CU Innovators News

SomaLogic, spun out of the Gold Lab at CU Boulder, revolutionized protein discovery methods to provide insights into disease discovery and treatment

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:38:57 +0000

SomaLogic, spun out of the Gold Lab at CU Boulder, revolutionized protein discovery methods to provide insights into disease discovery and treatment Daniel Corbin … Wed, 10/30/2024 - 14:38

Heather Hansen

Founded by CU Boulder Professor Larry Gold in 2000, SomaLogic revolutionized protein measurement by developing a faster, cost-effective process to monitor the vast number of proteins in the human body. Gold’s discoveries and work at CU Boulder ultimately led to the creation of three spinout companies and a significant impact on global healthcare research and diagnostics.

Like most groundbreaking biotechnology companies, SomaLogic formed around a problem to solve—how to precisely measure the huge number of proteins in the human body. In 2000, when Larry Gold founded the company, measuring proteins was a time-consuming, costly and flawed process reliant on antibodies which are often not specific or sensitive enough detection tools.

Larry Gold, PhD

Gold, who began teaching in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCDB) department in 1970 (and served as its chair from 1988 to 1992), set out to do what no one else in the world was doing at the time—measure proteins more simply, cheaply and quickly. “My whole career at CU in MCDB, for 50 plus years, I have cared about measuring proteins,” said Gold.

Measuring proteins is so important because they’re the building blocks of life. The human body has at least 20,000 different proteins—and many more variants—working together in a complicated choreography. For example, collagen is a protein that structures skin, bones and teeth, while hemoglobin carries oxygen in blood. Proteins are also key to a well-functioning immune system, catalyze reactions in the body, and function as critical messengers within and between cells.

The ability to identify and count proteins is essential to biomedical research. Quantifying protein concentrations can help measure the presence and progression of diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Proteins are also often the targets of therapeutics—like aspirin for a headache—because of all the biochemical processes they carry out and their ability to intervene in pathologies with high specificity.

At the start, Gold’s lab could measure roughly 70 proteins by working long hours and sticking with the process despite occasional setbacks. For decades, said Gold, “From morning to night, seven days a week, oftentimes all night, I pipetted the same experiment thousands of times,” he said. “I don’t get bored doing the same thing over and over as long as we’re learning stuff—and we were.”

Gold said advancing their knowledge of proteins little by little while enjoying the camaraderie of life in the lab made long hours and ‘failed’ experiments tolerable, even enjoyable. “You can’t get upset when an experiment doesn't work, it’s a continuing, iterative process,” he said. “And I was doing it with good people–and that’s fun.”

Their process was cutting-edge at the time, but Gold knew that to crack the code on proteins, they’d need to be able to measure more and faster. That mission was the driving force in founding SomaLogic. “The tech for what we wanted to do didn’t exist, so we had to invent it on the spot,” Gold told an entrepreneur forum in 2015. “The basic idea was right about what we wanted to do, but the technology was harder than we thought,” he said.

Inventing those tools ultimately would take a decade and $200 million.

Imagining a bold future

In a way, proteins are like locks that Gold and his team were trying to find keys to. That matchmaking effort began decades ago, leading to an underlying innovation that fueled three spinouts and countless ongoing applications.

In the late 1980s, Gold and his team at CU Boulder, including PhD student Craig Tuerk, made a discovery that led to that original innovation. They were developing a technique to identify molecules that would selectively bind to other compounds (based on a piece of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, which Tuerk was studying).

Gold recalled the day when—two years into an experiment he’d asked Tuerk to do—they discovered they were onto something big. It was 1989, the day before Thanksgiving, and Tuerk came running out of the darkroom where he’d been working. “That afternoon, it was clear to us he had done something that had lots of possibilities for the future in biotech, and we covered a whiteboard with every idea we had,” said Gold.

It was a watershed moment that would change the biotech industry significantly. “Craig and I shared the most wonderful moment possible for scientists: we imagined a future in which RNAs were ‘shapes, not tapes’ or ‘strings, not things’ and were useful in the same way that monoclonal antibodies are useful,” Gold wrote in a 2015 article in the Journal of Molecular Evolution.

