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Photo: Elliot Strand, co-founder of PAGE Technologies

From research to impact: Massimo Ruzzene

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 17:13:45 +0000

From research to impact: Massimo Ruzzene Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/08/2025 - 11:13

CEO Magazine—Research is more than just a group of scholars furrowing away behind closed doors in universities around the globe, and Massimo Ruzzene of all people knows that. As the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the ��Vlog�ƽ�� (CU ��Vlog�ƽ��), he sees research as a broad arc that moves from initial findings to real-world applications.

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Richard Noble bridges the gap between research and industry

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:08:21 +0000

Richard Noble bridges the gap between research and industry Daniel Corbin … Thu, 04/03/2025 - 13:08

Heather Hansen

Celebrated professor and prolific inventor Richard Noble reflects on decades of teaching and discovery and embarks on a new path to commercialization of a game-changing technology.

Growing up the eldest of seven children, in a family of modest means, Richard Noble learned how to work together with his siblings and how to be independent and persistent—skills he’s relied on throughout his life. “To succeed, you have to be willing to persevere; you don’t give up,” said Noble, research professor of chemistry (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences).

Several decades later, what ‘sticking with it’ looks like for Noble is nearly 50 years teaching, close to 90 patents, hundreds of publications, millions of dollars in research funding, dozens of technologies licensed—and too many honors and awards to catalog including CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Inventor of the Year (2008), Dean’s Performance Award for Research (2013), Institution of Chemical Engineers Innovator of the Year (2013) and North American Membrane Society Fellow (2018).

Today, Noble is an internationally recognized leader in using novel membrane and thin-film materials. For decades, his lab has been experimenting with how ionic liquids (liquid salts), liquid crystals and electric and light energy can selectively separate components–in mixtures, membranes or even micro-scale devices. Harnessing these materials may have a broad range of potential applications, including nano-filtration (specifically treating ‘spent’ water from fracking), ‘lab on a chip’ devices and gas separation.

The CO₂ problem

How to separate carbon dioxide (CO₂) from other mixed gases, in particular, has been on Noble’s mind for a very long time. Extracting CO₂ from the air is challenging because the gas is highly diffuse, spreading rapidly and mingling readily with other gases. Currently, sequestering CO₂ traditionally involves chemical absorption, a process in which gases are sent through liquid amines (derivatives of ammonia), which trap the gas. In addition to the toxic and corrosive nature of amines, this separation technique is generally costly and energy-intensive.

Despite the many hurdles to sequestering CO₂, it’s important to Noble for a couple of reasons. Separating CO₂ from natural gas increases its heating value as well as the safety and efficiency of transporting it by preventing corrosion in pipelines (due to the acidity of CO₂) and issues during natural gas liquefaction in which CO₂ may crystallize. Removing CO₂ from natural gas before it’s burned can also lower its overall emissions.

Successfully separating and storing CO₂ could also play a key role in mitigating climate change. CO₂ is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that is supercharging climate change. According to the NOAA Global Monitoring Lab, carbon dioxide alone is responsible for about two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced GHGs. Trapping CO₂ before it’s emitted from the flues of large industrial plants—like cement and coal-burning power plants—could make a major dent in worldwide CO₂ emissions.

The ‘just right’ path to commercialization

Over his career, when Noble has considered what he wants the overall impact of his many innovations to be, he’s clear: “I’m an engineer, I want to know at the end of the day that somebody’s going to value what I do, that it’s useful. I’m always moving toward application,” he said. To that end, CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� has licensed intellectual property for some of his inventions to companies large and small, including several of his membrane technologies. Over the years, he’s also considered spinning off a company to build his own business around some of his inventions.

For Noble, who is also a former director of the NSF Membrane Applied Science and Technology (MAST) Center, there were advantages and disadvantages to each approach. Licensing in the traditional way meant researcher and customer came together generally through sponsorship or an applied research project—great for the time-crunched professor but lacking some of the impact Noble wanted. At the other extreme was launching a startup, which meant finding capital, customers, the right team and the time to cultivate each—a combination requiring business prowess that, he said, was not his strength. “A long time ago, I realized that I don’t have good business sense,” said Noble, “But I wanted to find the people that knew the business so that they could take what I made and know how to do that part of it successfully.”

