CU Startup News

Mesa Quantum scores $100K inaugural state grant for quantum sensor development

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:15:45 +0000

Mesa Quantum scores $100K inaugural state grant for quantum sensor development Daniel Corbin 鈥� Thu, 04/17/2025 - 10:15

Albuquerque Journal鈥擟U Boulder startup Mesa Quantum is commercializing its quantum sensors, which target more robust position, navigation and timing applications in miniaturized atomic clocks. It鈥檚 now one step closer to that goal.

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Manus and Inscripta, a CU Boulder spinout, merge to create a leader in industrial biomanufacturing

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 22:42:32 +0000

Manus and Inscripta, a CU Boulder spinout, merge to create a leader in industrial biomanufacturing Daniel Corbin 鈥� Wed, 04/16/2025 - 16:42

Manus Bio鈥擬anus, the proven bioalternatives scale-up platform, and Inscripta, a CU Boulder spinout and leading life science technology company helping to create the bioeconomy, today announced a strategic merger to establish a unique end-to-end platform for scalable development, biomanufacturing, and commercialization of bioalternative products.

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The coolest technology in the universe

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:24:08 +0000

The coolest technology in the universe Daniel Corbin 鈥� Mon, 04/14/2025 - 13:24

Heather Hansen

Infleqtion鈥檚 star continues to rise as Colorado鈥檚 quantum hub grows. The company of firsts, spun out of CU Boulder as ColdQuanta, seems to be everywhere these days, including outer space, while commercializing pioneering research to address needs across several critical markets including positioning, navigating and timing, global communication security and efficiency, resilient energy distribution, and accelerated quantum computing.

Dana Anderson, Glenn L. Murphy Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Professor of Physics and JILA Fellow, 2024

It was decades ago but Dana Anderson (JILA, CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering and Applied Science) still recalls well the day his research took a major turn. 鈥淚 started to do atoms instead of photons,鈥� he said. While Anderson makes it sound like a subtle shift鈥揻ocusing on atoms and subatomic particles instead of particles of light (lasers)鈥搕hat move has contributed significantly to the present and future of quantum technologies worldwide.

Anderson, now Infleqtion鈥檚 chief technology officer, then began focusing on cold atom inertial sensing, a process in which ultra-cold atoms (cooled to near absolute zero) are used to precisely measure forces like rotation and acceleration. That unprecedented accuracy is based on leveraging atoms鈥� wave-like nature in a controlled quantum state. It was groundbreaking work also built on a strong foundation of quantum innovation at CU Boulder spanning decades and (up to that point) two Nobel Prizes.

That was the mid-1990s and, around the same time, Anderson鈥檚 JILA colleagues, NIST fellow Eric Cornell and CU Boulder physicist Carl Wieman, created a never-before-seen state of matter called the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), in which ultracold atoms coalesce into a single 鈥渟uperatom鈥� with uniform properties. They received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics for that work, shared with MIT physicist Wolfgang Ketterle and 70 years after Albert Einstein predicted BECs could exist based on the work of Satyenda Bose. 鈥淏oy, that鈥檚 going to be useful,鈥� Anderson recalls thinking at the time, imagining BEC being used to dramatically boost the performance of various devices, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, gravimeters and magnetometers. 鈥淚 felt that it would change the world,鈥� he said.

Following the BEC breakthrough, the trio went on to guide cold atoms through hollow core optical fibers, leading to Anderson and Cornell鈥檚鈥渁tom chip鈥� work and Anderson鈥檚 group demonstrating the first ultracold atom chip 鈥減ortable vacuum system鈥� in 2004. Those innovative techniques created a controlled environment for Anderson and others to study and manipulate atoms, a critical step in developing technologies like atomic clocks, quantum sensors and quantum computers.

鈥淪lowly building the technology鈥�

Dana Anderson poses with a spectrum analyzer in a laboratory at JILA. Photo: JILA, 1980.

As a 鈥渂orn and raised physicist,鈥� said Anderson, he鈥檚 always looking for practical applications for cutting-edge science. 鈥淚鈥檓 an applied physicist, so I like to do things that are useful,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have to happen tomorrow but be useful sooner or later.鈥� In those earlier days of quantum research, making that transition meant landing grants from the U.S. Army and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). That funding, said Anderson, 鈥渁llowed us to focus on developing the technology and getting it out into the world.鈥� During that time, they solved many problems, said Anderson. 鈥淲e were struggling and making mistakes like gangbusters and trying this and trying that, and slowly building the technology,鈥� he said.

In 2007, Anderson made the first critical leap from lab to market when he founded ColdQuanta with the goal of streamlining devices for BEC experiments using the technology discovered at CU. After receiving a $100,000 proof of concept investment from what was then the CU Technology Transfer Office (now Venture Partners at CU Boulder), ColdQuanta earned contracts from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Josh Bennett, assistant director of licensing at Venture Partners, now manages much of the university鈥檚 portfolio of quantum technologies, and he sees Infleqtion鈥檚 success as key to both advancing quantum research worldwide and paving the way for new quantum spinouts from CU. 鈥淪ince they were the first real quantum company out of Colorado to translate their research into a commercial entity, and they鈥檝e become a leader globally in their research and in their work, I think it鈥檚 fair to say that without Infleqtion (or ColdQuanta), we wouldn鈥檛 be seeing all these other quantum spin-outs in the last two, three years,鈥� he said.

