University spinouts turn innovation into environmental action

Wil Srubar of CU Boulder’s Living Materials Laboratory

Imagine strolling down a sidewalk made of algae or building a wall with lab-grown, bio-cement blocks. Prometheus Materials, a CU Boulder spinout creating carbon-free alternatives to concrete, is building that future today alongside dozens of other sustainability-focused ventures based on CU Boulder research.

Wil Srubar, professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, founded Prometheus with a cross-disciplinary team of collaborators who accepted a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) challenge to develop materials with both structural and biological properties that could supplant cement manufacturing—and eliminate about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. “It sounded impossible, like a Frankenstein objective,” Srubar said. But at CU Boulder’s Living Materials Laboratory, team members found inspiration in nature—specifically ancient stromatolites formed by cyanobacteria, which are among the oldest living lifeforms on the planet.

A climate of innovation

Prometheus is just one example of CU Boulder’s strong network of researchers bringing innovations out of labs and into companies with real-world impact—the university is a national leader and spinout powerhouse, launching 35 companies in fiscal year 2024 and over 100 since 2016, according to Bryn Rees, associate vice chancellor for innovation and partnerships. Since 2000, the university has launched 44 sustainability-focused spinouts, including a dozen new companies in just the past few years, said Rees, who leads Venture Partners at CU Boulder, the university’s commercialization arm.

Several factors combine to make CU Boulder so effective at generating these kinds of companies: research expertise, commercialization resources, market need and an eagerness to improve our world. “There’s a strong culture of environmental stewardship here,” said Srubar. “It’s in our institutional DNA.”

Rising stars

Other spinouts now driving positive change include LongPath Technologies whose quantum laser systems detect invisible but harmful methane leaks from oil and gas operations. Co-founded in 2017 by Greg Rieker (mechanical engineering), the company’s tech now prevents billions of cubic feet of fugitive methane emissions each year. Solid Power Inc., founded in 2011 by Se-Hee Lee (mechanical engineering) and Conrad Stoldt (mechanical engineering), develops solid-state batteries that are safer, cheaper, lighter and more energy-dense than conventional lithium-ion cells.

Srubar, now Deming associate dean for innovation and entrepreneurship, hopes to inspire other researchers to make the leap from lab to marketplace. “I think CU Boulder’s reputation will continue to grow in this space,” he said. “The world isn’t static—it becomes what we dream. And we have the power to drive that change.”