Recently, Noble chose a different path that represents a shift in licensing at the university, according to Marta Zgagacz, senior director at Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��.

Early this year, several of Noble’s patents based on ionic liquid membrane technologies used for carbon capture and separation were optioned by startup incubator High Tech XL, which builds fast-growing, deep-tech companies focused on changing the world. Membranes are an attractive tech for removing CO₂ from mixed gases because, structured and charged in the way Noble has devised, they are more productive and have a longer lifespan with a smaller cost and footprint than traditional techniques. Noble plans to join the new startup as a technical advisor.

Noble arrived at that ‘just right’ space between research and development thanks to new opportunities through Venture Partners—and his own enthusiasm. At Zgagacz's urging in 2022, Noble teamed up with the Venture Partners licensing team to join the Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop, offered as part of the National Science Foundation I-Corps™ Hub: West Region.

But what is "commercialization?"

The path to commercialization—also known as "research translation" or "tech transfer"—can 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.

Over those few weeks, Noble gained a deeper understanding of the commercialization process and got to test his ideas with potential customers. “This evolution of Venture Partners has allowed academic people like myself to do the ‘R’ of R&D, and to find others who can do the ‘D’ whereas when I first started [at CU], that was a black hole,” said Noble.

Zgagacz describes this new route as a new path for commercialization, one that combines elements of partnership with existing companies and launching a startup without researchers having to drive company formation. “Some inventors or researchers might not be interested in starting a company or in being in partnership with an existing company, so they might be discouraged from talking to us,” she said. “But not everyone has to jump on that entrepreneurship wagon. There’s a third way of doing this, even if you don’t think your technology is ready for that.”

Zgagacz emphasized that there are many promising technologies being developed at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��, with inventors at all stages of their careers, and she wants them, like Noble, to find a home with Venture Partners. “Hopefully, other inventors, other researchers, other PIs will see his story, and it will resonate with them as a potential path,” she said.

In mid-2024, Noble took part in Venture Partners’ Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator, which matches entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations. “I think it’s really good to educate faculty on what it really takes,” said Noble. “There’s a point where you have to let go and realize that different expertise is needed.” While Noble’s tech didn’t match during that Embark round, High Tech XL started showing interest around the same time and Noble and Venture Partners were ready. After a series of conversations, it was clear that the startup lab and Noble made a great match.

The importance of curiosity and community

A key mindset to experimentation that has served Noble well throughout his lengthy career—and that he recommends to his students—is a willingness to try anything. “I usually start with a crazy idea,” he said, “I tell them, ‘I don’t know if it’ll work or how it’ll work, but it’ll be new and different, so let’s just try it and see what happens.” As a scientist, you may not get the result you’re looking for immediately, but success by increments is still success. “Students have to trust and believe that doing this is going to lead to some positive outcomes, and it does,” said Noble. “Sometimes things went one way or the other way, but there’s a culmination and they see the evolution of knowledge and realize that this was something worth doing.”

That thinking is how Noble went from trying many different approaches to carbon separation over decades to where he is now. “People have been working on this thing for 50 years, and nobody’s come up with a really good way to do it,” said Noble. “But I thought, ‘We should be able to make a material that has really high productivity and works for a long time.’ And what we have now has immense potential.”

Another key lesson Noble teaches his students is the importance of working as a team to drive successful innovation. “You really have to be curious, you have to take risks, and you have to develop trust amongst the people you’re going to work with,” he said. “It’s not just one person generating things and then making the ultimate decisions. [Innovation] requires a cooperative approach to moving forward. It's a community.” Noble acknowledged the many fruitful partnerships he’s had over the years, including those with long-time collaborator Doug Gin, who passed away last July.

“It’s going to be very satisfying for me, and all the people that have worked with me over the years to see something that we worked on become commercial while making a quantum improvement in that technology area,” said Noble. “Because that’s what this is–a real game changer.”

What can we do together?

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Celebrated professor and prolific inventor Richard Noble reflects on decades of teaching and discovery and embarks on a new path to commercialization of a game-changing technology.