Infleqtion laid the groundwork for several other CU Boulder quantum companies now working with Venture Partners, including Icarus Quantum, Flari Tech and Mesa Quantum. Today, through Venture Partners (the commercialization arm for CU Boulder, CU Denver鈥檚 physical sciences and UCCS), the entrepreneurs behind these startups have myriad programs to help get their ventures off the ground.

But what is "commercialization?"

The path to commercialization鈥攁lso known as "research translation" or "tech transfer"鈥攃an be challenging, so Venture Partners unites industry partners, entrepreneurs and investors to help researchers, inventors and creators at the University of Colorado bring their groundbreaking discoveries into the marketplace.

Explore the Path to Commercialization

What distinguishes Infleqtion today, said Scott Sternberg, executive director of the CUbit Quantum Initiative, is their ability to combine the capabilities of quantum phenomenon with highly engineered platforms that focus on customer usability. 鈥淚nfleqtion embodies the vibrant campus efforts to support the translation of fundamental discovery towards product realization and company growth,鈥� said Sternberg. 鈥淲e are fortunate to have such a great company, forged here in Boulder, that now leads the international quantum community.鈥�

Beyond proving that quantum tech can lead to a compelling business entity, Infleqtion blazed the trail to Colorado becoming a national quantum hub, said Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships. He points to Anderson鈥檚 important role in boosting Elevate Quantum, a consortium of over 120 quantum-focused organizations in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. 鈥淸Infleqtion] has become an international quantum success and sensation,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey're now a big-time player.鈥�

Inflection points

From left to right: Jason Ensher, Deborah Jin, Michael Matthews, Dana Anderson. Photo: JILA, 1995.

Anderson recalls well how most people responded when he first started pitching the concept of commercializing quantum tech. Looking back on his first quantum-related NSF proposal nearly 20 years ago, he said, 鈥淣ow those [concepts] seem right in the thick of things but back then most people said, 鈥楾his is too unrealistic鈥�. That鈥檚 what it was like.鈥� Anderson knew that he was on the fringe, especially at a time when most people still used flip phones. 鈥淲e were crazy people that were really gung-ho, and yet, we certainly didn't have a good business 鈥榮tory鈥�,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淏ut I just believed that quantum was going to be important.鈥�

Now quantum technology promises to revolutionize industries from computing, healthcare, defense, energy, finance and beyond. Building on decades of research from Anderson and others, Infleqtion is driving advances in that burgeoning ecosystem. The company now offers quantum hardware and software products鈥攆rom quantum clocks and sensors, positioning components and glass cells containing cold atoms to quantum computers and quantum-enabled, AI-driven software.

Several years ago, Anderson famously took ultracold atoms (around 10 million of them) out of the lab and onto his own plane, to test the robustness of his team鈥檚 magneto-optical trap. Not long after that, it was deployed by NASA for use on the International Space Station, making it what could be called the 鈥榗oolest鈥� tech in the universe. 鈥淲hen we commercialized a Bose Einstein condensation machine鈥� including making things very small,鈥� said Anderson, 鈥淣ASA noticed and said, 鈥楲et's put it up into space鈥�. And that was terribly important for our growing up.鈥�

Research labs and commercial entities worldwide are now using Infleqtion鈥檚 products to generate high-value information and improve reliability and performance in quantum computing. Customers and collaborators include the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Japanese Moonshot Program, the UK鈥檚 National Quantum Computing Centre and the Defense Cyber Marvel 3, a global cyber defense competition..

Infleqtion is also now participating in the first round of the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 (DOE) newly formed Quantum & Space Collaboration. The collaboration aims to use quantum tech to move the needle forward in national security, energy/sustainability and economic interests.

Infleqtion's cloud-based quantum matter machine, 鈥淎lbert, named TIME's Best Inventions. Photo: TIME, 2022

In 2022, ColdQuanta adopted the trade name Infleqtion to mark the company鈥檚 transition from research and development of quantum technology to deploying it for commercial uses. The company has now been through two successful rounds of funding, most recently raising $110 million in its Series B round in 2022. TIME magazine also named the company鈥檚 cloud-based quantum matter machine, dubbed 鈥淎lbert,鈥� as one of its 2022 Best Inventions. Infleqtion鈥檚 software platform recently secured a $1.15 million DOE grant, paving the way for energy-efficient computing.

Of all its latest advances, Anderson is most enthusiastic about Oqtant, a first-of-its-kind quantum innovation platform launched last year that democratizes quantum discovery and invention by giving researchers, innovators and students access to quantum matter via BECs where they can create, manipulate and study quantum phenomena鈥攁nd all they need is internet access. 鈥淚鈥檓 extremely excited about Oqtant,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淓veryone having the building blocks of our universe at their fingertips points us toward a new age of exploration and discovery.鈥�

Anderson is gratified to see that he and his colleagues' own 'eureka' quantum moments of long ago are finally being realized on a larger scale. Infleqtion鈥檚 readiness to meet that new understanding and demand has meant quantum leaps in the company鈥檚 recent growth. 鈥淲e knew that BEC was going to be big, and we鈥檙e seeing that now,鈥� he said.