In the process, the group isolated the first-known aptamers, a class of molecules with the unique binding ability—the keys—they were looking for. Then, they devised a system called SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), which could generate aptamers reliably and efficiently.

That discovery and development revolutionized biological research and medical diagnostics with wide-ranging applications from biomarker detection (indicating diseases like cancer and viral infections) to targeted therapies with fewer side effects.

From CU Boulder to the world

The Path to Commercialization

When a university startup is created, it is the culmination of years of research and significant work by the founders to build a compelling company vision, strategy and business model. The team at Venture Partners is here to help with each step along the way, including:

intellectual property (IP) services,
entrepreneurial training through the I-Corps^TM Hub West,
a network of industry mentors,
funding through the Lab Venture Challenge,
the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator,
fast and simple IP licensing through the Licensing with EASE^® program,
and many other resources.

Remarkable biotechnology breakthroughs don’t happen often, and even fewer enter the marketplace—and with such exceptional results. But Gold seems to have a knack for bringing them to light, combining decades of experience with a passion for inquiry. “You have to do the mundane work, but you also have to try to ask big questions, too,” he said, “Most people don't do that because they're afraid; our culture, in general, breeds a fear of failure.”

But to make the big discoveries, Gold said scientists have to take chances and cling to small victories in the process. “You should take some shots that are slightly ridiculous,” he said. “And enjoy all these little moments along the way where you learn something. The business of science for me is incredibly fun, and so that makes it easy to do for a long time.”

Since Gold and colleagues developed the SELEX platform, various academic and biopharma partners have also used it to develop new diagnostic tests, discover new drugs, accelerate their translation to clinical practice and reveal a deeper understanding of basic human biology and disease. In one such collaboration, Imperial College London is using a SomaLogic platform to analyze tens of thousands of biological samples as part of an investigation into how lifestyle, diet, genetic, metabolic and other factors affect the development of serious illnesses.

Soon after developing SELEX, Gold co-founded and served as co-director of research at Synergen, Inc., a biotechnology company later acquired by Amgen, Inc. and he founded NeXagen, Inc. (later called NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which merged with Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 1999. One major accomplishment of NeXstar centered on Macugen, a drug used to treat age-related macular degeneration and only the second-ever RNA aptamer to gain FDA approval.

Innovation that keeps on giving

Recognizing there was still work to be done in developing accessible diagnostics, Gold launched SomaLogic in 2000 where he served as CEO and chairman. He knew that focusing on proteomics—the field of measuring proteins—would be tough but, he wrote, “We also believed (and I continue to believe) that medical diagnostics was not as useful for patients and healthcare as it had to be, and that personalized medicine would depend on genomics and proteomics (and other ‘omics’ technologies).”

Based on the original SELEX technology developed at CU Boulder, SomaLogic pioneered the development of proteomics diagnostics and experiments. That is, they set out to create arrays of aptamers (keys) to fit thousands of proteins (locks) simultaneously to make disease discovery as simple as possible. Their unique “SOMAmers” can distinguish between nearly identical proteins and their SomaScan Assay is the first and only platform enabling 11,000 protein measurements from a tiny fluid sample.

Spinning three companies out of a single innovation developed at CU Boulder was an incredible feat, according to Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation and managing director of Venture Partners at CU Boulder. “Larry was a pioneer and did this at a time when universities really weren’t set up to support that,” said Rees. “It was transformative. None of the whole innovation ecosystem that we currently have would exist without Larry doing that. The whole thing is a major CU Boulder success story.”

Venture Partners, the commercialization arm for CU Boulder, now has myriad programs to help would-be entrepreneurs launch their innovations into the world. “Fast forward to today where it’s a wholesale culture change, and the university really understands how intertwined the mission of the university is, with folks like Larry being able to spin their work out and impact so many, in his case, patients and labs around the world,” said Rees.

In 2021, SomaLogic went public, and in January 2024, it merged with Standard BioTools Inc., which uses next-generation technologies to transform scientific discoveries into better patient outcomes.

The sky’s the limit when thinking about how the discoveries originally made at CU Boulder will continue to be used to improve healthcare, Gold wrote. “…the future for applications of aptamers will be limited only by our imaginations…”

Founded by CU Boulder Professor Larry Gold in 2000, SomaLogic revolutionized protein measurement by developing a faster, cost-effective process to monitor the vast number of proteins in the human body.

Off

Traditional

White

CU Boulder teams among first winners of the NSF-funded Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:01:49 +0000

CU Boulder teams among first winners of the NSF-funded Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine Daniel Corbin … Tue, 10/22/2024 - 12:01

This article was initially published at innosphereventures.org.

Ready to explore opportunities in research translation? Venture Partners at CU Boulder brings the university’s world-class researchers with the business, startup and entrepreneurial communities to translate groundbreaking solutions into economic and social impact.

Explore Opportunities and Events

Over the past two months, the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine has been focused on identifying and supporting groundbreaking climate resilience projects across the region. This included launching the first round of investments in Research and Development and Translation/Startup projects with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. Interdisciplinary, collaborative teams from across the region’s leading universities and startup companies answered the Engine’s request for proposals with an overwhelming and diverse range of climate resilience solutions.

Governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Mark Gordon of Wyoming collaborated to announce the recipients of the inaugural grant program by the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine. This partnership signifies a new phase in the joint efforts of the two states to create climate resilience solutions that safeguard communities, encourage innovation, and stimulate economic development.

“Colorado is leading the way in addressing climate change and using innovative solutions to become more resilient in the face of its impact. I’m thankful for Wyoming and Governor Gordon’s partnership and openness to work together to drive innovation, strengthen public-private partnerships, and make the region more climate resilient. These projects will help secure our water future, protect Coloradans from wildfire dangers, and protect our air and I am excited to see them in action,” said Governor Polis.

“When Wyoming joined the engine, we were focused on identifying and addressing specific Wyoming issues, including the impacts of droughts and wildfires,” Governor Gordon said. “Wyoming and Colorado may not be in alignment on many issues, but I will always support efforts within each of our states to benefit our citizens.”

The CO-WY Engine received nearly 50 proposals across two areas: R&D, which focuses on catalyzing the commercialization of university-based projects, and Translation/Startups, which supports bringing early-stage commercial solutions to scale. The winning projects address key issues in climate resilience in our region, including water security, wildfire prediction and response, extreme weather modeling, soil carbon sequestration, and methane emissions mitigation. These projects build on and strengthen critical capabilities in advanced sensing and data science, positioning Colorado and Wyoming at the forefront of innovation nationally. These projects demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships and investments in innovation to drive meaningful impact.

For more information about future proposal requests and opportunities with the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine visit co-wyengine.org.

University of Colorado Boulder Winners of the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine Request for Proposals

Use-Inspired Funding

Wildfire Risk and Prediction
Project title: Mapping Vulnerability: Assessing the Built Environment’s Susceptibility to Wildfires through AI and Big Data.
Principal investigator: Virginia Iglesias, PhD (Earth Lab, CIRES)
Lead institution: University of Colorado Boulder
Key partners: CoreLogic, CyVerse

Translational Funding

Complex Earth Sensing/Soil Carbon Capture Data & Analytics
Project title: Next-Gen Soil Monitoring: Wireless Printed Sensors for Agriculture
Principal investigator: Elliot Strand (BEEM Lab, College of Engineering and Applied Science)
Company name: Page Technologies
Key partners: Syngenta Group, University of Wyoming, 3 Rocks Ranch, Colorado State University, Growing Gardens, Meshcomm Engineering

Off

Traditional

White

Elliot Strand (photo: CU Boulder)

CU Physics Professor Jun Ye is Awarded the Monroe Endowed Professorship

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:13:18 +0000

CU Physics Professor Jun Ye is Awarded the Monroe Endowed Professorship Daniel Corbin … Tue, 10/15/2024 - 12:13

CU Boulder Physics—This prestigious new professorship, resulting from a $1 million endowment underscores the university’s growing prominence in quantum information science and applied quantum physics. Jun Ye is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in precision measurement, ultracold molecules and ultra-high precision atomic clocks.

