Home

So what is Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ?


Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ

Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is a summer startup accelerator for teams with the most promising ideas and technologies developed atÌýthe university.ÌýThe program—open to Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder students, faculty and staff—runs for 12 weeks during the summer, beginning in mid-May andÌýculminating in August.


Experiences provided by Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ include:

Ìý

Networking events

Ìý

Funding options

Ìý

Mentor connections

Ìý

Goal setting and accountability sessions

Ìý

Professional and collaborative development

Ìý

Pitch coaching and guidance

Ìý

Skill and concept workshops

General Information

To apply for Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, your team or venture must meet the following requirements:

  • At least one person onÌýthe founding team must have a valid BuffOne card.
  • AÌýstartup team is not required (you can be a solo founder), but a team isÌýhighly recommended. The program is very intensive and it is likely that you will need a cross-functional skill set to participate.
  • The accelerator is live in-person in Boulder, CO and a majority of team members must attend.
  • Teams are provided funding, so it is expected that you have already or are ready to start a legal company.

CatalyzeÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is an intensive program;Ìý it is not a class with a set timeframe.Ìý Launching a company is very difficult and time frames to accomplish goals can vary.

To participate in Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, it is not possible to have a competing full-time job. Part-time work or classes can be possible, but the CatalyzeÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ program director(s) will want a clear plan on how time-management will work for the summer. CatalyzeÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is a challenging and rewarding program, but you will get out what you put in. We provide a stipend per founder to help you be availabile to dedicate your time to the program.

Previously scheduled travel (vacation, conferences, etc.) will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Let the CatalyzeÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ program directors know in your application what the situation is, and they will determine if it is possible to still participate.

Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is highly selective and you will be with a cohort of other high-performing startup teams.ÌýCatalyze does NOT take any equity while still providing some funding.Ìý We customize the experience to meet your venture's needs and expect full participation.

We level up the founding teamÌýstartup skill set,Ìýhelping you go from idea to impactÌýand prototype to production. Catalyze alumni companiesÌýhave a strong track record of being accepted to top-tier accelerators like Techstars, raising funding, winning grants and launching successful Kickstarters.

Ìý

The program starts in mid-May and culminatesÌýin early August. *Observing Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ site holidays.

The accelerator is a full time commitment, but still leaves you time to work on your business in the best way you see fit. Attendance for the full program is required.

Monday

1 hour individual team meeting (in-person or on zoom)

Tuesday

10am-3pm in-person work session

Wednesday

Office hours based on needs

Thursday

10am-3pm in-person work session

Friday

Dedicated work day

Please contact Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Program Director and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Entrepreneur-in-Residence Karen CroftonÌýat catalyzecu@colorado.edu for all questions and concerns.

Application Information


Applications will open early February 2025.Ìý

*In the mean time, please make sure you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.

Ìý

Perks

- Equity-Free Funding
- Dedicated Office Space
- Founder Stipends

Ìý

Resources

- Prototyping
- Design
- Marketing

Ìý

Mentorship

- Sales andÌýMarketing
- Finance andÌýLegal
- Product Development

Get Involved

Participate

Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ teaches student, faculty and staff innovatorsÌýtoÌýlevel up their founding team's startup skill set by helping themÌýgo from idea to impactÌýand prototype to production.

Learn How Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ WorksÌý

Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ relies onÌýthe support of community members to help prepareÌýuniversity startups to thrive once they leave the university. Want to lend your expertise?

Support

Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ would not be possible without the generous contributions of our partners. Interested in supporting Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder innovators and startups?

Partner withÌýCatalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵÌý

Head over to the official Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ podcast to gain insight and advice from experienced engineering professionals.

Startup Stories

informuÌý(2016) was created by the intrepid, hard-working duo of Lang Mei (Leeds, 2017) and Rishabh Berlia (CEAS, 2017).ÌýThe two international students, from China and India, respectively, joined forces to add Prerna Nayyer (CEAS, 2017), an international student also from India. This team worked tirelessly to address the issue of lost items; those valuables that are accidentally left behind. The Mu tag, their product, connects to a users phone or smart watch and sends a notification when the user is further than a given distance their valuable item. informuÌýstaged a successful Kickstarter campaign in spring of 2017Ìýand raised their seed round in December the same year.

StatelessÌý(2016) was founded by the electrical and computer engineering research team of PhD student Murad Kablan and Assistant Professor Eric Keller. Their revolutionary technology makes even the most sophisticatedÌýnetworks simple to manage.ÌýAfter completingÌýCatalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, they were accepted into Techstars Boulder in the spring ofÌý2017. They were awarded an NSF SBIR grant in the summer of 2017Ìýand by winter of that same year, they had completed their first round ofÌý. In February of 2019,ÌýStateless announced a Series A financing round of $11.33 million, the most by any Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ alum to date.

SpecdrumsÌý(2017) was founded in 2015 by Steven Dourmashkin to address his own problem as a lifelong drummer—he wished he could bring his drum set with him everywhere. The result was Specdrums, a wearable ring that allows the user to tap colors to trigger sounds. After assembling Jenna and Jack as co-founders and participating in Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, the Specdrums teamÌýlaunched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, bringing in almost $190,000Ìýin the fall of 2017. The team competed in, and won, the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder New Venture Challenge in 2018, and shortly afterwards wasÌý, marking the second acquisition of a Catalyze Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ alumni startup.

Ìý