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

Infleqtion鈥檚 star continues to rise as Colorado鈥檚 quantum hub grows. The company of firsts, spun out of CU Boulder as ColdQuanta, seems to be everywhere these days, including outer space, while commercializing pioneering research to address needs across several critical markets including positioning, navigating and timing, global communication security and efficiency, resilient energy distribution, and accelerated quantum computing.

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The internal hardware of Infleqtion's neutral atom quantum computing platform. Photo: Infleqtion, 2025.

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The internal hardware of Infleqtion's neutral atom quantum computing platform. Photo: Infleqtion, 2025.

BioSensor Solutions joins inaugural cohort of the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine Digital Twins Accelerator

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 21:49:47 +0000

BioSensor Solutions joins inaugural cohort of the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine Digital Twins Accelerator Daniel Corbin 鈥� Fri, 03/21/2025 - 15:49

CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine鈥擳he CO-WY Engine accelerator program accelerates the commercial pathways and company growth of early-stage startups using digital twins as a key aspect of their solution. CU Boulder startup BioSensor Solutions is dedicated to transforming agriculture and mitigating environmental degradation by developing cost-effective, high-performance sensor systems.

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CU Boulder hosts showcases highlighting breakthrough innovations and investment-ready ventures

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 16:54:27 +0000

CU Boulder hosts showcases highlighting breakthrough innovations and investment-ready ventures Daniel Corbin 鈥� Tue, 03/18/2025 - 10:54

Daniel Leonard

Venture Partners at CU Boulder and its partners across the Intermountain West once again demonstrated the power of university innovations with back-to-back startup showcases for the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator and Destination Startup. Both provided a platform for cutting-edge startups, breakthrough research and high-growth potential ventures to connect university innovation with industry leaders and investors.

Entrepreneurs bring university innovations to market

Ready to embark on a new entrepreneurial journey?

Visit the Embark Webpage

Embark is CU Boulder's deep tech startup creator for matching entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations. With various CU Boulder technologies ready to make a real-world impact, Embark seeks out motivated entrepreneurs in a competitive application process to join the Embark Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) cohort. The program then provides IP rights, salary support, grant funds, startup acceleration resources and investor introductions to selected applicants.

鈥淚n just eight months,鈥� said Amy Dodenhoff, director of venture development at Venture Partners, at the event, 鈥渢hese entrepreneurs have taken technologies invented in the lab and launched these companies. That鈥檚 incredible.鈥�

The entrepreneurial community and investors gathered at the showcase to see these startups pitch for the first time. The groundbreaking innovations included new dietary ingredients that could fight inflammation and weight gain with beneficial bacteria (Kioga, pitched by EIR Justin Whiteley) and a new 鈥渟ecret sauce鈥� for creating bioplastics that beats the competition by fully biodegrading in natural environments like oceans and landfills (Ecovaleric, pitched by EIR Roberta Le茫o).

The event ended with the pitch by Co-EIRs Makenna Morck and Alec Santiago, who walked away with a surprise $1,000 audience choice prize. Their company is developing a breakthrough solution for drug discovery, a 鈥渟hape-shifting cyclic peptide,鈥� that would allow drug makers to create new treatments for various, even untreatable, diseases.

鈥淟ike the other teams today,鈥� Morck said while accepting the prize, 鈥淚 want to thank the Venture Partners team for this opportunity and all of the [EIRs]; it鈥檚 been an honor working with everyone.鈥�

This year鈥檚 showcase rounds out the second cohort of the new Embark program, and Marta Zgagacz, senior director at Venture Partners, alluded to even more success to come.

鈥淲e are so excited to see the success of this year鈥檚 cohort today,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd to see international interest from universities looking to launch their own Embark or Embark-like programs.鈥�

The application for the third cohort of Embark is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

Embark was presented with financial support from Cooley.

The best of the Intermountain West innovation ecosystem

Join us at Destination Startup 2026

Are you an investor or researcher looking to bring the next great breakthrough to market? Learn more about getting involved with Destination Startup, a collaboration among leading research universities and federal laboratories across the Intermountain West to showcase the best companies from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit the Destination Startup Webpage

Destination Startup is a collaboration among leading research universities and federal laboratories across the Intermountain West to showcase the best companies from the innovation ecosystem. Hosted by Venture Partners, the showcase demonstrates a powerful way to invest in and get funding for innovative research to translate it into impactful business ventures.