Off

Traditional

White

CU researchers to compete for share of $1.25M in grant funding to bring bio- and physical-sciences innovations to market

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:13:05 +0000

CU researchers to compete for share of $1.25M in grant funding to bring bio- and physical-sciences innovations to market Daniel Corbin … Wed, 10/02/2024 - 10:13

Fourteen teams of University of Colorado entrepreneurs, faculty researchers and graduate student innovators will compete for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) Showcases. Judges from Venture Partners at CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial network will hear Shark Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in biosciences and another for physical sciences and engineering.

2024 LVC Showcases

Physical Sciences Showcase: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5:30-8 p.m.

Biosciences Showcase: Thursday, Oct. 24, 5:30-8 p.m.

Founder Central by Sweater, 2000 Central Ave #100, Boulder

Learn More and Register

Through LVC, top innovators from CU Boulder, 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 Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program, as well as Venture Partners and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund.

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 path to commercialization.

“At this early stage, funding is essential, but can be a challenge to obtain,“ said Joshua Bennett, director of LVC and senior licensing manager 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..”

To date, LVC has funded 107 projects through 54 new deep-tech startup companies, which collectively have raised over $349 million in follow-on financing.

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 $125,000 of funding.

This year’s LVC was additionally made possible by Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP, Wilson Sonsini, Cooley and Cozen O'Connor.

2024 Physical Sciences Finalists

Colexible

Colexible's liquid metal printed circuit board technology offers deformable, stretchable and affordable electronic assemblies that address the challenges that current rigid PCBs face with emerging technologies, such as wearable electronics, virtual/augmented reality and collaborative robots.

Jianliang Xiao (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering): PI
C.J. Whelan (CU Boulder Embark EIR): CEO
Kris Obernyer: Chief Product Officer

EcoValeric Innovations

EcoValeric's invention is an electrochemical process that converts biomass-based levulinic acid into 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (HVA), a versatile intermediate for producing biodegradable plastics, biofuels and green solvents. This scalable, renewable process reduces reliance on fossil fuels while enhancing sustainability. Visit EcoValeric's website

Roberta Leão (CU Boulder Embark EIR): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Adam Holewinski (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering): PI
Will Lucas: CTO

InfraInform

I2M-B is an end-to-end AI-based software tool that integrates cutting-edge temporal deep learning techniques with novel operations research methodologies to address the lack of an optimized, predictive and proactive approach for cost-efficient bridge and culvert maintenance planning.

Farnoush Banaei-Kashani (CU Denver Computer Science and Engineering): Co-PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Moatassem Abdalla (CU Denver Civil Engineering): Co-PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Kevin Rens: Co-Investigator, Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Mode-Locked Laser Technology

This groundbreaking mode-locked laser technology overcomes the limitations of existing systems and is suitable for harsh environments. These systems excel in applications that require the best phase noise performance in a small and efficient device. Applications include PNT and RF instrumentation.

Thomas R. Schibli (CU Boulder Physics): PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Chris Singer (Alum: CU Boulder Business): Business Development
Christopher B. Oei: Product Design, Advanced Manufacturing

OsmoPure Technologies

OsmoPure is introducing a membrane for ultrapure water production tailored to the stringent demands of electronics, aerospace and green hydrogen sectors. The technology uses distillation driven by pressure, rather than heat, to produce high-purity product water with ten times higher energy efficiency. Visit the OsmoPure website

Kian Lopez (PhD student, CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Anthony Straub (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering): Principal Investigator (PI)
Nadia Jorgenson (PhD candidate, CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering): Director of R&D

WHISPER Energy

WHISPER Energy is a wireless, battery-free sensor platform for smart buildings. It uses machine learning to cut energy consumption by 30%+, providing real-time data to optimize energy use and reduce emissions. Developed with a $2 million ARPA-E grant, it advances zero emissions economically and efficiently. Visit the WHISPER website

Galen Williams (CU Boulder 2023 Embark EIR): Co-Founder and CEO
Gregor P. Henze (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, RASEI): PI and Co-Founder
Gerry Conroy: Technical Lead and Advisor

Tierra Metrics

Tierra Metrics' novel high-spatial density sensor innovation will enable real-time characterization of the soil nitrogen cycle which will help growers, land managers and others to improve efficiency and profitability, as well as improve soil health and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Visit the Tierra Metrics website

Gregory Whiting (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering): PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Taylor Sharpe (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering) Chief Engineer
Whendee Silver: Co-Founder
Ana Claudia Arias: Co-Founder

2024 Biosciences Finalists

Aatxe Therapeutics

Aatxe Therapeutics enhances the structural adaptability of cyclic peptides, improving their ability to bind, inhibit and access challenging intracellular targets. This unique platform unlocks new opportunities for treating complex diseases and improving patient outcomes.

