Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ

As the deep tech startup scene rapidly grows, the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator, created by Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, helps founders move past sticking points to hit critical milestones in transitioning their technologies from lab to marketplace.

The University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is a national leader in startup creation with a growing suite of entrepreneurial resources giving innovative researchers opportunities to spin ideas into businesses.

In taking its technology from the lab to the streets, Solid Power is changing how electric vehicles run with less expensive, more efficient and safer battery technology.

Five promising startups spun out of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder comprise the first cohort of companies to receive investment from the Buff Venture Fund. The fund is the newest opportunity for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder startups to access critical funding on the path to success. The Buff Venture Fund is administered by Buff Gold Ventures, which has a formal partnership with Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder. 

On two exciting nights of pitches and prizes, ten startups brought a broad range of ideas to the stage, including how to live and garden more sustainably, how to deal with the downsides of social media, how to offer practical prosthetics for kids—and sustainable water filters and hydroponic produce for all. Across the two events, eight teams took home a total of $20,000 to develop their ideas further.

Wanted: entrepreneurs ready to launch startups based on innovations created in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder’s research labs. The Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator is a new program created by Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, the commercialization arm of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, to match business minds outside the university with breakthrough inventions created within its walls.

Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder has developed a groundbreaking pipeline to translate research into real-world impact, as highlighted in the 2022 Annual Report of Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, the university’s commercialization arm.

The intermountain west innovation ecosystem came together at the fifth annual Destination Startup® showcase on Feb. 15 and 16, hosted by Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder. In a highly competitive field, 21 university ventures from intermountain west research institutions were selected to present at the showcase.

The Research & Innovation Office has announced several leadership transitions within the campuswide Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, with Stan Hickory stepping into the role of director of the initiative, a position held by Chris Gustavson since 2019.

Commercialization activities led by Venture Partners at the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder had an economic impact of $8 billion nationally and $5.2 billion in the state of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ over the last five years, according to a new report from the Leeds School of Business.