鈥淭he startups that have come through Destination Startup have raised more than $1.2 billion to date,鈥� Dodenhoff said. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 showcase was invite-only to maximize networking opportunities, and all of this year鈥檚 companies are actively raising funding.鈥�

Companies from CU Boulder included Darwin Biosciences鈥攚hich emerged in 2020 with a COVID-19 saliva test鈥攚here CEO Nicholas Meyerson unveiled a new bedside, saliva-based diagnostic tool to detect sepsis, and PAGE Technologies鈥攁 recent recipient of one of the first translational research grants from the NSF CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine鈥攚here CEO Elliot Strand pitched a cost-effective soil sensor for agriculturalists and environmentalists to monitor and improve soil health.

As energy storage needs grow from consumer electronics to decarbonizing the energy grid, three companies鈥擣low Aluminum (University of New Mexico), Otoro Energy and Mana Battery (both from CU Boulder)鈥攑resented new battery technologies and Doug Campbell, former CEO and co-founder of CU Boulder battery spinout Solid Power, gave the showcase鈥檚 keynote address.

Over the past six years, Destination Startup has hosted over 100 startup companies, and nearly a thousand investors, business leaders and innovators have attended. It remains critical to CU Boulder鈥檚 expanding innovation ecosystem, providing early-stage ventures with the exposure and connections needed to scale.

The startup application for Destination Startup is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

Destination Startup was presented with financial support from Cooley, J.P. Morgan, Foley Hoag, Cozen O鈥機onnor, NOD Law and TriNet Group.

鈥淎 massive societal impact鈥�

The back-to-back showcases reaffirmed CU Boulder鈥檚 role as a national leader in deep tech startups. From the new approach of Embark to the investment-readiness of Destination Startup, these programs exemplify the university鈥檚 commitment to translating research into real-world impact.

鈥淲ith deep tech, there鈥檚 a massive societal impact,鈥� said Ajay Rayasam of Osage University Partners during the investor panel at Destination Startup. 鈥淲hether that鈥檚 a drug that cures disease or a technology that reduces emissions, that鈥檚 possible here. And we know that university spinouts from the 1940s to today have had a massive impact.鈥�

2024-25 Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator Startups

TerraMan Technologies

CEO: Nick Manuzak (Alum: CU Boulder Business)
PI: Wil Srubar (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering College of Engineering and Applied Science)

TerraMan Technologies is developing a process to help bioorganic building materials cure at an accelerated rate while sequestering additional carbon, making green building more cost competitive.

Colexible Technologies

CEO: C.J. Whelan
PI: Jianliang Xiao (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering)

Colexible Technologies specializes in developing and manufacturing cutting-edge flexible electronics. Our components and devices offer unparalleled stretching, bending and durability in wearable devices, automotive components and industrial electronics.

Ecovaleric

CEO: Roberta Le茫o
PI: Adam Holewinski (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering)

Ecovaleric is pioneering a breakthrough electrochemical process that converts plant-derived feedstocks into high-performance biodegradable polymers, bioplastics, green chemicals and biofuels. This replaces fossil-based alternatives, enabling a circular economy and accelerating the transition to sustainable manufacturing. Visit the Ecovaleric Website

EerDx

CEO: Bart Emery
PI: Jianliang Xiao (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering)

EerDx is reinventing the sleep diagnostic experience for patients and physicians using earbud flexible biosensors that move full sleep lab capabilities to the home. EerDx is led by Bart Emery, a two-time CU alum and experienced venture capitalist passionate about improving healthcare for all.

Endios Bio

CEO: Wendy Overton
PI: Alexandra Whiteley (CU Boulder Biochemistry)

Endios Bio is developing breakthrough therapeutics for rare neurodegenerative diseases by targeting the newly discovered impacts of the gene peg10, which was recently linked to ALS and Angelmans and has druggable potential. Visit the Endios Website

IntraLumenus

CEO: Jesse M. Sheppard (Alum: CU Denver Business, CU Boulder Business)
PI: Mark Rentschler (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering)

IntraLumenus is revolutionizing interventional endoscopy with its flexible robotic endoscope. Offering unparalleled precision, stability and control, our device reduces technical complexity and procedure times, enabling more endoscopists to perform advanced procedures, all while improving patient outcomes.

WindSenseAI

CEO: Aoife Henry
PI: Lucy Pao (CU Boulder Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering)

WindSenseAI* (formerly FOWTech) specializes in advanced control systems for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) and Floating Wind Farms. Our innovative technology manages seven degrees of freedom (DOFs) of floating platforms and AI to optimize the position of a fleet of turbines in a wind farm, improving power output and reducing maintenance costs.

*WindSenseAI was presented at the Embark Showcase by Embark EIR George Douaire

Kioga

CEO: Justin Whiteley
PI: Christopher A. Lowry (Integrative Physiology); Noah Fierer (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)

Kioga is discovering and commercializing new dietary ingredients to "vaccinate" consumers against stress and metabolic disorders by targeting brain and body inflammation. CEO and Cofounder Justin Whiteley is cofounder of Meati Foods and served as chief science and technology officer. Visit the Kioga Website

Kitsune Bio

CEO: Makenna Morck (Alum: CU Boulder Biochemistry)
COO: Alec Santiago
Principal Investigator (PI): Michael Stowell (CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology)

Kitsune Bio (previously Aatxe Therapeutics) is transforming drug discovery with shape-shifting cyclic peptides鈥攄ynamic molecules that reconfigure their structure to access and engage challenging disease targets. Our groundbreaking platform overcomes key barriers in medicine, unlocking new treatments for patients who currently have no effective options.

