Destination Startup

Destination Startup is hosted by Venture Partners at CU Boulder

The 2026 Destination Startup application is now open for eligible startups! Apply Now

A collaboration among leading research universities and federal laboratories across the Intermountain Westtoshowcasethe best companiesfrom ourinnovation ecosystem.

Launched in 2018, Destination Startup® connects investors with groundbreaking startups built on novel discoveries from leading national labs and universities in the Intermountain West. Designed for deal-flow, the showcase is for active investors, who can request an invitation here. Participating startups must be actively raising and are selected through a competitive review process and robust pitch preparation. With over $1.2 billion collectively raised to date by startups likeVitriVax,Arpeggio Biosciences ԻManifest Technologies, Destination Startup is for investors and founders ready to catalyze real-world impact.

Startups come from these participating institutions

Arizona State Թ, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State Թ, Montana State Թ, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), Texas Tech Թ System, Թ Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), Թ of Arizona, Թ of Colorado (Boulder, Anschutz, Denver and Colorado Springs), Թ of Denver, Թ of Kansas, Թ of Nebraska-UMC, Թ of New Mexico, Թ of Utah, Թ of South Dakota and Թ of Wyoming.

Questions?

Amy Dodenhoff

Amy Dodenhoff · Director of Venture Development

Contact Amy

The Destination Startup Impact


$1.2B+

Collective venture, angel, strategic and grant funding raised to date by presenting startups

1000+

Investors, business leaders and innovators from across the continent who attended

128

Companies that have presented

Explore more impact in our annual report

Startup Presenters: Eligibility, Details and Deadlines

2025-26 Dates & Deadlines

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 11:59 p.m. MT: Application Deadline
Add to Calendar:
Monday, Jan. 26: Presenting Startups Notified​
Thursday, Jan. 29: Presenting Startups Announcement
Week of Feb. 2: Pitch Practice
Week of Feb. 16: Pitch Practice
Wednesday, Feb. 19: Investor Showcase Registration Closes
Thursday, Feb. 26: Destination Startup Investor Showcase (Boulder, CO)

Benefits for Presenters

The Destination Startup Investor Showcase is your opportunity to showcase your company to a room full of investors looking to invest in deep tech startups.

Applying to Destination Startup helps innovative companies connect with investors looking to invest in deep technology companies. All applicants will have the opportunity to have their pitch reviewed by multiple investors. Those selected to present at the showcase will participate in one or more “pitch practices,” getting expert coaching from serial entrepreneurs and investors who help perfect their value proposition and pitch before the showcase.

Applicant Eligibility

Startups must be commercializing an innovation developed at one of the participating institutions.

Startups should have a signed Option Agreement or License Agreement from a participating university or national lab. Startups that have signed a License Agreement by Jan. 7, 2026 will be given preference.

A competitive, independent selection process will determine which applicants will be invited to showcase at the February showcase.

Startups that presented at Destination Startup 2025 are not eligible unless they have begun a new funding round or have made a significant pivot in their business. If you are not sure if your startup qualifies based on these criteria, please reach out to Amy Dodenhoff with more details.

Startups applying to Destination Startup should be actively raising funds at some time between the application date and the end of Q2 2027. If your startup closes a funding round between submitting an application and the showcase, please reach out to Amy Dodenhoff so that we can provide an opportunity to present to a team that is actively raising or will be prior to Q2 2027.

Partnering Institutions

  • Arizona State Թ
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Colorado State Թ
  • Montana State Թ
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
  • National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)
  • Texas Tech Թ System
  • Թ Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
  • Թ of Arizona, Թ of Colorado (Boulder, Anschutz, Denver and Colorado Springs)
  • Թ of Denver
  • Թ of Kansas
  • Թ of Nebraska-UMC
  • Թ of New Mexico
  • Թ of South Dakota
  • Թ of Utah
  • Թ of Wyoming

