Published: May 24, 2022

$1.75 million was awarded to seven Venture Partners at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder聽startups in Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants last week from the Global Business Development division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program. These grants, valued at $250,000 each, are intended to drive innovation, accelerate commercialization, encourage public-private partnerships and increase access to early-stage capital across the state.

鈥淚nnovations in advanced industries have enormous potential to change the world we live in, yet the market typically underinvests in early-stage technologies,鈥澛爏aid聽Rama Haris, advanced industries senior manager at OEDIT.聽鈥淲ith these grant programs, we aim to fill a funding gap left by the market and foster the types of partnerships that will help Colorado鈥檚 Advanced Industries continue to lead their fields.鈥澛

Each winning company is commercializing a foundational technology developed at the university and licensed by Venture Partners. These newly founded companies have leveraged a variety of campus resources to help advance their innovations from the research lab into high potential businesses. Six out of the seven awardees completed National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps training, a nationally recognized program to help researchers find a product-market fit for their technologies. 麻豆免费版下载Boulder is currently a leader of the I-Corps Hub: West Region. The same number also won proof of concept grants in the 2021 Lab Venture Challenge, which provides up to $125,000 awards for 麻豆免费版下载Boulder researchers to reach early technical and business milestones for their innovations.

鈥淚t is incredibly encouraging to see 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 innovators utilize Venture Partners鈥 commercialization resources, and then continue on to success in highly competitive funding programs like the AI grants,鈥 said Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for Research and Innovation and managing director of Venture Partners. 鈥淭he startup ecosystem at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder is thriving.鈥

Impacting deep-tech through new innovations

One award winner includes Vitro3D, headed by CEO Camila Uzcategui, PhD. This budding startup won $250,000 to boost their new, cost-effective method of 3D printing. Vitro3D aims to use volumetric 3D printing to print dental retainers, aligners and mouthguards in a provider鈥檚 office鈥攁nd then move on to mimic materials inside the human body to help with life-saving medical procedures. On top of this major funding boost, Vitro3D was awarded $33,500 as the second-place winner at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder鈥檚 premier venture competition New Venture Challenge.

Additional OEDIT winner, LumenAstra, is commercializing a 麻豆免费版下载Boulder patent for a small, wearable sensor measuring internal body temperature several centimeters below the skin. Applications include direct brain temperature measurement to lessen the risk of mortality during cardiac bypass surgery and identifying heat stress among athletes and military servicemen.

鈥淭hese funds will allow us to complete our current round of miniaturization for a set of field-portable prototypes for gathering data to tweak our designs and prepare us for our FDA certification next year,鈥 said Jim Pollock, LumenAstra founder and CEO.

Both Vitro3D and LumenAstra recently participated in Venture Partners' inaugural Ascent Accelerator, designed for deep-tech startups to find success in established markets.

鈥淭hese grants are a powerful engine to not only strengthen Colorado鈥檚 economic development across key industries, but聽by translating breakthrough university research into real-world solutions for health, climate, and other challenges,鈥 said Rees.

麻豆免费版下载Boulder Grant Award Winners
  • Aspero Medical Inc.聽鈥擨mproved balloon endoscopy technology, minimizing procedure time and enabling more complete procedures on the first attempt.
  • Blue Cubed Electronics 鈥擮ptical and radio frequency communication terminals for the growing small satellite market.
  • LumenAstra 鈥擜 wearable, non-invasive core body temperature sensor with more than a dozen clinical, consumer, military and athletic applications.
  • RDFlows 鈥擜 marketplace to connect Colorado startups and corporate businesses with underutilized cost effective, high-end and high-performing research equipment at universities.
  • TYNT Technologies 鈥擨nexpensive windows with adjustable tinting that prevent glare while maintaining views and save energy
  • Vesicle Technologies鈥擜 new approach for anti-viral drug discovery and development.
  • Vitro3D 鈥3D-printed dental aligners manufactured at the patient point of care.