Longevity Escape Velocity Labs

CEO: Kylen McClintock
PI: Tom LaRocca (CU Boulder Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Laboratory)

Longevity Escape Velocity Labs (LEVL) targets the biology of aging to create novel therapeutics and personalized protocols that help people live longer and healthier. LEVL's first formulation is a fasting mimetic shown to restore older mice to youthful biomarkers by inducing levels of autophagy comparable to rapamycin. Visit the LEVL Website

2025 Destination Startup Presenters

Avesta76 Therapeutics Inc.

Avesta76 is a revolutionary biotech company that is developing cancer medications that can treat over half of all cancers safely and effectively. To do that, we have found the key to bypassing p53 mutations and deletions. We will begin first in-human clinical trials in early 2026. Visit the Avesta76 Website

Team: Ian Akash Morrison*, Co-Founder, CEO; Sanjay Awasthi, M.D., Co-Founder, Chief Research Officer; Arjun Awasthi, Co-Founder, COO

Affiliation: Texas Tech University System

Cascade Biocatalysts Inc.

Cascade Bio empowers enzymes to change how molecules are made. Our product extends enzyme lifespans in chemical processes, lowering the cost of sustainable biomanufacturing. Over 20 companies have paid to try our product across pharmaceuticals, foods, recycling, specialty chemicals and biomining. Visit the Cascade Bio Website

Team: Alex Rosay*, Co-Founder, CEO; James Weltz (Alum: CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Darwin Biosciences Inc.

Darwin Biosciences develops saliva-based diagnostics for early infection detection. Our technology identifies immune response signatures before symptoms escalate, enabling faster intervention. We aim to revolutionize infectious disease diagnostics, starting with sepsis. Visit the Darwin Website

Team: Nicholas Meyerson*, CEO, Co-Founder; Sara Sawyer, Director, Co-Founder (CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute)

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

EerDx Inc.

EerDx uses earbud sleep diagnostics to transform how we diagnose and treat the 100 million Americans with sleep disorders. By delivering advanced clinical-grade sensors in a consumer earbud factor that a patient can easily use at home, EerDx is making home sleep testing cool! Visit the EerDx website

Teams: Bart Emery*, CEO, Co-Founder; Samir Chabra, CTO, Co-Founder

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Flow Aluminum Inc.

Flow Aluminum develops Aluminum-CO₂ batteries for grid storage, microgrids and defense, offering extreme temperature performance (-40掳C to 170掳C), enhanced safety and CO₂ utilization. Safer and cheaper than lithium-ion, our rechargeable system enables carbon removal and sustainable energy storage at scale. Visit the Flow Website

Team: Chris Fetrow, Co-Founder, Chief Scientist; Tom Chepucavage, Co-Founder, CEO; Simit Shah, COO/CFO

Affiliation: University of New Mexico

Icarus Quantum Inc.

Quantum computers are yet to reach the size and scale required to unlock their true potential in exponential processing power. Icarus Quantum develops efficient and scalable quantum interconnects, providing scalability to quantum computers through modularity. Visit the Icarus Website

Team: Poolad Imany*, CEO, Founder; Fateme Mahdikhany, Photonics Engineer; Mohammad Habibur Rahaman, Device Engineer; Bradley Werner, Advisor; Shuo Sun, Advisor; Alisa Javadi, Advisor

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Illumen Therapeutics Inc.

Illumen Therapeutics is pursuing a p53 moonshot to transform cancer treatment by pioneering the development of PARN inhibitor drugs that increase functional p53, known as the 'Guardian of the Genome,' to treat aggressive cancers and improve patient survival. Visit the Illumen Website

Team: Bob Blomquist*, CEO, Co-Founder; Roy Parker (CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute), Co-Founder, Advisor; Brian Williams, CFO; Jim Winkler, Interim CSO

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Latimer Controls Inc.

Latimer Controls provides a software solution that addresses the critical issue of solar power intermittency, enabling precise real-time control and optimization of solar output. This transforms standalone solar generation into a controllable, dispatchable and flexible resource for the power grid. Visit the Latimer Website

Team: Simon Julien* (NREL West Gate, Alum: CU Boulder Applied Mathematics) CEO, Co-Founder; Tristan Liu (Alum: CU Boulder Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences), Co-Founder; Zak Jacobs (Alum: CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder.

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Mana Battery Inc.