Guidelines for Application

The Basics

  • Name of your company
  • Applicant’s name: the person we should contact about your company’s submission
  • Applicant’s email: the primary email address we use to contact your company about the submission
  • The national lab or university you are affiliated with
  • Identify whether your company is a bioscience company or a non-bioscience company. This information does not impact eligibility but helps us categorize which reviewers look at your application.
  • Identify industries that apply to your company.
  • Short description of your company (250 words or less)
  • What kind of funding have you raised for your company? For example, grants, angel funding, VC, none.
  • How much non-dilutive capital (e.g., grant funding) your company has raised
  • How much dilutive capital (e.g., angel investment, venture capital) your company has raised
  • Is your company actively raising capital, or will you be actively raising capital between now and Q2 2027?
  • What stage of financing is your company raising, or will your company be raising between now and Q2 2027? (e.g., pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B, etc.)
  • What is the target dollar amount of your current/next raise?
  • What type of agreement do you have with the relevant university or national lab
    • e.g., license signed, option signed, etc.?
    • Startups with a signed license agreement by January 7, 202627, 2025, will be preferred.

The Pitch Video

  • Submit a pitch video, up to 5 minutes. The pitch can be recorded and uploaded as an MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI file.
  • Optional: provide a link to your video as a backup in case of any technical issues with the uploaded file.

Finalist Requirements

Finalists...

  • must provide information for their profile on the Destination Startup website, including company logo files;
  • are strongly encouraged to attend a happy hour with investors on February 25, 2026 - this is your opportunity to meet investors in an informal setting;
  • must send at least one member to attend the full showcase day and pitch at the startup’s designated time slot;
  • may also bring one additional team member;
  • and if companies close or plan to close their financing round between submitting an application and the final showcase, they must notify Amy Dodenhoff as soon as possible.

Need Guidance?

Please contact Amy Dodenhoff, director of venture development

Investors: Attend the Investor Showcase

The Destination Startup Investor Showcase is an invite-only showcase of new companies actively raising funds to commercialize groundbreaking bio- and physical science inventions from leading research institutions across the Intermountain West. It demonstrates a powerful way to invest in advancing innovative research and translate it into impactful business ventures.

Registration for the 2025 showcase has closed. Interested in the 2026 showcase? Sign up for updates here

Past Startup Presenters

⚠ These company names and descriptions reflect their status at the time of their Destination Startup presentations and may not represent their current state.

2025 Presenting Startups

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.

Team:, Co-Founder, CEO; Sanjay Awasthi, M.D., Co-Founder, Chief Research Officer; , Co-Founder, COO

Affiliation: Texas Tech Թ System

Industry Applications: Health and Wellness, Biotech, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Therapeutics

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.

Team:, Co-Founder, CEO; (Alum: CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials,Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning,Environment and Sustainability,Cleantech,Food and Agriculture,Biotech

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.

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

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Medical Devices, Biotech, Research and Exploration, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

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!

Teams:, CEO, Co-Founder; , CTO, Co-Founder

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Sensors, Health and Wellness, Medical Devices, Diagnostics

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.

Team: , Co-Founder, Chief Scientist; Co-Founder, CEO; , COO/CFO

Affiliation: Թ of New Mexico

Industry Applications: Aerospace, Advanced Materials, Civic Engagement and Government, Construction, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Hardware and Instrumentation, Robotics, Sensors, Software, Manufacturing, Chemicals, Additive Manufacturing, Quantum, Research and Exploration, Social Enterprise, Smart Cities

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.

Team:, CEO, Founder; , Photonics Engineer; , Device Engineer; , , Advisor; , Advisor

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Quantum

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.

Team: , CEO, Co-Founder; Roy Parker (CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute), Co-Founder, Advisor; , CFO; , Interim CSO

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Health and Wellness, Therapeutics, Biotech, Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

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.

Team: (, Alum: CU Boulder Applied Mathematics) CEO, Co-Founder; (Alum: CU Boulder Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences), Co-Founder; (Alum: CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder.

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Software, Smart Cities

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.

Team: , Co-Founder, CEO; , Co-Founder, CTO; (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor; , Member of the Board of Directors; , Director of Materials Engineering and R&D; , Senior Cell Engineer; , Associate Cell Engineer; , Senior Business Advisor

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Cleantech, Manufacturing

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.

Team: (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-Founder, CSO; , Co-Founder, CEO; , Senior Process Engineer

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder
Industry Applications: Aerospace, Advanced Materials, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Chemicals
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.

Team: (frm. CU Boulder Chemistry, RASEI)

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Cleantech, Hardware and Instrumentation

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.

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

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials,Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Environment and Sustainability,Cleantech, Food and Agriculture, Sensors

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.

