number of lanes. The next node requires 400 Gbps per lane and beyond to enable all applications from scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across to DCI.</p><p><span>Polaris Electro-Optics’ FenGlass platform is built to remove the trade-off between manufacturability, reliability, and bandwidth that plagues other next-generation modulator technologies.</span></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260915335654/en/Polaris-Electro-Optics-Secures-%2450M-Series-B-to-Scale-Next-Gen-Optical-Engine-Platform-for-AI-Infrastructure" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: Business Wire</span></a></p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><span>Polaris&nbsp;Electro-Optics Inc. is a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï&nbsp;spinout&nbsp;that uses a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal platform (FenGlassâ„¢) to deliver the highest-speed, most energy-efficient integrated photonics products for communications and computing applications. Polaris Electro-Optics Inc. was co-founded by Noel Clark,&nbsp;</span><a href="/physics/noel-clark" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>professor of distinction in physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a><span>,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-walba-71367b5/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Dave Walba</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>, professor emeritus of </span><a href="/chemistry/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>chemistry</strong></span></a><span> and </span><a href="/biochemistry/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>biochemistry</strong></span></a><span> at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-maclennan-49297069/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Joe MacLennan</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>,&nbsp;</span><a href="/physics/joseph-maclennan" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>lecturer in physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a><span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-glaser-81847149/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Matthew Glaser</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>,</span><a href="/physics/matthew-glaser" rel="nofollow"><span><strong> lecturer in physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a><span>, together with&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-pecinovsky-81233821/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Cory Pecinovsky</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>, a PhD alum of chemistry and the Soft Materials Research Center at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï and CTO of Polaris, and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsickler/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Jason Sickler</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>. The company has also received investment from </span><a href="/venturepartners/university-innovators/funding-opportunities-and-support/buff-venture-fund" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="16f379a2-e6b8-4b9c-a6f2-40af9b977eb8" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Buff Venture Fund"><span><strong>Buff Gold Ventures</strong></span></a><span>.</span></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/polaris-electro-optics-inc" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><span>View Profile</span></span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none 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"><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>What could CU research do for you?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners connects entrepreneurs and companies—from early-stage startups to the Fortune 500—with more than 1,500 CU technologies ready to license and bring to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>If you're a CU researcher or inventor, Venture Partners guides you from idea to market—IP protection, funding, mentorship and licensing.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div><div>&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Polaris Electro-Optics Inc., a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï spinout, announced $50 million in new financing to bring its FenGlassâ„¢ electro-optic modulator platform to production.</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/feature-title-image/polaris.png?itok=Pc371PTG" width="1500" height="689" alt> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:27:47 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2954 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/09/15/internal-news/get-front-row-seat-university-colorados-next-big-ideas-competing-more-1m-awards <span>Get a front-row seat to the University of Colorado's next big ideas competing for more than $1M in awards</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-15T10:28:30-06:00" title="Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - 10:28">Tue, 09/15/2026 - 10:28</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-06/LVC%20article%20thumbnail%20061025b.png?h=0641894f&amp;itok=R2-u_bti" width="1200" height="800" 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/361"> CU Commercialization News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/12"> CU Startup News </a> <a href="/venturepartners/taxonomy/term/398"> CU 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><p class="lead" dir="ltr"><span>Twelve teams of University of Colorado faculty researchers, graduate student innovators and entrepreneurs will compete for more than $1 million in early-stage commercialization grants in this year’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/venturepartners/lab-venture-challenge" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) Showcases</strong></span></a><span> at the Dairy Arts Center. Judges from Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s entrepreneurial network will hear Shark Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in physical sciences and another for biosciences.