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Federal funding cuts could destroy the lab-grown unicorn

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:59:46 +0000

Federal funding cuts could destroy the lab-grown unicorn Daniel Corbin … Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:59

PitchBook—Suspension of federal funding to universities and to the agencies that sustain their research risks cutting off a significant source of startup formation. “Most universities do not have the resources—by far—to weather the storm,” said Bryn Rees, associate vice-chancellor of innovation and partnerships at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��.

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WATCH: Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Bryn Rees, Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:25:09 +0000

WATCH: Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Bryn Rees, Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Daniel Corbin … Mon, 03/31/2025 - 13:25

Silicon Flatirons Center—Rees has played a pivotal role in launching impactful startups from CU ��Vlog�ƽ��. After nearly a decade of leadership, Rees has helped build multiple programs to support innovations at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��, including the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC), NSF’s I-Corps and the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator.

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Learn about the first step in funding your latest innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:33:31 +0000

Learn about the first step in funding your latest innovation Daniel Corbin … Fri, 03/21/2025 - 12:33

To introduce the SBIR/STTR programs and highlight funding uses, Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� is hosting a session to help researchers understand how to find funding and prepare their companies for an SBIR/STTR proposal.

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Registration now open for the Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:30:45 +0000

Registration now open for the Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/20/2025 - 13:30

The Ascent Deep Tech Investor Showcase brings together researchers, investors and community supporters to highlight innovative deep tech startups spinning out of the University of Colorado. Attendees will have a chance to see pitches from each of the Ascent 2025 cohort startups, followed by a networking happy hour to learn more.

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Protect your discoveries before you publish them

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 22:06:22 +0000

Protect your discoveries before you publish them Daniel Corbin … Tue, 03/18/2025 - 16:06

As a researcher, creator or inventor at the University of Colorado, your work has the potential to change the world. Whether you’re advancing renewable energy solutions, developing breakthrough medical devices or creating innovative software, your discoveries could have far-reaching impacts beyond the lab, studio or classroom. Protecting these innovations may be necessary to ensure that they reach their full potential, benefiting society while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Ready to go further?

Find the market for your innovation: I-Corps serves as a practical and accessible first step for anyone looking to translate their discoveries into real-world solutions.

Fund your research or creative work through commercialization: transform your ideas into real-world solutions—while securing funding to advance your work.

IP refers to creations of the mind, including inventions, designs, original works of authorship, trade secrets and trademarks. IP encompasses both tangible creations, like a prototype or software and intangible assets, like ideas and processes. IP protections such as patents and copyrights are key tools for ensuring that your innovations have a lasting impact.

Why IP matters

When you publish your research, share your invention, or showcase your creation publicly, it becomes accessible to everyone around the world. While public disclosure can advance knowledge-sharing and inspire innovation, publishing without the proper IP protection could prevent the technology from being further developed into a product and made more widely available.

Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� is here to help secure IP rights and safeguard the discoveries researchers, inventors and creators at CU ��Vlog�ƽ��, UCCS and CU Denver (except CU Denver biosciences investigators, who should work with CU Innovations) make while at the university, ensuring you receive proper recognition and enabling opportunities for broader impact.

Securing IP rights can open doors to funding and partnerships. Protected innovations are more attractive to investors, collaborators and companies looking to license new technologies and in many cases are necessary for a company to partner with your lab or to invest in further research or development of a product. By protecting your work, you’re not only ensuring its impact but also creating opportunities for further growth and development.

How Venture Partners can help

Venture Partners is here to support you at every step of the IP process. We provide the expertise and resources you need to protect your innovations and bring them to the world.

Confidential Consultations: Have an idea or discovery? Share it with our team of experts, who can help you evaluate its potential and guide you on the next steps.
IP Protection: From patents to copyrights, our team specializes in identifying and securing the appropriate protections for your work.
Supporting Broader Impact: We connect university innovators with funding, mentors and industry partners to turn ideas into impactful products and services.

CU’s IP policy requires university-employed researchers, creators and inventors to disclose innovations to ensure protection and access to commercialization resources. Early disclosure—before public presentation or publication—preserves the university’s ability to secure IP protection, especially for patents. Learn more about CU’s IP policy here.

