Entrepreneurship

Rentschler, Aspero Medical awarded $4.5M for endoscopy advancement

Alexander James Servantez — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:43:46 +0000

Rentschler, Aspero Medical awarded $4.5M for endoscopy advancement Alexander Jame… Tue, 02/11/2025 - 14:43

With the help of a $4.5 million award through the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative, they are working to bring two new products to the market that will transform procedures in the small bowel region.

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CU Engineering announces inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows

Caroline Harrah — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:30:37 +0000

CU Engineering announces inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows Caroline Harrah Tue, 02/11/2025 - 14:30

Caroline Harrah

The University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) has announced the recipients of its inaugural class of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) Fellows, a new program designed to support faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in advancing cutting-edge research with commercial potential. The fellowships are supported by the CEAS I&E initiative and Venture Partners at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ.

Assistant Professor, Longji Cui, Department of Mechanical Engineering (MCEN)

Launched in 2025, the fellowships include two tracks: the Faculty & Postdoc/Graduate Student Team Fellowships and the ASCENT Deep Tech Accelerator Fellowships. Both are designed to foster a culture of entrepreneurship within the college by helping researchers translate academic discoveries into real-world impact.

“This inaugural cohort represents the remarkable breadth and depth of innovation within the College of Engineering and Applied Science,” said Wil Srubar, Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship. “By providing targeted support through these fellowship programs, we aim to empower researchers to transform their groundbreaking ideas into impactful solutions for society.”

Faculty & Postdoc /
Graduate Student Team Fellowships

The Faculty & Postdoc/Graduate Student Team Fellowships support collaborative teams of faculty members and graduate students or postdoctoral researchers. It provides funding, mentorship and access to entrepreneurial resources to help translate new technologies and innovations that have a strong commercialization potential.

Max Saffer-Meng, graduate student, and Assistant Professor Anthony Straub, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE)

The inaugural recipients are:

Max Saffer-Meng, graduate student, and Assistant Professor Anthony Straub (Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering - CEAE)

William Franz, graduate student, and Professor Mark Borden (Department of Biomedical Engineering - BMEN)

Grace McFassel, postdoctoral researcher, and Assistant Professor Kaushik Jayaram (Department of Mechanical Engineering - MCEN)

Yunxuan Zhu, postdoctoral researcher, and Assistant Professor Longji Cui (Department of Mechanical Engineering - MCEN)

Maxwell Conway, graduate student, and Professor Nikolaus Correll (Department of Computer Science - CS)

Tsung-Han Wu, postdoctoral researcher, and Professor Scott Diddams (Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering - ECEE)

These interdisciplinary teams are commercializing several new technologies in areas such as advanced materials, robotics, biomedical devices and carbon capture.

Aoife Henry, graduate student, Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE)

ASCENT Deep Tech Accelerator Fellowships

The ASCENT Deep Tech Accelerator Fellowships support individual researchers working on transformative technologies aimed at addressing complex societal challenges. Fellows receive funding and tailored entrepreneurial support through ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ’s ASCENT Deep Tech Accelerator to advance the development and commercialization of their innovations.

The first ASCENT Fellows are:

Sanghamitra Neogi, associate professor (Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences - AES)

Kian Lopez, graduate student (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering - ChBE)

Aoife Henry, graduate student (Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering - ECEE)

Laila Fighera Marzall, research faculty (Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering - ECEE)

Jason Rivas, graduate student (Department of Materials Science and Engineering - MSE)

Dhiman Nandi, graduate student (Department of Chemistry)

Subrata Pal, graduate student (Department of Chemistry)

These fellows are advancing technologies in areas such as energy systems, advanced manufacturing and materials science.

Learn more about the CEAS Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fellowship programs.

CU Engineering has named the inaugural recipients of its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows program, which supports faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in bringing research to market. The fellows, selected for their work in fields like robotics, biomedical devices and advanced materials, receive funding, mentorship and entrepreneurial support to accelerate commercialization.

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5 ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ startups to watch in 2025

Michelle Wiese — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:12:41 +0000

5 ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ startups to watch in 2025 Michelle Wiese Mon, 02/03/2025 - 10:12

From July 2023 to June 2024, ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ helped to launch 35 new companies based on research at the university. The new businesses are embracing technologies from the worlds of healthcare, agriculture, clean energy and more. Here’s a look at how engineers and scientists, with the help of the university’s commercialization arm Venture Partners, seek to use discoveries from the lab to make a difference in peoples’ lives.

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CU Engineering advances innovation through startup success

Caroline Harrah — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:42:51 +0000

CU Engineering advances innovation through startup success Caroline Harrah Mon, 12/02/2024 - 12:42

Caroline Harrah

The University of Colorado Boulder's College of Engineering and Applied Science continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation, with 22 startups emerging from its research labs in the past fiscal year. This achievement reflects the college's commitment to translating transformative research into solutions that address real-world challenges.

CU Engineering successfully launched 22 startups in fiscal year 2024, in the following industries: Sustainability (6), Medical Device (3), AgTech (2), Quantum/Photonics/Optics (2), Energy & Storage (2), Robotics (2), Software (1), Diagnostics (1), Security (1), Biotech (1), AI (1).

“CU Engineering bridges the gap between research and application by fostering collaboration and creating pathways for impact," said Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. "Through mentorship, funding opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities, we empower our scholars to transform discoveries into technologies that benefit humanity.”

CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial ecosystem moves research beyond the lab and into the world, nurturing concepts from inception to market. Educational programs, workshops, and events help students and faculty develop entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills to explore and validate ideas in the early stages of product and company discovery. Access to cutting-edge research labs, maker spaces, and entrepreneurial hubs enables them to move from concept to creation, prototyping and refining their work to develop real-world applications.

Collaboration with entities like Venture Partners at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ ensures researchers have access to critical commercialization resources, including funding, licensing expertise and industry connections. The college recently strengthened its entrepreneurial initiatives with the appointment of Wil Srubar as the first Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship in 2024.

"Innovation doesn’t end in the lab—it thrives when it can be applied to real-world challenges," said Wil Srubar, Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship. "At CU Engineering, we are building a culture where researchers and students don’t just ask ‘what if’ but take steps to turn those questions into solutions."

The success of CU Engineering’s ecosystem reflects the diversity and impact of its startups.

Over the past year, these ventures have tackled critical challenges in renewable energy, water purification, advanced manufacturing and biomedical devices. Each startup represents a blend of cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary effort and entrepreneurial vision.

This year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) exemplifies the strength of CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial pipeline. The LVC awarded $875,000 to seven engineering-led ventures supporting innovative technologies with market potential.

With 22 startups launched this past year and more to follow, CU Engineering’s entrepreneurial efforts reflect its dedication to innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. By preparing students and researchers to bring ideas to market, the college is shaping future leaders in engineering and advancing workforce development. These efforts foster connections across disciplines and industries, building a foundation for continued progress.

CU Engineering Winners, 2024 Lab Venture Challenge

Codebreaker
Platform for generating variant genomes at scale using an AI framework. Technology drives variant genome design and machine learning to map significance broadly across human diseases and drug responses.

EcoValeric Innovations
Electrochemical process converting biomass-based levulinic acid into 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (HVA), a versatile intermediate for producing biodegradable plastics, biofuels and green solvents. Renewable process reduces reliance on fossil fuels and enhances sustainability.

IntraLumenus
Robotic capsule endoscope for minimally invasive colorectal procedures. Capsule enables advanced mapping and localization with dual-channel tool access, eliminating the need for traditional surgical openings.

OsmoPure Technologies
High-efficiency membrane for ultrapure water production tailored to electronics, aerospace and green hydrogen sectors. Technology achieves significant energy efficiency by using pressure-driven distillation rather than heat.

SteriO3
Compact, portable units using Peroxide Enhanced Germicidal Irradiation (PEGI) for low-temperature sterilization of surgical equipment and microbial contaminants. Units are adaptable for sterilizing advanced medical tools, including 3D-printed materials.

Tierra Metrics
High-spatial-density sensors for real-time characterization of the soil nitrogen cycle. Innovation helps land managers improve efficiency, profitability and soil health while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

WHISPER Energy
Wireless, battery-free sensor platform for smart buildings that uses machine learning to reduce energy consumption by over 30 percent . Platform provides real-time data to optimize energy use and reduce emissions.

CU Engineering continues to establish itself as a leader in innovation, with 22 startups emerging from its research labs in the past fiscal year. This achievement reflects the college's commitment to translating transformative research into solutions that address real-world challenges.

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��ý�Ļ��Ʒ, Elevate Quantum partners ready for $127M regional quantum boost

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:42:34 +0000

��ý�Ļ��Ʒ, Elevate Quantum partners ready for $127M regional quantum boost Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/02/2024 - 10:42

Elevate Quantum, of which ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ is a key partner, announced today that it has received a Tech Hub Phase 2 implementation award from the Department of Commerce, unlocking more than $127 million in new federal and state funding. The award is expected to drive more than $2 billion in additional private capital and cement the Mountain West as a global leader for quantum innovation.

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A real-life Eye of Sauron? New project to spot possible chemical threats in the air

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

A real-life Eye of Sauron? New project to spot possible chemical threats in the air Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/02/2024 - 00:00

Engineers at ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ are developing an “all-seeing eye” based on laser technology that could one day detect harmful particles in the air around cities or in factories.

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��ý�Ļ��Ʒ part of $160M NSF-funded effort to promote climate resilience

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 22:58:17 +0000

��ý�Ļ��Ʒ part of $160M NSF-funded effort to promote climate resilience Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/01/2024 - 15:58

The National Science Foundation today announced the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) as a recipient of its inaugural Regional Innovation Engines program.

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5 startups poised to make pitches a reality, thanks to annual New Venture Challenge

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:06:31 +0000

5 startups poised to make pitches a reality, thanks to annual New Venture Challenge Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/14/2023 - 14:06

Teams from engineering were honored at the 16th annual New Venture Challenge (NVC) finals on April 12.

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Grant will expand entrepreneurial opportunities for Western partnership program students

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:34:25 +0000

Grant will expand entrepreneurial opportunities for Western partnership program students Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/17/2023 - 14:34

The funding will help create a formal pathway to innovation and entrepreneurship through curriculum and experiential learning, with plans to integrate into the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that is thriving in the Gunnison Valley.

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Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ entrepreneurial ecosystem

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 22:28:33 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: ShoeSense is off and running, with help from ��ý�Ļ��Ʒ entrepreneurial ecosystem Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/14/2023 - 16:28

Michael Lock Swingen

When Connor Winter (MechEngr’16) decided to pursue a Certificate in Engineering Management in conjunction with his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, it put him on a path that would lead to the founding of his own startup company, ShoeSense.

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Entrepreneurship

Rentschler, Aspero Medical awarded $4.5M for endoscopy advancement

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CU Engineering announces inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows

Faculty & Postdoc / Graduate Student Team Fellowships

ASCENT Deep Tech Accelerator Fellowships

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