Makenna Morck (CU Boulder Embark EIR): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Alec Santiago (CU Boulder Embark EIR): COO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Michael Stowell (CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology): PI

Codebreaker

Codebreaker is building a platform for generating variant genomes at scale in an AI framework that drives variant genome design and machine learning to generate significance maps broadly across human disease and drug response.

Ryan Layer (BioFrontiers Institute: PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Ryan T. GIll: CEO
Tanya Warnecke: CTO
Jordan Abbott: KOL-Collaborator

Entangl3d

Entangl3d is transforming spine surgery with a groundbreaking 3D printing platform that produces strong, bioadhesive hydrogels. Easily deployable without tissue damage, our hydrogels will reinforce intervertebral discs to prevent reherniation and degeneration.

Matt Davidson (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering, BioFrontiers Institute): PI, Co-Founder, CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Jason Burdick (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering, BioFrontiers Institute): Co-Founder

Flari Tech

Flari Tech is building a laser-based breathalyzer to detect lung cancer noninvasively and rapidly with high sensitivity. Powered by CU's Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb, it would empower healthcare providers, patients and researchers in lung cancer prevention, treatment and monitoring. Read more about Flari

Eva Yao (CU Boulder 2023 Embark EIR): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Jun Ye (CU Boulder Physics, JILA): PI
Qizhong Liang (PhD candidate, CU Boulder Physics, JILA): Technical Lead
Apoorva Bisht (PhD student, CU Boulder Physics, JILA): Research Assistant

IntraLumenus

Let’s never cut open a patient again. IntraLumenus is a treaded robotic capsule endoscope that travels through the colon under its own power, provides localization and mapping, and dual channel tool access, enabling colorectal procedures to be performed intraluminally, or from within the colon.

Jesse M. Sheppard (CU Boulder Embark EIR): CEO, LVC Pitch Presenter
Mark Rentschler (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering): PI

SteriO3

Peroxide Enhanced Germicidal Irradiation (PEGI) provides rapid, low-resource sterilization of microbial contaminants. With adaptable configuration capabilities, PEGI will be engineered into compact, portable units for low-temperature sterilization of surgical equipment, including 3D-printed implants. Visit the SteriO3 website

Emmalee Biesiada (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering): Principal Investigator (PI), LVC Pitch Presenter
Steve Hughes: CEO
Mark Hernandez (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering): Chief Scientific and Project Advisor

Vesicle Therapeutics

The Vesicle team is developing a proprietary STAT3 isoform-selective antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) using novel thiomorpholino chemistry (TMO) for the treatment of head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer type, with a low survival rate due to poor responsiveness to treatments.

Xuedong Liu (CU Boulder Biochemistry): PI, LVC Pitch Presenter
Donna Peak: CEO
Curtis Woodard: COO
Gan Zhang: CTO
Marvin H. Caruthers (CU Boulder Biochemistry): Collaborator

Fourteen teams of University of Colorado entrepreneurs, faculty researchers and graduate student innovators will compete for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) Showcases. Judges from Venture Partners at CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial network will hear Shark Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in biosciences and another for physical sciences and engineering.

Off

Traditional

White

New records set as momentum continues for CU Boulder research funding, initiatives

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:11:37 +0000

New records set as momentum continues for CU Boulder research funding, initiatives Daniel Corbin … Thu, 09/26/2024 - 13:11

CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder researchers attracted a record $742.2 million in fiscal year 2023–24 for studies and initiatives that, among other things, could lead to an end of osteoarthritis, better space weather predictions and a more climate-resilient American West.