</span></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 class="lead"><i class="fa-solid fa-calendar-days ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Physical Sciences: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 6-8:30 p.m.&nbsp;</strong><br><i class="fa-solid fa-calendar-days ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Biosciences: Thursday, Oct. 22, 6-8:30 p.m.&nbsp;</strong></p><p><i class="fa-solid fa-location-dot ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Dairy Arts Center, °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong><br><i class="fa-solid fa-people-group ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>All Are Welcome — CU Affiliation is Not Required</strong><br><i class="fa-solid fa-ticket ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Tickets Are Free</strong></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://thedairy.org/labventure2026/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Get Free Tickets</span></a></p><p><strong>Add to Calendar:&nbsp;</strong><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-white ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-small" href="https://addcal.co/e/7jay5zegh44r/google" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-brands fa-google">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Google</span></a>&nbsp;<a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-white ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-small" href="https://addcal.co/e/7jay5zegh44r/apple" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-brands fa-apple">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Apple</span></a>&nbsp;<a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-white ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-small" href="https://addcal.co/e/7jay5zegh44r/outlook" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-brands fa-windows">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Outlook</span></a>&nbsp;<a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-white ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-small" href="https://addcal.co/e/7jay5zegh44r/office365" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-brands fa-windows">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;Office 365</span></a>&nbsp;<a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-white ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-small" href="https://addcal.co/e/7jay5zegh44r/ics" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-download">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;ICS File</span></a></p></div></div></div><p dir="ltr"><span>Through LVC, top innovators from CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, 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&nbsp;</span><a href="https://oedit.colorado.gov/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program</strong></span></a><span>, as well as Venture Partners and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>LVC is run by Venture Partners, one of the university’s commercialization arms and a central resource for researchers who wish to translate their work into impactful business and social ventures. LVC finalists are working and collaborating with Venture Partners on their&nbsp;</span><a href="/venturepartners/path-commercialization" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>path to commercialization</strong></span></a><span>.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>“At this early stage, funding is essential, but can be a challenge to obtain," said </span><a href="/venturepartners/about/people/joshua-bennett" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="4e6542b6-a4c4-4f91-819a-8352abb8357c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Joshua Bennett"><span><strong>Joshua Bennett</strong></span></a><span>, director of LVC and assistant director of licensing 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 dir="ltr"><span>To date, LVC has funded 117 projects through 70 new deep-tech startup companies, which collectively have raised over $691 million in follow-on financing, </span><span lang="EN-US">including Arkana Therapeutics, </span><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/mesa-quantum-systems-inc" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="880a4316-8328-4ae9-8f4a-bab637d77715" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Mesa Quantum Systems Inc."><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Mesa Quantum</strong></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> and </span><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/forge-nano-inc" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d91f0df1-7e42-4c7a-839c-b829cf75653c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" rel="nofollow" title="Forge Nano Inc. "><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Forge Nano</strong></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> — CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's 11th unicorn spinout.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Members of the entrepreneurial and university communities are invited to attend the LVC Showcases to enjoy good food, network and see which teams will walk away with funding for their groundbreaking work.</span></p><div><div><h2><span>2026 LVC Finalists</span></h2></div><div><i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Showcase Pitch Presenters |&nbsp;</strong><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Contact for Project Inquiries</strong><br>&nbsp;</div><h3><strong>Physical Sciences Finalists</strong></h3><h4><strong>AI-Accelerated Advanced Battery Materials</strong></h4><p><span>Developing a new class of high-energy, beyond-lithium battery active materials made entirely from earth-abundant, domestically sourced elements. By integrating ML/AI with proprietary advanced crystal-structure engineering, their materials enable energy parity with conventional lithium systems at a fraction of the cost. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/orvaenergy" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Orva Energy</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanflitz" rel="nofollow"><strong>Evan Flitz</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD Candidate of <a href="/chbe/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Chemical and Biological Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Co-Founder and Principal Materials Engineer of Orva Energy, <a href="mailto:evan@orvaenergy.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>evan@orvaenergy.com</strong></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chunmei-b-10b4171a" rel="nofollow"><strong>Chunmei Ban</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/mechanical/chunmei-ban" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Orva Energy</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-tezak-75a15b165" rel="nofollow"><strong>Cooper Tezak</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD Alum of <a href="/engineering/academics/degree-programs/chemical-engineering" rel="nofollow"><strong>Chemical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, <span>Scientific Advisor at Orva Energy&nbsp;</span></li></ul><h5><span>In the News</span></h5><ul><li><a href="https://www.nlr.gov/news/detail/program/2026/from-tony-stark-to-obi-wan-kenobi-meet-4-(of-7)-west-gate-fellows-and-their-technologies" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>From Tony Stark to Obi-Wan Kenobi: Meet 4 (of 7) West Gate Fellows and Their Technologies</strong></span></a> (2026, National Laboratory of the Rockies)</li></ul><h4>An Autonomous Optical Clock</h4><p><span>Ptarmigan is developing the autonomous optical clock, the first clock to eliminate the environmental and calibration constraints that have kept optical clocks bespoke devices. For the first time, optical precision can be manufactured at scale and deployed as network infrastructure for distributed sensing, quantum systems and national security. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ptarmigan-clockworks/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Ptarmigan Clockworks Inc.</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-hunt-0a9415309/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Benjamin Hunt</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="https://www.nist.gov/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Graduate Research Assistant at NIST</strong></a> and Graduate Student of <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder and CEO of <span>Ptarmigan Clockworks</span>, <a href="mailto:benjamin.hunt@ptarmigan-clockworks.com" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>benjamin.hunt@ptarmigan-clockworks.com</strong></span></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipashley/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Phillip Klein</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a><span>, Commercialization for Ptarmigan Clockworks&nbsp;</span></li><li><span>Andrew Ludlow, </span><a href="https://www.nist.gov/people/andrew-ludlow" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Neutral Atom Optical Clock Group Leader at NIST</strong></span></a><span>, Scientific Advisor</span></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jun-ye-57aa3088/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Jun Ye</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/physics/jun-ye" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor Adjoint of Physics at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a> and <a href="/jila/jun-ye" rel="nofollow"><strong>Fellow at JILA</strong></a>, Scientific Advisor</li></ul><h4>Intelligent Electronic Skin Transforming Prosthetic Diagnostics</h4><p><span>Intelligent liquid-metal electronic skin embedded in prosthetic sockets for real-time pressure mapping. AI-driven analytics learn each patient’s pressure patterns to predict socket issues before they cause pain. This affordable, scalable system gives prosthetists data-driven insights to improve socket fit and daily comfort. The team has formed a startup, RheoSynapse Inc., to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li>Jianliang Xiao, <a href="/mechanical/jianliang-xiao" rel="nofollow"><strong>Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder of <span>RheoSynapse</span>, <a href="mailto:Jianliang.Xiao@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><strong>jianliang.xiao@colorado.edu</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong><a href="/mechanical/" rel="nofollow"><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></a></li><li>Dhileep Kumar Jayashankar, PhD Candidate in <a href="/mechanical/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Lead Researcher&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><span>Ruili Zhang, Graduate Student of </span><a href="/mechanical/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></span></a></li></ul><h5><span>Read More °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï the Science</span></h5><ul><li><a href="https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/2021/9846036" rel="nofollow"><strong>Stretchable, Rehealable, Recyclable, and Reconfigurable Integrated Strain Sensor for Joint Motion and Respiration Monitoring</strong></a> (2021, Research)</li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41528-023-00272-1" rel="nofollow"><strong>Deep-learning-assisted printed liquid metal sensory system for wearable applications and boxing training</strong></a> (2023, npj Flexible Electronics)</li></ul><h4>Optical Timekeeping Made Portable: The Single-Chip Acoustic-Optoelectronic Oscillator</h4><p><span>A chip-scale microwave oscillator that generates exceptionally pure signal tones by circulating energy between sound and light on a single chip. By amplifying the sound waves directly on-chip — with no electronics in the loop — the device targets the signal purity of room-sized precision oscillators in a package small enough for portable radar, navigation and communications.