Team:, CEO, Co-Founder; , CTO, Co-Founder; (), COO, , CFO

Affiliation: Թ of Arizona

Industry Applications: Aerospace

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.

Team: , CEO, Co-Founder; , Vice President of R&D; , Fractional CFO; , Chief Business Officer; , Regulatory Affairs Consultant; , Manager of R&D; , Manager of Business Operations; , Scientist II; , Business Intelligence Officer

Affiliation: Թ of Arizona

Industry Applications: Therapeutics, Diagnostics, Biotech

Tynt Technologies Inc.

ղԳ’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.

Team: , CEO; , COO; , CTO; , Chief Scientist

Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Smart Cities

Batteries Beyond Batteries Corp.—Developing a patented vehicle immobilizer to provide vehicles with improved and convenient protection against thefts, with the potential of replacing existing car keys or key fobs. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Denver

BioSensor SolutionsProvides an organic sensor technology that measures and validates soil health critical for fresh food safety, agriculture production and climate sustainability. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Blue Cubed LLCDeveloping optical communication systems for the rapidly growing small satellite market. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Colorado Earth LLCDesigns, manufactures and builds using locally-produced masonry blocks. Affiliation: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

D3Sciences Inc.Empowering tissue-based diagnostics for personalized care. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona

Ezalife LLCDevelops simple, safe securement methods for a wide variety of surgically placed tubing to improve clinical outcomes and patient quality of life. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Green Steel Environmental LLCImproves water and air quality by making sustainable improvements to wastewater and biogas treatment. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Mach Electric—A Boulder R&D group developing sustainable aviation and materials technologies with a core product that aims to produce aerospace-grade carbon fiber through a process that directly sequesters carbon dioxide. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

MetforaMetfora’s novel AI-enabled diagnostic test overcomes the difficulty of detecting chronic diseases by discerning disease-specific changes in the levels of metabolites circulating in the blood, enabling doctors to find and begin treating these diseases in their early, more treatable stages. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona

Neurofluidic DiagnosticsOffers advanced data-mapping services for neurodegenerative biomarkers using proprietary neurofluidics, facilitating precise disease progression modeling and enhancing early diagnostics to support drug development efforts. Affiliation: Montana State Թ

New Day Hydrogen Inc.Making hydrogen fueling economical for fleets of heavy-duty electric vehicles as they take their first, incremental steps towards zero emissions; with the proprietary HubStarter system, they show fleets transitioning as few as five trucks the path to beating diesel in applications where batteries just don’t fit. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

NitroCat EnergiesDeveloping modular and electrified systems powered by renewable electricity to convert nitrogen feedstock in the agricultural waste stream (run-off) to high-value and high-energy fuels and chemicals (ammonia, urea) without the high heat and pressure traditionally used in the industry. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

Pando Strategies/Click!A hands-free computer interface that allows users to interact with machines through a comfortable wearable device, analogous to using a finger to type on a keypad where the tongue substitutes for the finger and the teeth for the keypad. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Pearl ScientificA translational breast cancer research program to translate novel therapies for patients with recurrent/refractory/metastatic disease with a focus on patients younger than 45. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

PrecisionTerraImproves GPS receivers’ signal tracking capabilities and positional accuracy in challenging environments such as dense cities, with a vision to improve high-definition map-based positioning and navigation systems for autonomous vehicles in such environments. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Reglagene Inc.A therapeutics company that leverages its expertise in the design and development of brain penetrant medicines to create breakthrough therapies for the safe and effective treatment of brain diseases. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona

RockyTechDevelops compatibilizers that enhance the quality of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) waste blends for reuse in molding applications (3D printing, packaging, cosmetics). Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Seedling BiosystemsBioengineering soybeans for the sustainable production of essential chemistries for manufacturing, therapeutics and food. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

SusMer Inc.Creatively disrupting the manufacturing process with a one-step chemical process of a medical-grade material, called P4HB, where the only other manufacturer has a microbial process and was acquired by Becton Dickinson for around $750 million in 2021 Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

SuviCa Inc.An oncology drug discovery and development company to create therapeutic opportunities for hard-to-treat cancers, leveraging deep knowledge of tumor growth and regeneration into proprietary screening platforms and identifying novel oncology agents that they de-risk through robust preclinical and clinical studies before out-licensing. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