Unsure if your work should be disclosed? Venture Partners is happy to meet with you to discuss your work and opportunities before you commit to submitting a disclosure. Learn more and contact our team.

Opportunity begins with disclosure

One of the biggest misconceptions about commercialization is that researchers, inventors or creators must give up control of their intellectual property. Venture Partners empowers CU innovators to take the lead in translating their discoveries into real-world applications. Whether you want to launch a startup, collaborate with industry or license your technology to an existing company in exchange for royalties, Venture Partners provides guidance and funding opportunities to support your journey.

Venture Partners can also help connect you with experienced industry partners or entrepreneurs who will drive commercialization forward on your behalf—ensuring that your discoveries make an impact without requiring you to leave academia.

A record of success

In fiscal year 2023-24, Venture Partners secured 45 patents for university innovations, half of which are already partnered with new ventures and companies. In the same year, Venture Partners launched 36 new companies based on CU innovations—many founded by the innovators themselves and others formed in partnership with entrepreneurs from outside the university.

Protecting new intellectual property was the first step in creating a competitive strategy for new CU startups like LongPath Technologies, which was developed out of research by founder Greg Reiker (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, NIST) to create a long-range methane detection system. Similarly, SomaLogic emerged from the groundbreaking work by Larry Gold (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCDB)) revolutionizing proteomics methods to provide deeper insights into disease detection, treatment and personalized medicine.

Beyond startups, CU innovations are being licensed all over the world.

Riverware is a software tool for modelling river systems with over 200 licenses to water management groups around the world. It is one of the most used CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� innovations.
PhET provides interactive learning simulations for science and math. Available in over 120 languages, and through partnerships with hundreds of education companies, PhET has transformed STEM learning across the globe.
New materials invented at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� and licensed by 3M provide more durable dental fillings, dentures and implants, for more effective and fewer trips to the dentist chair.

How to get started

New financial incentives for disclosing CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� innovations

CU researchers, inventors and creators who submit a disclosure between March 1 and June 30 will be entered into drawings for $100 and $500 gift cards, and intellectual property eligible and selected by an Entrepreneur in Residence for the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator will be entered into a drawing for $2,000. Get the full terms and conditions

Protecting your innovation begins with a simple step: submitting a disclosure to Venture Partners. Our online disclosure form is quick and easy to complete, and our team is available to answer any questions you have along the way. Learn more and get started here.

Your work deserves protection

CU is committed to fostering innovation and supporting the incredible work of its researchers, creators and inventors. By protecting your discoveries, you’re taking the first step toward transforming your ideas into real-world solutions. Let Venture Partners help you navigate this journey and ensure your innovations make a lasting impact.

What can we do together?

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Visit the Destination Startup Webpage

As a researcher, creator or inventor at the University of Colorado, your work has the potential to change the world. Protecting these innovations may be necessary to ensure that they reach their full potential, benefiting society while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

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CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� hosts showcases highlighting breakthrough innovations and investment-ready ventures

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

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

Daniel Leonard

Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ��'s deep tech startup creator for matching entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations. With various CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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.

“In just eight months,” said Amy Dodenhoff, director of venture development at Venture Partners, at the event, “these entrepreneurs have taken technologies invented in the lab and launched these companies. That’s incredible.”

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 “secret sauce” for creating bioplastics that beats the competition by fully biodegrading in natural environments like oceans and landfills (Ecovaleric, pitched by EIR Roberta Leão).

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 “shape-shifting cyclic peptide,” that would allow drug makers to create new treatments for various, even untreatable, diseases.

“Like the other teams today,” Morck said while accepting the prize, “I want to thank the Venture Partners team for this opportunity and all of the [EIRs]; it’s been an honor working with everyone.”

This year’s 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.

“We are so excited to see the success of this year’s cohort today,” she said, “and to see international interest from universities looking to launch their own Embark or Embark-like programs.”

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.

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.

“The startups that have come through Destination Startup have raised more than $1.2 billion to date,” Dodenhoff said. “This year’s showcase was invite-only to maximize networking opportunities, and all of this year’s companies are actively raising funding.”

