Innovation & Entrepreneurship: News

Twelve weeks ago, six student teams joined the Catalyze CU startup accelerator with innovative concepts and a hunch that their ideas might be marketable.

By the end of this summer, more than 300 people will have completed Erik Mueller's traveling entrepreneurship workshop classes across every region of Colorado.

A year and a half after starting the company, CU Boulder startup ShineOn has grown to five employees and is preparing to launch its first product for cycling enthusiasts.

Erick Mueller, executive director of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, has been touring the state to teach rural communities about entrepreneurship, hoping to help invigorate areas that have seen a decline in major industries.

This month, six student teams began an intense summer season as part of CU Boulder’s Catalyze CU startup accelerator. The program ends Aug. 25 with Demo Day, where teams will pitch their concepts before a live audience at Macky Auditorium.

At the heart of the expansion will be a startup hub where students can meet and collaborate on entrepreneurial projects, as well as a “genius bar.” The space will cater to students from all majors and backgrounds, not just those from business and engineering.

The future of higher education and connecting CU Boulder with the startup community were common themes woven throughout the six University Track sessions at Boulder Startup Week (BSW), sponsored by CU Boulder.

Corporate travel has a been a market in need of some desperate transformation. Pana, a CU Boulder spinoff company, hopes to facilitate this change with a $10 million Series A round led by Silicon Valley VC firm Bessemer Venture Partners.

“I think it is a very promising startup,” said Jason Mendelson, co-founder of the Boulder-based Foundry Group. “What they are working on has the potential to save lives, injuries and costs, while also maintaining the mobility independence of its customers.”

CU Boulder served as the University Track sponsor at Boulder Startup Week (BSW) from May 13-17. There were six University Track sessions featuring CU Boulder faculty, staff and alumni.