Off

Traditional

White

Discovery could lead to longer-lasting EV batteries, hasten energy transition

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 18:01:28 +0000

Discovery could lead to longer-lasting EV batteries, hasten energy transition Daniel Corbin … Thu, 09/12/2024 - 12:01

CU Boulder Today—An international team of researchers led by an engineer at CU Boulder has revealed the underlying mechanism behind battery degradation. Their discovery could help scientists to develop better batteries.

Off

Traditional

White

CU grad and founder of CU spinout Blacks Swift Technologies gets job with Hurricane Hunters

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 17:55:08 +0000

CU grad and founder of CU spinout Blacks Swift Technologies gets job with Hurricane Hunters Daniel Corbin … Thu, 09/12/2024 - 11:55

9News—Jack Elston's company, Black Swift Technologies, a CU Boulder spinout, designed a prototype fixed-wing drone that could carry a sophisticated weather sensor inside the rage and turbulence of the strongest tropical cyclones on earth.

Off

Traditional

White

Physics professor Ivan Smalyukh and his team receive Guinness Book of World Records award for most transparent material

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 17:00:01 +0000

Physics professor Ivan Smalyukh and his team receive Guinness Book of World Records award for most transparent material Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/15/2024 - 11:00

College of Arts & Sciences—CU Boulder Physics Professor Ivan Smalyukh and his team have achieved a remarkable milestone by receiving a Guinness World Records award for creating the world's most transparent material. Their aerogel, which has now been successfully patented, can be added to windows to boost thermal insulation, increasing the overall efficiency of a building.

Off

Traditional

White

Activate announces founders of CU Boulder spinouts in Cohort 2024

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:11:33 +0000

Activate announces founders of CU Boulder spinouts in Cohort 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/01/2024 - 11:11

This announcement was originally published at activate.org

Activate’s 62 new fellows drive meaningful change toward a sustainable and equitable society. With fellows from 50 companies, Cohort 2024 is their largest yet. Selected from over 1,000 applicants, this new class of fellows is pioneering some of today’s most promising innovations across critical sectors, including energy, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and national security. During the fellowship, new fellows will turn their breakthroughs into businesses and transform into high-impact science entrepreneurs.

“People, not ideas alone, move the world forward. It is through the drive and determination of brilliant scientists and engineers that we are witnessing true progress,” says Cyrus Wadiam, CEO of Activate. “Our current Activate Fellows and alumni are already pioneering innovative solutions that make a measurable difference. We’re thrilled to support the next 62 visionaries who will lead the charge in addressing our most urgent issues through groundbreaking science and technology.”

CU Boulder Fellows in Activate Anywhere

Recognizing that talent exists in every part of the United States, Activate Anywhere is a virtual community of connected but not co-located fellows. Fellows work in their local innovation ecosystem and are plugged into Activate’s mentorship, education and community network. Three Cohort 2024 fellows join Activate from companies spun up at CU Boulder with Venture Partners at CU Boulder.

The 12 new fellows joining the Activate Anywhere Community are in ten U.S. cities, including Denver, CO; Raleigh, NC; Baltimore, MD; and Milwaukee, WI. These fellows are developing solutions in several fields: including water purification, quantum networks, fast diagnostics, quantum-inspired computing, “forever chemicals” degradation, toxins detection, 3D printing, methane elimination, vacuum-insulated glass windows that are as insulating as walls and “bearingless” electric motors that could improve their efficiency to over 90 percent.

Vitro3D

Activate Cohort 2024 Fellows

Camila Uzcategui is the co-founder and CEO of Vitro3D. She earned her PhD in materials science and engineering from CU Boulder, and has a BS in physics and a BA in anthropology from Florida International University. With over eight years of experience in light-based additive manufacturing, Uzcategui brings extensive expertise in applying advanced technologies to the industry. She advocates for technology entrepreneurship with a social lens to create sustainable solutions.

Johnny Hergert is the co-founder and CTO of Vitro3D. While obtaining his BS in chemistry from Oregon State, Hergert built his first 3D printer and has been studying and innovating in the additive industry for ten years. He started Vitro3D with his co-founder while finishing a PhD at CU Boulder.