Founded by experienced battery technologists and entrepreneurs, Mana Battery delivers on the promise of the sodium-ion battery with best-in-class cost and performance through a proprietary low-cost, fire-extinguishing electrolyte platform and a high-energy battery cell design that offers higher energy density than LFP Li-ion at half-the-cost. Visit the Mana Website

Team: Tyler Evans*, Co-Founder, CEO; Nicholas Singstock, Co-Founder, CTO; Chunmei Ban (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor; Douglas Campbell, Member of the Board of Directors; Heather A.S. Platt, Director of Materials Engineering and R&D; Peter Hosbein, Senior Cell Engineer; Salma Lira, Associate Cell Engineer; Ed Williams, Senior Business Advisor

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

OMC Thermochemistry

OMC Thermochemistry offers a low-cost, massively scalable route for the efficient, highly durable production of hydrogen or the transformation of CO₂ back into useful fuels and chemicals using heat, a novel active material, and globally abundant resources within existing industrial formats and competencies. Visit the OMC Website

Team: Kent Warren (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO; Britt Boughey, Co-Founder, CEO; Patrick Vincent, Senior Process Engineer

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Otoro Energy Inc.

Otoro Energy is revolutionizing long-duration energy storage with a high-efficiency, low-cost flow battery. Backed by the largest U.S. utility and over $6 million in DOE grants, our non-flammable, non-toxic technology enables safe, 10+ hour discharge, delivering reliable, scalable and cost-effective grid resilience. Visit the Otoro Website

Team: Michael Marshak (frm. CU Boulder Chemistry, RASEI)

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

PAGE Technologies Inc.

PAGE Technologies is redefining agricultural and environmental monitoring with a breakthrough analytics platform. Our proprietary printed electronics deliver real-time, ultra-low-cost data collection. With seamless API integration, PAGE enables strategic partners to scale impact and unlock new revenue opportunities. Visit the PAGE Website

Team: Elliot Strand* (CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science), Co-Founder, CEO; Payton Goodrich, Co-Founder, CTO; Cameron Handeland, Lead Systems Engineer

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

Paramium Technologies Inc.

Paramium is an aerospace telecom company focused on building a global network of advanced ground stations for multiband satellite connectivity. Its centralized system simplifies scheduling, connection, downloading and mission control, much like scheduling an online conference. Visit the Paramium Website

Team: Justin Hyatt, CEO, Co-Founder; Christian Davila*, CTO, Co-Founder; Ken Gyure (University of Arizona Eller College of Management), COO, Michael Martin, CFO

Affiliation: University of Arizona

TheraCea Pharma LC

TheraCea Pharma is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing a new generation of radiopharmaceutical compounds as theranostics, molecules that have both diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and advanced diagnostics for detecting and treating cancers and neurological disorders. Visit the TheraCea Website

Team: Iman Daryaei*, CEO, Co-Founder; Pavel Rychetsky, Vice President of R&D; David Loynd, Fractional CFO; Justin Jeffery, Chief Business Officer; Rikki Waterhouse, Regulatory Affairs Consultant; Julian Dresler, Manager of R&D; Nathan Wright, Manager of Business Operations; Jacob Fussell, Scientist II; Caleb Brown, Business Intelligence Officer

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Tynt Technologies Inc.

Tynt鈥檚 platform technology enables real-time dynamic tinting through reversible metal electrodeposition (RME). It鈥檚 tunable by application, integrates into glass or plastic, has a wide dynamic range, neutral color, low cost and is flexible, unlocking new possibilities for smart materials. Visit the Tynt Website

Team: Ameen K. Saafir*, CEO; John Dwyer, COO; Tyler Hernandez, CTO; Michael McGehee, Chief Scientist

Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

Venture Partners at CU Boulder and its partners across the Intermountain West once again demonstrated the power of university innovations with back-to-back startup showcases for the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator and Destination Startup. Both provided a platform for cutting-edge startups, breakthrough research and high-growth potential ventures to connect with industry leaders and investors.

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Sustainable spinouts: innovation in action

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 21:18:58 +0000

Sustainable spinouts: innovation in action Daniel Corbin 鈥� Mon, 03/10/2025 - 15:18

Coloradan Magazine鈥擟U Boulder鈥檚 researchers are bringing innovations out of their labs and into companies that have real-world impact. The university is a national leader and spinout powerhouse, launching 35 companies in fiscal year 2024 and over 100 since 2016, according to Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships.

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Alum Sristy Agrawal leads CU Boulder startup Mesa Quantum to success

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:27:12 +0000

Alum Sristy Agrawal leads CU Boulder startup Mesa Quantum to success Daniel Corbin 鈥� Mon, 03/10/2025 - 08:27

Heather Hansen

Mesa Quantum, a CU Boulder spinout and leader in quantum sensing, recently announced $3.7 million in seed funding and a $1.9 million grant from SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. Both investments are fueling the company鈥檚 drive toward commercializing chip-scale quantum sensors for multiple applications including next-generation position, navigation and timing solutions.

Sristy Agrawal

Sitting in Mesa Quantum's new, airy headquarters in Boulder, co-founder and CEO Sristy Agrawal (NIST, JILA, CU Boulder Physics), is clearly exhilarated鈥攊f also a bit jet lagged. She鈥檚 been traveling around the U.S., to Europe, and next to Asia, attending conferences and talking to governments about her company鈥檚 tiny technology that鈥檚 offering big solutions. In those conversations, said Agrawal, 鈥淲e want to make sure that our roadmap and our product development ensures we鈥檙e not just developing a cool technology but also solving a real problem.鈥�

One of the issues Mesa Quantum aims to solve is current vulnerabilities in the aging U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) which is often the sole source of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services. Accurate GPS and PNT are integral in our everyday lives, from mapping and surveying to stock trading, power grids and emergency response. But the satellite-based signals that GPS relies on can be inconsistent and are unencrypted.