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmblesko/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Daniel Lesko</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Research Scientist in <a href="/ecee/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Engineer&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-eichenfield-0637554/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Matt Eichenfield</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PI, <a href="/ecee/matt-eichenfield" rel="nofollow"><strong>Endowed Chair in Quantum Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, <a href="mailto:matt.eichenfield@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><strong>matt.eichenfield@colorado.edu</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong><a href="/mechanical/" rel="nofollow"><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-diddams-7bb1081ab/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Scott Diddams</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/ecee/scott-diddams" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Scientific Advisor</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyan-hocek/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Kiyan Hocek</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD Student of <a href="/ecee/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Engineer</li></ul><h4>Practical Post-Quantum Cryptography for Resource-Constrained Networks and Devices</h4><p><span>New quantum-resistant algorithms have been developed that prevent quantum computers from breaking the public-key algorithms that secure almost all internet communications. This technology works where these new public-key algorithms do not: low-power IoT devices and limited-bandwidth networks. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="http://www.choyu.net/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Choyu Networks Inc.</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellioteichen/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Elliot Eichen</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/cs/elliot-eichen" rel="nofollow"><strong>Research Associate of Computer Science at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder and CTO of Choyu Networks, <a href="mailto:elliot.eichen@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>elliot.eichen@colorado.edu</strong></span></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcollier7/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Matt Collier</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Co-Founder and CBO of Choyu Networks</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcojrubin/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Marco Rubin</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Co-Founder and Investment Advisor of Choyu Networks</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvia-llosa/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sylvia Llosa</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD Candidate in <a href="/ecee/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Cryptography SME</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddixongunboat/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Richard Dixon</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Marketing for Choyu Networks</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yueqi-chen-a9247aa3/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Yueqi Chen</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/cs/yueqi-chen" rel="nofollow"><strong>Assistant Professor of Computer Science at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Advisor</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangtaeha/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sangtae Ha</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/cs/sangtae-ha" rel="nofollow"><strong>Associate Professor of Computer Science at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Advisor</li></ul><h4>Tunable 3D-Printed Helmet Liners for Multi-Impact Protection</h4><p><span>Reimagined helmet protection with a 3D-printed liner computationally tuned by sport, helmet region and impact type. Its plate-lattice structure is designed to manage repeated hits and severe impacts alike. Peer-reviewed research showed up to 6x greater energy absorption than conventional foams at equal density—performance being translated into next-generation helmet protection. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://fortifyd.io/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Fortifyd LLC</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamteri/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Teri Ham</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/venturepartners/embark" rel="nofollow"><strong>Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator</strong></a> and BS Alum of <a href="/business/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Business at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Co-Founder and CEO of Fortifyd, <a href="mailto:hamteri@gmail.com" rel="nofollow"><strong>hamteri@gmail.com</strong></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-maccurdy-2887876a/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Robert MacCurdy</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/mechanical/robert-maccurdy" rel="nofollow"><strong>Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI and <span>Technical Advisor</span></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-colson-wade/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Charles Wade</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Master of Science Alum and PhD Student of <a href="/cs/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Computer Science at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Lead Software Engineer at Fortifyd</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-felt/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Daphne Felt</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Graduate Student of <a href="/mechanical/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Lead Product Engineer at Fortifyd</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisselockhart/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Elisse Lockhart</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Product Strategy and Commercialization Leader at Fortifyd</li></ul><h4><span>Read More °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï the Science</span></h4><ul><li><a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/admt.202301668" rel="nofollow"><strong>Tunable