Companies from CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� included Darwin Biosciences—which emerged in 2020 with a COVID-19 saliva test—where CEO Nicholas Meyerson unveiled a new bedside, saliva-based diagnostic tool to detect sepsis, and PAGE Technologies—a recent recipient of one of the first translational research grants from the NSF CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine—where 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—Flow Aluminum (University of New Mexico), Otoro Energy and Mana Battery (both from CU ��Vlog�ƽ��)—presented new battery technologies and Doug Campbell, former CEO and co-founder of CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� battery spinout Solid Power, gave the showcase’s 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 ��Vlog�ƽ��’s 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’Connor, NOD Law and TriNet Group.

“A massive societal impact”

The back-to-back showcases reaffirmed CU ��Vlog�ƽ��’s 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’s commitment to translating research into real-world impact.

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

2024-25 Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator Startups

TerraMan Technologies

CEO: Nick Manuzak (Alum: CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Business)
PI: Wil Srubar (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 Leão
PI: Adam Holewinski (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Business)
PI: Mark Rentschler (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Biochemistry)
COO: Alec Santiago
Principal Investigator (PI): Michael Stowell (CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology)

Kitsune Bio (previously Aatxe Therapeutics) is transforming drug discovery with shape-shifting cyclic peptides—dynamic 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� BioFrontiers Institute)

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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: ��Vlog�ƽ��

Flow Aluminum Inc.

Flow Aluminum develops Aluminum-CO₂ batteries for grid storage, microgrids and defense, offering extreme temperature performance (-40°C to 170°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: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� BioFrontiers Institute), Co-Founder, Advisor; Brian Williams, CFO; Jim Winkler, Interim CSO

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Applied Mathematics) CEO, Co-Founder; Tristan Liu (Alum: CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences), Co-Founder; Zak Jacobs (Alum: CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder.

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO; Britt Boughey, Co-Founder, CEO; Patrick Vincent, Senior Process Engineer

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� Chemistry, RASEI)

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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 ��Vlog�ƽ�� College of Engineering and Applied Science), Co-Founder, CEO; Payton Goodrich, Co-Founder, CTO; Cameron Handeland, Lead Systems Engineer

Affiliation: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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’s platform technology enables real-time dynamic tinting through reversible metal electrodeposition (RME). It’s 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: ��Vlog�ƽ��

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Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

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Venture Partners at CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� 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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New financial incentives for disclosing CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� innovations

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:35:05 +0000

New financial incentives for disclosing CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� innovations Daniel Corbin … Tue, 03/11/2025 - 11:35

As a researcher, creator or inventor at the ��Vlog�ƽ��, your work has the potential to change the world. Whether you’re advancing renewable energy solutions, developing breakthrough medical devices or creating innovative software, your discoveries could have far-reaching impacts beyond the lab, studio or classroom. Protecting these innovations may be necessary to ensure that they reach their full potential, benefiting society while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

While disclosure is required under CU’s IP policy, CU ��Vlog�ƽ�� researchers, inventors and creators who submit a disclosure between March 1 and June 30 will be entered into drawings for $100 and $500 gift cards, and intellectual property eligible and selected by an Entrepreneur in Residence for the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator will be entered into a drawing for $2,000.

Gift card drawing

Each month through June 2025, employees who disclose their innovation will be entered into a $100 gift card drawing for the month of their disclosure.

All employees who disclose their innovation between March 1 and June 30 will be entered into a $500 gift card drawing.

Cash prize

Disclosures made before June 30 will be considered for inclusion in the 2025-26 Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator. Embark is the CU ��Vlog�ƽ��'s deep tech startup creator for matching entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations to launch new startups.

If a 2025-26 Embark Entrepreneur in Residence selects an employee's disclosed innovation, they will be entered into a drawing for $2,000 cash.

Your work deserves protection

CU is committed to fostering innovation and supporting researchers, creators and inventors. By disclosing your innovation, you’re taking the first step toward transforming your idea into real-world solutions. Let Venture Partners help you navigate this journey and ensure your innovations make a lasting impact.

Disclose Your Innovation

What can we do together?

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers