��ֱ�� Innovators News

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

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

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

��ֱ�� Boulder Today—��ֱ�� 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.

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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

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

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

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

��ֱ�� grad and founder of ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� 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.

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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—��ֱ�� 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.

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Activate announces founders of ��ֱ�� Boulder spinouts in Cohort 2024

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

Activate announces founders of ��ֱ�� 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.”

��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� Boulder with Venture Partners at ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� Boulder.

More ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� Boulder with Venture Partners at ��ֱ�� Boulder.

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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

��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� 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 ��ֱ�� Boulder Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator.

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Plastic waste is a global problem. Carbon recycling can help

Anonymous — Fri, 24 May 2024 18:52:33 +0000

Plastic waste is a global problem. Carbon recycling can help Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/24/2024 - 12:52

��ֱ�� Boulder Today—While scientists are continuously exploring ways to reduce fossil fuel use in these sectors, Oana Luca, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at ��ֱ�� Boulder, explores technologies like recycling and carbon capture to prevent carbon from ending up in the environment.

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The ��ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to ��ֱ�� researchers and startups

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2024 17:08:32 +0000

The ��ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to ��ֱ�� researchers and startups Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:08

This story was originally published at oedit.colorado.gov

The Global Business Development division of the ��ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that 34 ��ֱ�� companies and eight researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s  Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. These grants help promote the growth and sustainability of advanced industries in ��ֱ�� by driving innovation, commercialization and public-private partnerships that move this vital aspect of ��ֱ��’s economy forward in communities across the state.

“��ֱ�� is increasingly recognized as a national and global leader in the advanced industries, earning federal recognition for our work in areas like quantum and clean tech. The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program plays an important role in that success, supporting research institutions and startups as they discover and commercialize new, life-changing technologies while creating good-paying jobs for Coloradans,” said Michelle Hadwiger, Global Business Development Director. “These grants also have a proven history of aiding recipients in attracting additional third-party investment critical to helping them grow.”

The Proof of Concept grant is intended to help ��ֱ�� research institutions speed up applied research in the advanced industries as well as commercialize products and services in partnership with the private sector. The Early-Stage Capital and Retention grant supports businesses commercializing innovative and disruptive technologies in the advanced industries that will be created or manufactured in ��ֱ��.

The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program received 110 applications during this grant cycle, which were reviewed in a multi-stage process by committees of business, technical and financial experts in the seven advanced industries. The Economic Development Commission approved the final recommendations on May 16, 2024, and the awards announced today represent a total of $8,980,117 in funding.

The next application cycle for Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants is now open, and applications are due Thursday, August 29, 2024.

Proof-of-Concept Grants Awarded to ��ֱ�� Researchers

University of ��ֱ�� Boulder, PI Wei Tan - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing stent coatings to reduce inflammation and thrombogenicity associated with vascular implants.
University of ��ֱ�� Denver, PI Caroline Clevenger - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing an interactive digital wayfinding assistant to support people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
University of ��ֱ�� Denver, PI Miguel Flores-Bellver - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing an early detection test for age-related macular degeneration.
University of Denver, PI Casey Myers - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing an automated surgical planning tool for total shoulder arthroplasty.
University of Denver, PI Dali Sun - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing a miniaturized elliptical dichroism spectrometer for molecular analysis in chemistry and biochemistry.

Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants Awarded to ��ֱ�� Startups

Aspero Medical - Broomfield, CO $250,000: Aspero Medical has developed a balloon overtube for gastric and esophageal intraluminal endoscopic surgical procedures.
Austere Environmental, Inc. - Golden, CO $60,000: Austere Environmental has developed a technology that remediates soil contaminated with petroleum products without the use of chemical additives.
Cascade Biocatalysts - Denver, CO $250,000: Cascade Biocatalysts has developed a resin technology that makes enzymes rugged and reliable for long lasting use in chemical manufacturing processes.
��ֱ�� Earth LLC - Lakewood, CO $250,000: ��ֱ�� Earth has developed a low carbon, unfired earthen masonry block made of waste from a local ��ֱ�� quarry.
ExoPower Inc. - Lafayette, CO $100,000: ExoPower has developed an in-motion capacitive wireless charging technology that keeps industrial mobile robots in motion.
Green Steel Environmental, LLC - Boulder, CO $250,000: Green Steel Environmental has developed biogas scrubbing technology to clean impurities out of naturally occuring biogas that is created at wastewater plants, landfills, and agricultural sites.
PAGE Technologies, Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: PAGE Technologies has developed affordable biochemical sensors that monitor plant nutrients in real-time.
Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. - Broomfield, CO $250,000: Polaris Electro-Optics has developed ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals for optical communications at a lower cost and higher performance.
RockyTech Ltd. - Boulder, CO $250,000: RockyTech has developed a compatibilizer technology that enables the upcycling of polyethylene and polypropylene blends into new high-quality plastic products.
Silvis Materials, Inc. - Boulder, CO $100,000: Silvis Materials develops 100 percent bio-based, sustainable, recyclable, and biodegradable cellulosic emulsions made from plants and trees.

The Global Business Development division of the ��ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that 34 ��ֱ�� companies and eight researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. These grants help promote the growth and sustainability of advanced industries in ��ֱ�� by driving innovation, commercialization and public-private partnerships that move this vital aspect of ��ֱ��’s economy forward in communities across the state.

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��ֱ�� Boulder scientists set out to solve lunar dust problem

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 22:14:36 +0000

��ֱ�� Boulder scientists set out to solve lunar dust problem Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/12/2024 - 16:14

��ֱ�� Independent—Researchers at the University of ��ֱ�� Boulder are working to make the moon habitable. And they are focused on one of the most difficult challenges to lunar living: dust. Xu Wang, a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at ��ֱ�� Boulder, was one of the winners of NASA’s 2023 Entrepreneurs Challenge.

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Zoya Popovic elected to the National Academy of Inventors

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 21:54:10 +0000

Zoya Popovic elected to the National Academy of Inventors Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/08/2024 - 15:54

��ֱ�� Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—Distinguished Professor Zoya Popovic is among 162 inventors named 2023 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as a fellow in the academy is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Popovic, a leading researcher in high-efficiency, low-noise microwave and RF engineering, was elected for her “prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.”

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����ֱ�� Innovators News

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

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

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

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

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Activate announces founders of ����ֱ�� Boulder spinouts in Cohort 2024

����ֱ�� Boulder Fellows in Activate Anywhere

Vitro3D

Activate Cohort 2024 Fellows

More ����ֱ�� Vitro3D

Icarus Quantum

Activate Cohort 2024 Fellow

More ����ֱ�� Icarus Quantum

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Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan: Bridging Entrepreneurship and Community

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Plastic waste is a global problem. Carbon recycling can help

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The ����ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to ����ֱ�� researchers and startups

Proof-of-Concept Grants Awarded to ����ֱ�� Researchers

Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants Awarded to ����ֱ�� Startups

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����ֱ�� Boulder scientists set out to solve lunar dust problem

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Zoya Popovic elected to the National Academy of Inventors

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��ֱ�� Innovators News

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

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

Activate announces founders of ��ֱ�� Boulder spinouts in Cohort 2024

��ֱ�� Boulder Fellows in Activate Anywhere

More ��ֱ�� Vitro3D

More ��ֱ�� Icarus Quantum

The ��ֱ�� Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to ��ֱ�� researchers and startups

Proof-of-Concept Grants Awarded to ��ֱ�� Researchers

Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants Awarded to ��ֱ�� Startups

��ֱ�� Boulder scientists set out to solve lunar dust problem