Metamaterials for Impact Mitigation</strong></a> (2024, Advanced Materials Technologies)</li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214860423005250?via%3Dihub" rel="nofollow"><strong>OpenVCAD: An open-source volumetric multi-material geometry compiler</strong></a> (2024, Additive Manufacturing)</li><li><a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adma.202308491" rel="nofollow"><strong>Digital Multiphase Composites via Additive Manufacturing</strong></a> (2024, Advanced Materials)</li></ul><h3>Biosciences Finalists</h3><h4>AI-Designed Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine</h4><p><span>Cell therapies are grown in Matrigel, an undefined mouse tumor extract that varies lot to lot; every alternative is one formulation sold for every use. Regelife uses machine learning to design the matrix around the cell, turning 18 months of trial and error into one kit. In ALS, the matrix decides whether transplanted neurons survive. Built on Anseth Lab hydrogel chemistry at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://regelife.bio" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Regelife Inc.</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-anseth-58611275/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Kristi S. Anseth</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/chbe/kristi-s-anseth" rel="nofollow"><strong>Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder and CSO of <span>Regelife</span></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hao-mark-ma/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mark Ma</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Co-Founder and CEO of <span>Regelife</span>, <a href="mailto:mark@regelife.bio" rel="nofollow"><strong>mark@regelife.bio</strong></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li>Hideyuki Okano, Scientific Co-Founder of <span>Regelife</span></li></ul><h4><span>A Real-Time Screening Platform for Drugs Targeting Transcription Regulators</span></h4><p><span>RIFT (Real-time In vitro Fluorescent Transcription), developed in the Taatjes Lab at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, enables direct visualization of individual drug-target interactions in real time, distinguishing on-target from off-target activity to improve drug screening ahead of clinical trials. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://enlixabio.com/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Enlixa Bio Inc.</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilc/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Nik Chopra</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/venturepartners/embark" rel="nofollow"><strong>Embark Startup Founder</strong></a>, Co-Founder and CEO of Enlixa Bio, <a href="mailto:nik@enlixabio.com" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>nik@enlixabio.com</strong></span></a><span>&nbsp;</span><i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-taatjes-9708a114/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Dylan Taatjes</strong></span><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/biochemistry/dylan-taatjes" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Biochemistry at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Founding Scientist of Enlixa Bio</li></ul><h5><span>Read More °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï the Science</span></h5><ul><li><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)01022-8" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Real-time visualization of reconstituted transcription reveals RNAPII activation mechanisms at single promoters</strong></span></a><span> (2025, Cell Reports)</span></li></ul><h4><span>EYA Degraders: Releasing the Immune Brake in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer</span></h4><p><span>Triple-negative breast cancer resists immunotherapy because tumor-associated macrophages are reprogrammed to shield it. The team discovered that eliminating a single protein, EYA3, from those macrophages shrinks tumors in mice and draws cancer-killing T cells inward. They are now building bifunctional molecules that destroy EYA3 outright, making immunologically cold tumors treatable. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://sieyaxbio.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Sieyax Inc.</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><span>Xiang Wang,</span> <a href="/chemistry/xiang-wang" rel="nofollow"><strong>Associate Professor of Chemistry at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a><span>, PI, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax, </span><a href="mailto:xiang.wang@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>xiang.wang@colorado.edu</strong></span></a><span>&nbsp;</span><i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><span>Heide Ford, </span><a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/pharmacology/faculty/primary-faculty/heide-ford-phd" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Endowed Chair and Professor of Pharmacology at CU Anschutz</strong></span></a><span>, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax</span></li><li><span>Rui Zhao, </span><a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/biochemistry/people/primary-faculty/zhao-rui" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at CU Anschutz</strong></span></a><span>, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax</span></li><li><span>Ginny Orndorff, Co-Founder and CEO of Sieyax</span></li></ul><h5><span>Read More °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï the Science</span></h5><ul><li><a href="https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cmdc.202400179" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Rational Design of Novel Allosteric EYA2 Inhibitors as Potential Therapeutics for Multiple Brain Cancers</strong></span></a><span> (2024, ChemMedChem)</span></li><li><a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.22.739910v1" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>Genetic and Pharmacologic Targeting of Eya3 in Macrophages Drives Anti-Tumor Immunity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer</strong></span></a><span> (2026, bioRxiv)</span></li></ul><h4><span>Long-Acting, Non-Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain</span></h4><p><span>A long-acting non-opioid analgesic that selectively targets CaV3.2 to provide sustained relief from chronic pain without abuse liability. The team has formed a startup, </span><a href="https://anesabio.com/" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>AnesaBio</strong></span></a><span>, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li>Michael Stowell, <a href="/mcdb/michael-stowell" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder and CSO of <span>AnesaBio, </span><a href="mailto:Michael.Stowell@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>michael.stowell@colorado.edu</strong></span></a><span>&nbsp;</span><i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li>Slobodan Todorovic, <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/24028" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Anesthesiology at CU Anschutz</strong></a>, Co-Founder and CMO of <span>AnesaBio</span></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-kintz-1716b411" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sam Kintz</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, Advisor</li><li>Joe Lyssikatos, Advisor</li></ul><h5><span>Read More °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï the Science</span></h5><ul><li><a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.03.631165v2" rel="nofollow"><strong>Facilitation of CaV3.2 channel gating in pain pathways reveals a novel mechanism of serum-induced hyperalgesia</strong></a> (2025, bioRxiv)</li></ul><h4>Microgravity Manufacturing of Next-Generation Stem Cell Therapies</h4><p><span>A microgravity biomanufacturing platform designed to expand umbilical cord blood stem cells for treating blood cancers. By keeping cells naturally suspended without mechanical agitation, the technology aims to preserve their therapeutic advantages while producing enough cells to treat adult patients, unlocking the potential of cord blood transplantation. The team has formed a startup, Opera Space LLC, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stutoz/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Stuart Tozer</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/center/bioserve" rel="nofollow"><strong>Associate Director of BioServe Space Technologies at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, Co-Founder of Opera Space LLC, <a href="mailto:stuart.tozer@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><strong>stuart.tozer@colorado.edu</strong></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-star ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i><i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiasniederwieser/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Tobias Niederwieser</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/aerospace/tobias-niederwieser" rel="nofollow"><strong>Assistant Research Professor of Bioastronautics</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder of Opera Space LLC</li></ul><h4>Novel Electromechanics Biomarkers for Cartilage Health Diagnostics</h4><p><span>A noninvasive MRI technique that reveals cartilage's hidden electrical and mechanical signatures under joint loading, detecting early degeneration years before it appears on standard scans. This new biomarker could help diagnose osteoarthritis risk sooner and track whether emerging joint-preserving therapies are actually working. The team has formed a startup, Potentis Imaging, to bring their innovation to market.</span></p><ul><li>Corey Neu, <a href="/mechanical/corey-neu" rel="nofollow"><strong>Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, PI, Co-Founder of <span>Potentis Imaging, </span><a href="mailto:cpneu@colorado.edu" rel="nofollow"><span><strong>cpneu@colorado.edu</strong></span></a>&nbsp;<i class="fa-solid fa-address-book ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i></li><li>Yassmeen Youssef, Co-Founder of <span>Potentis Imaging</span></li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's Lab Venture Challenge has announced the 2026 finalists of bio- and physical sciences innovators to pitch their ideas to a live audience at the Dairy Arts Center for more than $1 million in awards.</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> Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:28:30 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2952 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/08/31/two-cu-boulder-connected-founders-join-national-labs-newest-class-entrepreneurship <span>Two CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï-connected founders join national lab's newest class of entrepreneurship fellows</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-08-31T14:26:40-06:00" title="Monday, August 31, 2026 - 14:26">Mon, 08/31/2026 - 14:26</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-07/NREL%20campus%20071825_1.jpg?h=bb76df54&amp;itok=5lhC3K5b" width="1200" height="800" alt="An aerial photo of a large research campus at the foot of the mountains at summertime"> </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> </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>National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)—Seven entrepreneurs have joined NLR’s 2026 West Gate fellowship cohort, a two-year program under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program that pairs founders with national laboratory experts, facilities and commercialization resources. Two of the new fellows have roots at the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-chubukov-78658243/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Boris Chubukov</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;of <a href="https://bigbluetech.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Big Blue Technologies</strong></a>, working to manufacture affordable magnesium metal in the U.S., and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanflitz/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Evan Flitz</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/orvaenergy/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Orva Energy</strong></a>, developing machine learning tools to speed the discovery of new battery materials.