TheraVac BiologicsDeveloping vaccines and immunotherapies for diseases that are caused by misfolded protein aggregates and/or aberrant inflammation that provide a cheaper, safer and more convenient approach to treat chronic diseases, in particular neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Affiliation: Թ of New Mexico

VitaWave Tech Inc.Transforming healthcare with an innovative eBP device, a cuffless, ear canal-based blood pressure monitor that enables seamless, non-intrusive monitoring for patients and healthcare providers, redefining how to manage blood pressure, enhance lives and improve outcomes. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

WHISPER EnergyA ‘low-powered’ (no batteries or power outlet required) wireless sensor platform using radio frequency identification (RFID) to power the system and securely detect human occupancy and air quality levels within homes or commercial buildings, thus reducing power consumption by 30% or more. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder

Afference Inc.—Afference powers the feeling of touch in the digital world. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Aqualung Therapeutics Corp.—Aqualung Therapeutics Corp. is an immunotherapy company focused on developing therapeutics for diseases of unchecked inflammation and fibrosis. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Aspero Medical Inc.—Aspero Medical is enabling intraluminal endoscopic surgery through novel devices that improve access, stability, traction, and precision instrument manipulation as part of the shift toward less invasive procedures, from laparoscopic to intraluminal surgery. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Beryl Therapeutics Inc.—Beryl is an early-stage drug development company poised to revolutionize the bone market with an anticipated safety profile that will disrupt the osteoporosis market and unlock the pediatric bone market. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Blaze Energy Technologies LLC—Blaze Energy is developing catalytic reforming technology for the efficient production of H2/NH3 fuels, which serve as carbon-free, drop-in replacements for hydrocarbons in combustion applications. Affiliation: Colorado School of Mines.

CarbeniumTec LLC—CarbeniumTec LLC is developing a metal-free, all-organic battery for long-duration energy storage, providing a solution to the growing need for electricity storage without the environmental impacts of conventional batteries. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Cardiost—Cardiost’s mission is to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) by developing a fully implantable heart assist pump for late-stage HFpEF. Affiliation: Թ of Denver.

Cascade Biocatalysts—Cascade Biocatalysts makes enzymes rugged and reliable for widespread adoption in chemical manufacturing, reducing the cost and environmental impact of diverse manufacturing processes. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Chiima Therapeutics—Chiima Therapeutics is a preclinical biotech company investigating a non-hormonal treatment for moderate to severe endometriosis-related pain in adult women. Affiliation: Թ of New Mexico.

Codelucida Inc.—Codelucida provides disruptive error-correction solutions supporting the next generation of NAND flash memory chips, improving error correction and scalability while reducing power usage. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Curable Composites—Curable Composites produces revolutionary materials, including 3D printing carbon fiber in mid-air and breakthroughs in foam manufacturing, leveraging over a decade of research. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

GelSana Therapeutics Inc.—GelSana is a hydrogel wound dressing company offering products that improve wound healing by reducing inflammation and providing sustained drug delivery. Affiliation: Colorado School of Mines.

LumenAstra—LumenAstra is commercializing a wearable, non-invasive sensor that measures core body temperature several centimeters below the skin, with applications in cardiac surgery, stroke recovery, chemotherapy, and consumer thermometers. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Prometheus Materials Inc.—Prometheus Materials develops, manufactures, and licenses the use of microalgae to reduce and eliminate CO2 from concrete building materials. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Radanta Corporation—Radanta Corporation is developing innovative energy harvesting technology. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

RaeSedo, Inc.—RaeSedo, a spin-out from the Թ of Arizona, is developing novel therapeutics for asthma based on an understanding of lung pathology. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Reglagene Inc.—Reglagene is a preclinical-stage therapeutics company developing breakthrough therapy for the treatment of brain cancers. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Sentinel Fertigation—Sentinel Fertigation provides image-based crop monitoring and nitrogen management solutions that improve farm profitability and preserve the environment by aligning nitrogen applications with crop needs. Affiliation: Թ of Nebraska - Lincoln.