Improperly configured, corrupted or hacked GPS receivers and signals have wreaked havoc recently on aviation and government operations, disrupting large sectors of the global economy. 鈥淎s we鈥檝e seen in the last few years, GPS is not resilient at all,鈥� said Agrawal. 鈥淵ou can buy something from Amazon for $20 which can jam the GPS in an entire neighborhood.鈥�

Mesa Quantum is addressing the issues of PNT resiliency, as well as filling certain GPS accessibility gaps, by designing and manufacturing next-gen quantum sensors with chip-scale atomic clocks. 鈥淥ne approach to solving that problem, which is very promising, is if we could build really tiny atomic clocks that we could integrate in our hardware,鈥� said Agrawal. 鈥淪o we wouldn鈥檛 have to rely completely on such a weak signal that is jammable. So that is what we鈥檙e trying to do.鈥�

Timing is everything

Agrawal and her team are transitioning state-of-the-art lab research from CU Boulder into practical and deployable quantum solutions. The tech originates from Svenja Knappe鈥檚 lab (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, NIST) where, for over 20 years, her work has focused on developing miniaturized quantum sensors and systems. CU Boulder has a robust history of quantum innovators spanning 60 years, including four Nobel laureates. Mesa Quantum is licensing that tech from the university, with the help of Venture Partners at CU Boulder, and working to make components smaller and mass producible while driving down cost to make their sensors accessible across multiple applications. They hope to have a working prototype in 2026, and also worked with Venture Partners to launch the company.

Quantum sensors are essentially highly accurate measurement devices that collect data at the subatomic level by detecting the most minute changes in time, gravity, temperature, motion, magnetic and electrical fields and more. That kind of precision, in Mesa Quantum鈥檚 smaller, more cost-effective package could be tailored for a wide array of uses including medical diagnostics and biomedical research, environmental monitoring and, of course, positioning, navigation and timing.

In adapting Knappe鈥檚 novel atomic clock, Mesa Quantum is building sensors that can measure and detect changes in the environment around them to signal where they are in the world, where they need to go and to keep them in sync with other systems. Agrawal ultimately sees a place for their sensors anywhere highly accurate timekeeping is currently needed (like data centers and autonomous vehicles); where GPS may be weak, like in dense urban areas, and in challenging environments where GPS can鈥檛 currently go鈥攗nderground, underwater and in secure military operations. They want their quantum sensors to 鈥渕eet the market where it is,鈥� she said.

Agrawal鈥檚 path to studying quantum science started back in high school where she first started to learn scientific concepts. Before, she never felt like a great student, but that sparked curiosity in her, and it remains so today. 鈥淓very day I had like 10 questions for the teacher which must have been very annoying,鈥� said Agrawal, 鈥渂ut that鈥檚 when I really got interested in science.鈥� Being open and curious have been key to Agrawal鈥檚 success. She grew up in a small town in a rural state in India where she鈥檇 go to a caf茅 to access the internet, or she鈥檇 stay at home reading H.G. Wells鈥� 鈥淭he Time Machine鈥� or watching 鈥淪tephen Hawking鈥檚 Universe.鈥� Agrawal also values having the willingness to make mistakes and to continue learning. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the end of the world if something doesn鈥檛 work,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I would regret not trying.鈥�

When working toward her PhD in quantum information science, Agrawal was looking at how to use quantum technologies to transform lives. 鈥淚 got exposed to a lot of incredible research being done at JILA and NIST in quantum sensing,鈥� she said, 鈥淎nd I got the bug for the impact that quantum technologies could have to actually solve real world challenges.鈥� At the same time, Agrawal didn鈥檛 have a particular concept in mind. 鈥淏ecause I wasn鈥檛 married to a particular idea to begin with, I think that gave me a lot of flexibility,鈥� said Agrawal. 鈥淚 got quite excited about chip-scale atomic clocks right away because I鈥檇 been reading about the GPS problem.鈥� Her next logical step was to direct her knowledge of the quantum realm and a passion for solutions into a startup. But how?

Homing in on a winning innovation

When considering entrepreneurship, Agrawal turned first to Venture Partners at CU Boulder, the commercialization arm of the university, and began working with Justin Stitzlein, a venture analyst at Venture Partners. The two met for coffee and Stitzlein was excited to learn about her background in quantum physics. 鈥淭hen we provided her with a curated list of potential quantum technologies, she looked through that list and selected one that she thought seemed interesting and that might have a market opportunity,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hrough her research and just a few conversations, Sristy really conceptualized this gap in the market. I don鈥檛 think that everyone can do that; she鈥檚 such an expansive thinker.鈥�

But what is "commercialization?"