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.nlr.gov/news/detail/program/2026/from-tony-stark-to-obi-wan-kenobi-meet-4-(of-7)-west-gate-fellows-and-their-technologies" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: National Laboratory of the Rockies</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="https://bigbluetech.com/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Big Blue Technologies</strong></a> is a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï spinout founded in 2015, based on technology from the lab of Alan Weimer, <a href="/engineering/alan-weimer" rel="nofollow"><strong>professor of chemical and biological engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>. The company has designed an automated, electrified smelting process for magnesium metal that it says can cut material, energy and labor costs below the conventional Pidgeon process—no U.S.-based company has produced magnesium metal since 2021. West Gate fellow <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-chubukov-78658243/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Boris Chubukov</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, the company's co-founder and chief technology officer and PhD alum of chemical engineering and biological engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, will work with NLR researchers to test the process at full scale and develop a use for the cement byproduct it generates.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/orvaenergy/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Orva Energy</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;is a CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï spinout founded by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanflitz/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Evan Flitz</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, a Ph.D. student of <a href="/chbe/" rel="nofollow"><strong>chemical engineering</strong></a>, to advance discoveries made in the lab of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chunmei-b-10b4171a/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Chunmei Ban</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/mechanical/chunmei-ban" rel="nofollow"><strong>professor of mechanical engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>. The company uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify and troubleshoot new battery materials, including sodium-ion and other lithium-free chemistries that rely on more abundant, domestically available minerals. Through West Gate, Flitz plans to draw on NLR’s thermal modeling and safety-evaluation capabilities to test how Orva’s materials perform in real-world conditions.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none 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"><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>What could CU research do for you?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners connects entrepreneurs and companies—from early-stage startups to the Fortune 500—with more than 1,500 CU technologies ready to license and bring to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>If you're a CU researcher or inventor, Venture Partners guides you from idea to market—IP protection, funding, mentorship and licensing.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div><div>&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Big Blue Technologies' Boris Chubukov and Orva Energy's Evan Flitz, both with roots at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï, are among the seven founders selected for NLR's 2026 West Gate fellowship, working to bring affordable domestic magnesium and next-generation battery materials to market.</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/2025-07/NREL%20campus%20071825_1.jpg?itok=fFseE0La" width="1500" height="328" alt="An aerial photo of a large research campus at the foot of the mountains at summertime"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:26:40 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2944 at /venturepartners /venturepartners/2026/08/28/external-news/three-cu-boulder-startups-named-nsf-ascend-engines-2026-accelerator-cohorts <span>Three CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startups named to NSF ASCEND Engine's 2026 accelerator cohorts</span> <span><span>Daniel Leonard</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-08-28T15:43:53-06:00" title="Friday, August 28, 2026 - 15:43">Fri, 08/28/2026 - 15:43</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/venturepartners/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-11/Colorado%20mountains%20110425.jpeg?h=cfea4fea&amp;itok=9SI2jGU2" width="1200" height="800" alt="Panoramic view of snow-capped Rocky Mountains at sunrise, with green pine forests and open valleys below under a pink and purple cloud-filled sky."> </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><p>Sixteen companies have joined the 2026 cohorts of ARID and SHIELD, two sector-specific accelerators run by the NSF ASCEND Engine, a National Science Foundation-backed regional innovation initiative led by Innosphere across Colorado and Wyoming.&nbsp;</p><p>ARID's 10 companies focus on wildfire risk and grid resilience, while SHIELD's six companies address soil health, adaptive grazing and water quality; each eight-month program gives participating startups access to testbeds and up to $150,000 in prize money per cohort.&nbsp;</p><p>Three of the newly named companies are CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startups founded on discoveries made by researchers on campus: <a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/biosensor-solutions-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>BioSensor Solutions</strong></a>, which measures soil biology in real time with a low-cost printed sensor; BioStamp, which synthesizes DNA barcodes to protect the intellectual property of engineered microorganisms; and <a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/page-technologies-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>PAGE Technologies</strong></a>, which builds low-cost water and soil sensors paired with AI analytics. All three have advanced through Venture Partners at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's programming, including the campus' NSF I-Corps^TM Hub West.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://innosphere.org/news/innospheres-nsf-ascend-engine-names-arid-and-shield-accelerator-cohorts-for-wildfire-and-soil-health-innovation" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;More: Innosphere</span></a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>The University of Colorado Connection</h2><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/biosensor-solutions-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>BioSensor Solutions</strong></a> was founded in 2023 by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlkalin/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Carl Kalin</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidzbeitz/" rel="nofollow"><strong>David Beitz</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;through CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï’s inaugural <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>Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator</strong></a>. Both David and Carl were individually interested in this technology and later joined forces, partnering with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-l-whiting/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Gregory Whiting</strong></a>, <a href="/mechanical/gregory-l-whiting" rel="nofollow"><strong>professor of mechanical engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï,</strong></a> and his °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï Experimental Electronics and Manufacturing (BEEM) Laboratory to commercialize revolutionary soil health monitoring sensors. BioSensor Solutions has announced partnerships, including InstaFarm out of Loveland, Colorado. BioSensor seeks to first explore the indoor home agricultural market, followed by large-scale outdoor farming operations.</p><p>BioStamp, which synthesizes DNA barcodes for engineered microorganisms to enable biological intellectual property protection and high-fidelity identification, was co-founded by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-docter-09515b127/" rel="nofollow"><strong>John Docter</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i></a>, <a href="/even/john-docter" rel="nofollow"><strong>a Ph.D. student of environmental engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cresten/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Cresten Mansfeldt</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin">&nbsp;</i><strong>,</strong></a> <a href="/ceae/cresten-mansfeldt" rel="nofollow"><strong>assistant professor of environmental engineering at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï</strong></a>. BioStamp completed the 2026 Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator, and <a href="/venturepartners/opportunities-and-events/ascent-deep-tech-accelerator#cohort" rel="nofollow"><strong>their final pitch video can be viewed here</strong></a>.</p><p><a href="/venturepartners/startup-portfolio/page-technologies-inc" rel="nofollow"><strong>PAGE Technologies</strong></a> was founded in 2023 by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-strand/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Elliot Strand</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>, PhD alum of materials science and engineering, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paytongoodrich/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Payton Goodrich</strong><i class="fa-brands fa-linkedin fa-xs">&nbsp;</i></a>&nbsp;to commercialize their innovative low-cost environmental monitoring platform, developed during a collaborative research project as PhD students at CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï and UC Berkeley, respectively. Supported by key research and innovation initiatives, PAGE Technologies is dedicated to transforming agricultural and environmental monitoring, improving fertilizer-use efficiency, enhancing water resource management and advancing climate resilience efforts.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-none 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"><div class="row ucb-column-container"><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>What could CU research do for you?</h2><div><div><p>Venture Partners connects entrepreneurs and companies—from early-stage startups to the Fortune 500—with more than 1,500 CU technologies ready to license and bring to market.</p><p dir="ltr"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/technology-portfolio" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Explore Partnership Opportunities</span></a></p></div></div></div><div class="col ucb-column"><h2>Turn your discovery into real-world impact</h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p>If you're a CU researcher or inventor, Venture Partners guides you from idea to market—IP protection, funding, mentorship and licensing.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/venturepartners/university-innovators" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">More for University Innovators</span></a></p></div></div></div></div><div>&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>BioSensor Solutions, BioStamp and PAGE Technologies were selected for the NSF ASCEND Engine's SHIELD accelerator cohort, recognizing three CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï startups that have grown through Venture Partners and CU °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï's NSF I-Corps programming.</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/2025-11/Colorado%20mountains%20110425.jpeg?itok=xgts869N" width="1500" height="500" alt="Panoramic view of snow-capped Rocky Mountains at sunrise, with green pine forests and open valleys below under a pink and purple cloud-filled sky."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:43:53 +0000 Daniel Leonard 2947 at /venturepartners