TissueForm—TissueForm harnesses the natural, restorative power of tissue extracellular matrix to fill volumetric defects, integrating with host tissue and promoting healing. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Tynt Technologies Inc.—Tynt Technologies is commercializing the next generation of dynamic windows to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of homes. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

uPetsia Inc.—uPetsia solves bad dog breath with a canine oral bacteria modified to produce mint aromas for hours, used as a feed ingredient. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Aspero Medical, Inc.—Focuses on improving gastrointestinal endoscopy with enhanced device performance to improve patient outcomes, all while saving time and money. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Aurora Oncology, Inc.—Develops novel therapies for bladder cancer. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

Beyond Copper—Makes safe copper surfaces and powders for coatings and filters that are nearly instantly antimicrobial, unlike traditional copper. Affiliation: Colorado School of Mines.

Blue Cubed, LLC—Builds optical and radio frequency communication terminals for the growing small satellite market. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Botanisol Analytics—Developing the world’s first autonomous disease detector for national security efforts. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Ensign Pharmaceutical, Inc.—Develops and markets novel pharmaceutical products to free patients with musculoskeletal disorders and inflammatory diseases from pain and disability without harmful side effects. Affiliation: Թ of Nebraska Medical Center.

EvoEndo, Inc.—Developed a single-use system for diagnostic upper endoscopies to be performed without the use of general anesthesia or sedation. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

Global Laparoscopy Solutions—Created a portfolio of low-cost, portable laparoscopy devices for minimally invasive surgeries. Affiliation: Թ of Nebraska Medical Center.

HiveTech Solutions—Commercializing its proprietary climate-smart technology to improve honeybee survival. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

LumenAstra—Commercializing a wearable, non-invasive core body temperature sensor for clinical, consumer, military, and athletic applications. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Mallinda, Inc.—Solving the problem of structural composite waste by enabling end-of-life circularity of composite parts. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Mars Materials—Developing a new pathway for carbon fiber and acrylamide production using CO₂ and bio-based inputs as raw materials. Affiliation: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Modendo Inc.—Adapts and optimizes systems to create a robust, flexible, and compact prototype of an ultrathin endoscope for use in neuroscience labs. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Nano Magnetic Solutions—Developed a brain simulation toolbox for in vitro research for neurological disease treatments. Affiliation: Montana State Թ.

New Day Hydrogen, LLC—Builds, markets, and develops projects around green hydrogen, focusing on fleet fueling and longer-lead opportunities in communities and utilities. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

OMC Hydrogen—Creates renewable hydrogen to decarbonize fuels and chemicals using a thermochemical process with significant cost advantages over electrolysis. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

OTORO Energy—Manufactures megawatt-scale energy storage systems to support the electric grid and infrastructure with safe, patented battery materials. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc.—Provides ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals and device reference designs for CMOS foundries to enhance electro-optic modulators. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Reglagene—Pioneers safe and effective precision chemotherapy medicines that selectively kill cancer cells without the toxic side effects of existing agents. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

RespirAI Medical—Developed wearable technology that tracks the progression of COPD and can predict incoming disease exacerbations. Affiliation: Թ of Nebraska Medical Center.

Respirogen, Inc.—Technology delivers oxygen to the bloodstream independent of the lungs to reduce systemic hypoxia for lung disease patients. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

SaiOx, Inc.—Created Hespiro, a patented respiratory assistance device that utilizes the proven benefits of heliox in a closed-loop system for people suffering from COPD. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

SARUS Lifting—A software tool to help crane and construction companies reduce time spent developing lift plans while improving their quality for better job site safety. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Scintillation Nanotechnologies—Developed novel nanoparticles to detect continuous radioisotopes in non-toxic, aqueous environments, including inside living cells and tissues. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

TheraCea Pharma—Developing new diagnostic agents to assess early responses in immunotherapy through PET imaging. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Think Bioscience—A new platform combining applied microbiology, enzymology, and data science to develop small-molecule therapeutics guided by living systems for better medicines. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Tynt Technologies—Offers dynamic windows based on reversible metal deposition technology to control light and heat flow with 100% blackout/privacy. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Vitro3D—Reimagining drug discovery research through mechanically enhanced and geometrically accurate 3D printed tissue for preclinical testing. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Xoralgo, Inc.—Built the next generation of patented computer storage technology that prevents data loss and dramatically reduces the cost of storing data. Affiliation: Թ of Arizona.

Alpenglow Instruments—Alpenglow Instruments designs, builds, and supports high-quality instrumentation used to study clouds, aerosols, and the Earth's atmosphere. Affiliation: Թ of Wyoming.