More About Vitro3D

Vitro3D is reimagining the future of manufacturing with its advanced volumetric technology, enabling rapid, high-quality production of complex parts. This sustainable approach surpasses traditional methods, empowering industries to tackle existing challenges and unlock new opportunities that were previously impossible.

Existing technologies limit manufacturers across high-value industries in efficiently producing complex polymer parts. Methods like injection molding and 3D printing fall short of providing a cost-effective, high-quality solution for producing high-resolution parts at varying scales of production. Injection molding isn't economical for small batches and struggles with complex geometries, while 3D printing is often limited to lower-performance materials unsuitable for mass production. For example, the next generation of products faces critical manufacturing roadblocks in the electronic connectors and components industry due to these limitations in resolution, speed and material flexibility.

Vitro3D is introducing a new 3D fabrication technology that significantly speeds up production and enables the creation of complex shapes that are impossible with current manufacturing techniques. Vitro3D’s approach uses an optical toolhead to enable layerless, volumetric parts fabrication directly onto manufacturing lines. This streamlines production by eliminating support structures that other additive methods require, allowing hybrid components without assembly and offering an unlimited build area. This pioneering approach in polymer structuring accelerates part fabrication by a factor of 100 compared to 3D printing methods, and it can create complex geometries unachievable with injection molding.

Vitro3D's innovation will dramatically enhance society by enabling the on-site and on-demand production of critical parts in high-value industries using a wider range of sustainable materials when fully implemented. This disruptive manufacturing technology will foster innovation in various industries, including electronics, personalized medicine and regenerative tissue creation, reaching previously inaccessible locations with its low-cost, modular system. By improving the accessibility and quality of products for a broad spectrum of populations, Vitro3D aims to significantly enhance the quality of life globally, moving from solving complex industrial challenges to making a profound societal impact.

Icarus Quantum

Activate Cohort 2024 Fellow

Poolad Imany is an expert in quantum photonics and quantum networking with 11 years of experience. He received his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University, researching chip-scale quantum optics. Since then, he has been a postdoctoral associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), building efficient and scalable quantum light sources. At NIST, he founded Icarus Quantum to commercialize NIST’s quantum dot technology and enable scalable quantum networking.

More About Icarus Quantum

As quantum computers become more powerful, they can penetrate all encryption methods currently used for communications. To protect communication channels against this threat, using quantum light to distribute encryption provides the only provably secure solution. These quantum networks also enable connecting quantum computers, unlocking their exponential processing power for drug discoveries and optimization algorithms. Icarus Quantum is developing the first efficient quantum light source to enable scalable quantum networking. Icarus' devices will plug into the existing optical fiber networks, bringing a quantum internet one step closer to the general public.

Icarus Quantum is not just about innovation but also about reliability. The company is developing the first commercial deterministic generator of entangled photons, the backbone of quantum networks. Unlike other sources that rely on probabilistic processes and can only achieve a maximum efficiency of one percent, our quantum dots can boost this process to over 70 percent. This significant leap in efficiency ensures the reliability needed for scaling quantum networks to longer ranges, instilling confidence in the future of quantum technologies.

Activate is a nonprofit organization that empowers scientists to transform their research into market-ready products and services through a two-year fellowship that provides funding, mentorship and access to a robust network of experts and resources. Three Cohort 2024 fellows join Activate from companies spun up at CU Boulder with Venture Partners at CU Boulder.

Off

Traditional

White

Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan: Bridging Entrepreneurship and Community

Anonymous — Thu, 30 May 2024 20:47:36 +0000

Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan: Bridging Entrepreneurship and Community Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/30/2024 - 14:47

Colorado Leadership Stories—Meet Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan, a Boettcher Scholar and tech entrepreneur who solves large-scale problems leveraging frontier technology. Maithreyi talks about how her academic experiences in engineering physics and industrial management at CU Boulder and Stanford fueled her passion to innovate. Today she is the co-founder of two companies that actively promote gender diversity in STEM entrepreneurship, including PrecisionTerra, part of the 2023 CU Boulder Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator.

Off

Traditional

White