Destination Startup, a collaboration among Front Range research universities and federal laboratories, is back again for year two to connect Colorado’s most promising ventures with funding and networking opportunities so they can take the next step toward commercialization.

At the inaugural event in 2019, more than 270 innovators, investors and business community leaders convened for a one-day showcase of the top research-based startups from across Colorado. This year's event — hosted again by Venture Partners at CU Boulder — will feature 18 startups from CU Boulder, CU Anschutz, CU Denver, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and NIST. 

Ventures from each institution were chosen via a competitive selection process led by serial entrepreneurs, investors and technology veterans. The companies represent industries spanning pharmaceuticals, sustainability, medical devices, more.

The seven CU Boulder ventures represent seven different departments on campus: chemical and biological engineering; biochemistry; computer science; civil, environmental and architectural engineering; chemistry; mechanical engineering; and molecular, cellular and development biology. 

One CU Boulder venture presenting at Destination Startup, Earable™, is a biotechnology spinoff company founded on work by Dr. Tam Vu, a CU Boulder assistant professor in computer science. Pegged as the world's first and most advanced in-ear sleep improvement system, Earable's bio-sensing earbuds simultaneously detect brain activity (EEG), eye movements (EOG) and facial movements (EMB) in order to find the perfect sleep improvement method for a person's unique sleep cycle.

“Just as Destination Startup is a collaborative effort among Colorado’s research institutions, Earable^TM is a fantastic example of collaboration across disciplines and institutions, having been co-founded by faculty from computer science at CU Boulder and pediatrics at CU Anschutz," said Bryn Rees, managing director for Venture Partners and assistant vice chancellor for research and innovation. "So often, innovation as powerful as what Earable^TM offers is best cultivated when researchers from seemingly disparate background tackle a single problem together.”

Learn more about Destination Startup and its impact on Colorado’s innovation ecosystem.