Arpeggio Bio—Arpeggio Bio uses machine learning and RNA to make drugs against previously undruggable targets in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

Aspero Medical, Inc.—Aspero Medical focuses on improving gastrointestinal endoscopy for the patient and physician. Their technology enhances device performance, saving time and money, while improving patient outcomes. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

BCell Solutions, Inc.—BCell Solutions is a pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company commercializing immunotherapies that harness immune cell-surface signaling to stop inflammation. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Colorado Springs.

BromeCare Therapeutics, LLC—BromeCare Therapeutics is rapidly developing a plant-derived therapeutic to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and prevent COVID-19 infection. Affiliation: Թ of Nebraska Medical Center.

CellDrop Biosciences, Inc.—CellDrop is commercializing a stem cell therapy developed to quickly and permanently heal musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses. Affiliation: Թ of Wyoming.

Double Helix Optics—Double Helix Optics designs and manufactures sensors and imaging modules for precision 3D imaging used in life and material sciences, industrial inspection, and machine vision. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Boulder.

EvoEndo, Inc.—EvoEndo builds innovative pediatric endoscopy systems that allow diagnostic upper endoscopies to be performed comfortably and quickly without the need for general anesthesia. Affiliation: Թ of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

GPER G-1 Development Group—GPER G-1 Development Group is developing a novel therapeutic for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Affiliation: Թ of New Mexico.

Inherent Biosciences, Inc.—Inherent Biosciences is a molecular diagnostics company at the intersection of epigenetics and artificial intelligence, tackling clinical problems such as infertility, autoimmune diseases, and COVID-19 disease severity. Affiliation: Թ of Utah.

Laporte Immunotherapeutics—Laporte Immunotherapeutics is developing transformative immune-based therapies for upper respiratory and eye infections using immune-stimulatory nanoparticles. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

Big Blue Technologies—Makes magnesium metal using a novel process technology that consumes 60 percent less energy than the dominant incumbent process, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in cost of goods sold compared to the monopolistic U.S. producer. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

BioLoomics, Inc.—Provides a B2B service to pharma R&D companies that predicts clinically relevant effects of drugs using a high-throughput platform drug screening technology. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Cetya Therapeutics—Developing HDAC inhibitors, analogs of largazole, a natural product Class I-restricted HDAC inhibitor, focused on solid tumors in oncology and hemoglobinopathies like sickle cell disease. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

Earable, Inc.—The world’s first and most advanced in-ear health improvement platform for sleep and health monitoring applications, revolutionizing cognitive healthcare with smart earphones. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Emergy Foods—A whole muscle, plant-based meat alternative company that developed a sustainable, proprietary process to produce food ingredients and finished goods from fungal mycelium. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Ezalife, LLC—Designs and develops medical devices that make life easier for individuals with complex medical needs. Its first product, the Button Huggie, is a precision-designed gastrostomy button securement device. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

GenoFab, Inc.—Developing a software tool-chain to write and read self-documenting DNA molecules. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

Lab79 Technologies, Inc.—Developing a method to sequence DNA by monitoring changes in force as single-stranded DNA is pulled through an interface. Affiliation: N/A.

Microbial Pulse Diagnostics—Enabling point-of-care, data-driven antibiotic prescriptions by providing physicians with a list of effective drugs in under two hours. Affiliation: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

New Iridium, LLC—Produces organic photo redox catalysts (PCs) for light-driven chemical reactions that accelerate pharma drug development and reduce drug manufacturing costs. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ, CU Boulder.

OptiEnz Sensors—An instrumentation system that incorporates biosensors for continuous monitoring of organic chemical concentrations in water and aqueous solutions. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

PhotonPharma—An immune oncology company developing a breakthrough technology to stimulate a patient’s immune system to seek out and destroy their cancer cells. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

SiVEC Biotechnologies—A delivery platform for nucleic acid drugs and gene-editing tools using non-pathogenic bacteria for stable and specific delivery to mucosal tissues without host genomic integration. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

Starfire Energy—Develops systems to produce carbon-free ammonia from air and water using clean electricity, leveraging a patent-pending catalyst and novel removal method. Affiliation: Colorado School of Mines.