Explore the Path to Commercialization

In late 2022, Agrawal participated in the Venture Partners Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop, offered as part of the NSF I-Corps鈩� Hub: West Region, where Mesa Quantum was conceived. The program helps researchers build a foundation for impactful businesses by identifying market needs for their breakthrough technologies with a robust process of customer discovery, according to Emily Vogt, director of venture development. 鈥淸Sristy鈥檚] chip scale atomic clock technology had broad applications across different industries,鈥� said Vogt. 鈥淗er customer discovery journey through multiple I-Corps programs helped her find the shortest and most compelling path to market, while also highlighting different uses of the technology for future growth."

During the Starting Blocks program, Stitzlein encouraged Agrawal to home in on the technology鈥檚 potential applications and to develop a business model. She then started developing that commercial strategy and meeting with potential customers. 鈥淚've never seen someone hit the road as hard as she did,鈥� said Stitzlein.

During that time, Agrawal dove into several other Venture Partners鈥� programs including the 2023 Lab Venture Challenge (where Mesa Quantum was awarded $125,000) and 2024 New Venture Challenge Deep Tech Competition (where Mesa Quantum was a finalist). She also participated in New Venture Launch, a Leeds School of Business class for cross-disciplinary teams, individual founders and entrepreneur-focused students. During that time, Agrawal also connected with her co-founder and Mesa Quantum鈥檚 chief technology officer, Wale Lawal (Harvard, Rice University, U.S. Air Force Academy).

From when she first began working with Venture Partners, Agrawal felt tremendous backing. 鈥淚 could brainstorm everything with them,鈥� she said. Venture Partners helped Agrawal move seamlessly through CU Boulder鈥檚 many opportunities and resources for campus innovators to develop new ventures. Before, as an academic, Agrawal said, she didn鈥檛 have access to daily conversations about becoming an entrepreneur like someone at a business school might.

That resonates with Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships at CU Boulder. 鈥淭his is definitely a cross-campus collaboration, an example of a founder really leveraging all the different things that this campus has to offer,鈥� he said. 鈥淏reaking down siloes is great.鈥� Rees would like to see more founders like Sristy鈥斺€渨ho鈥檚 got that commitment and willingness to try things鈥濃€攂ringing their knowledge and passion into the entrepreneurial arena.

Rees sees Agrawal and Mesa Quantum as the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential ventures spinning out of the university. 鈥淭he vast majority of folks don鈥檛 know where to start, or don鈥檛 have the resources, or don鈥檛 have the bandwidth to do that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat I think is so exciting about the university now is that for most of the iceberg that鈥檚 underwater, for those people who would love to do this if they have support, there are trainings, there are mentors, there鈥檚 funding, there鈥檚 access to a path to success.鈥�

鈥淰enture Partners created that space for me where I could have those discussions,鈥� Agrawal said. 鈥淚 cannot overstate how important the community has been in this journey. Mesa Quantum wouldn鈥檛 have happened without that support.鈥�

What can we do together?

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Mesa Quantum, a CU Boulder spinout and leader in quantum sensing, recently announced $3.7 million in seed funding and a $1.9 million grant from SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. Both investments are fueling the company鈥檚 drive toward commercializing chip-scale quantum sensors for multiple applications including next-generation position, navigation and timing solutions.

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From left to right: William Raasch, Haoquan Fan, Sristy Agrawal, Austin Granmoe, Andres cuellar Vega (below), Antonio Yervez, Wale Lawal

Artimus Robotics wins UK ARIA award to accelerate the development of dexterous robotic hardware

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:41:01 +0000

Artimus Robotics wins UK ARIA award to accelerate the development of dexterous robotic hardware Daniel Corbin 鈥� Thu, 02/20/2025 - 12:41

PR Newswire鈥擜rtimus Robotics, a CU Boulder startup and leader in artificial muscle technology, announced 拢1.5M funding from the UK government's Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA). This contract will enable crucial advancements in Artimus Robotics' core soft actuation technology and support deploying this technology into dexterous manipulators in collaboration with the University of Bristol.

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鈥楢 broader impact鈥�: CU Boulder startup culture brings life-changing technology to Colorado

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 17:12:53 +0000

鈥楢 broader impact鈥�: CU Boulder startup culture brings life-changing technology to Colorado Daniel Corbin 鈥� Sun, 02/16/2025 - 10:12

Daily Camera鈥擟U Boulder鈥檚 commercialization, including startup companies, had an economic impact of $8 billion nationally and $5.2 billion in Colorado from 2018-2022, according to a 2022 report from CU Boulder鈥檚 Leeds School of Business. Ball Aerospace was one of the first startup companies out of CU Boulder. Another is Solid Power, which creates electric vehicle batteries and other components and has partnered with Ford and BMW.

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2025 Destination Startup announces startups across the region to present at annual showcase

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:15:14 +0000

2025 Destination Startup announces startups across the region to present at annual showcase Daniel Corbin 鈥� Thu, 02/13/2025 - 13:15

Destination Startup brings groundbreaking startups built on novel discoveries from top national labs and universities together with investors from throughout North America to catalyze real-world impact. This showcase demonstrates a powerful way to invest in and get funding for innovative research and translate it into impactful business ventures.

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