Strivision—Developing new condition-oriented pulmonary diagnostic tools aimed at early diagnosis of chronic respiratory conditions through infrared CO2 imaging and AI-driven analysis. Affiliation: CU Denver.

TissueForm—A microparticle tissue technology that targets scarring, wrinkles, and tissue loss due to aging or injury. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

VetMeasure—Produces MeasureON!, a canine harness that enables accurate detection of an animal’s health statistics to optimize care and treatment options. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ.

VitriVax—A platform technology enabling the preparation of thermostable, single-shot vaccines. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Access Sensor Technologies—Develops inexpensive and accurate environmental and biological tests. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

AmideBio—Developing glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs), a treatment paradigm that can redefine how diabetes is treated. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Arpeggio Biosciences—Generates novel insights about a compound’s biological mechanism of action, significantly reducing the risk of clinical failure and associated expense. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Aspero Medical—Uses micro-texturing to create medical balloons with improved anchoring during in vivo use. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

ASTRALiTe, Inc.—Creates a real-time, drone-mounted LiDAR system capable of measuring underwater objects and topography with unprecedented cm-level resolution. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

BCell Solutions—Develops novel immunotherapies to treat autoimmune diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Affiliation: UCCS.

Colorado Research Partners—Develops novel drugs to block the effects of sugar and alcohol, addressing sugar cravings, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and liver disease. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

DreamFace Technologies—Creates "Ryan," a social companion robot for dementia patients that delays the onset of advanced dementia through stimulating games, music, and crafts. Affiliation: Թ of Denver.

Katharos, Inc.—Develops a medical device used during hemodialysis to remove phosphates that contribute to cardiovascular disease and death. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

Kelvin Thermal Technologies, Inc.—Develops the thinnest and lightest cooling solutions for smartphones, AR/VR devices, and future vehicles. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

MRX Analytics—Creates a new way of measuring temperature in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Affiliation: UCCS.

MyRoomSolution d.b.a. 99Agree—Helps people learn to live, share, and get along with their roommates. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

New Iridium—Produces organic photoredox catalysts (PCs) for light-driven chemical reactions. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

OptiEnz Sensors—Provides an instrumentation system incorporating biosensors for continuous monitoring of organic chemical concentrations in water and aqueous solutions. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ and CU Boulder

PhotonPharma, Inc.—Develops cancer vaccines applicable to all cancers, using live inactivated tumor cells with full preservation of neo-antigens and cell structure. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

Prieto Battery, Inc.—Commercializes patented 3D solid-state lithium-ion battery technology to accelerate innovation in energy storage. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

Respirogen—Develops oxygen microbubble (OMB) technology to provide oxygen in lung-compromised patients, maintaining tissue viability while injuries heal. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

RxRevu—Provides real-time, patient-specific cost and drug options aligned with formulary and benefit data for prescribers at the point of care. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

SummitDX—Develops a saliva-based molecular test for head and neck cancer. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

SuviCa—Focuses on cancer drug discovery and development targeting protein homeostasis. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

ThromboTherapeutics, Inc.—Develops coagulation management tools, such as the tPA-Challenge Assay, to detect patients at high risk for bleeding in trauma environments. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

Tissue Fusion—Surgically fuses tissues using laser energy instead of sutures or staples. Affiliation: UCCS.

Triple Endoscopy, Inc.—Creates a modified multi-use nasal endoscope for pediatric and adult patients. Affiliation: CU Anschutz.

VetMeasure—Produces harnesses to detect an animal’s health statistics for optimized care and treatment. Affiliation: Colorado State Թ

VitriVax—Develops a platform technology enabling thermostable, single-shot vaccines. Affiliation: CU Boulder.

Partnering Research Institutions

Arizona State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State, Montana State, NIST, NLR, Texas Tech, UCAR, Թ of Arizona, Թ of Colorado (Boulder, Anschutz, Denver and Colorado Springs), Թ of Denver, Թ of Kansas, Թ of Nebraska-UMC, Թ of New Mexico, Թ of Utah, Թ of South Dakota and Թ of Wyoming.

Thank You to Our Destination Startup Financial Supporters

Supporting entrepreneurial programs like Destination Startup enables individuals and organizations to play an active role in building CU’s pipeline of future business leaders and ventures. Learn more about our support levels and benefits orcontact Amy Dodenhoff.

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Destination Startup Team