Eleven teams of University of Colorado faculty, researchers and graduate student innovators competed for a combined $755,000 in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC). Judges from CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial network heard Shark-Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in biosciences and another for physical sciences and engineering.

Through LVC, top innovators from CU Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants to fund projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. The LVC grants are funded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program, as well as Venture Partners at CU Boulder and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund. Six awards were granted this year, and the funding goes directly to CU labs to further develop their innovations.

This culminating event for these groundbreaking teams showcased the university’s initiative to support innovators from discovery to economic success. LVC is run by Venture Partners at CU Boulder, the university’s commercialization arm and central resource for researchers who wish to translate their work into impactful business and social ventures. As part of the LVC program, all the competitors worked with Venture Partners to protect their innovations and practice their funding pitches for business audiences. LVC awardees will continue to work and collaborate with Venture Partners on their path to commercialization.

“At this early stage, funding is essential, but can be a challenge to obtain,“ said Joshua Bennett, director of LVC and assistant director of licensing at Venture Partners. “All of these teams have promising innovations ready to launch new businesses. LVC is a unique opportunity for those innovators to receive that vital funding, and we’re proud to work with the State of Colorado to make it happen.”

To date, LVC has funded over 123 projects through 70 new deep-tech startup companies; collectively, these companies have raised over $349 million in follow-on financing.

Applications for the next LVC will open in July 2026.

This year’s LVC was additionally made possible by Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP, Holland & Hart LLC, Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Paralex

Photo Credit: TJ Zirkman

2025 Physical Sciences Winners

$127,500—Magnetically Enhanced Electrolysis for H₂ Production

Magnetically Enhanced Electrolysis (MEE) improves hydrogen generation efficiency by enhancing bubble release and energy transfer. Adapted from space technology, MEE offers scalable, cost-effective clean hydrogen for transportation, industry and off-grid power. The team has formed a startup, Agami Zero, to bring their innovation to market.

• Oana Luca  (CU Boulder Chemistry), PI
• Ankur Gupta  (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Co-PI
• Hunter Koltunski  (Student: CU Boulder Chemistry), Scientific Lead
• Richard Noble (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering), Scientific Advisor
• Jafar Makrani , Co-Founder and CEO/CPO

• Lyle Antieau III , Co-Founder and CTO/COO

   

   

   

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$125,000—Low SWaP Frequency Comb for Quantum applications

Our Gen-III low-SWaP frequency comb, built on thin-film lithium niobate nanophotonics, delivers octave-spanning spectra with ultra-low power. Compact, scalable and robust, it enables deployable quantum clocks, sensors and communication systems beyond the lab. The team has formed a startup,Chi3 Optics, to bring their innovation to market.

• Scott A. Diddams  (CU Boulder Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering), PI
• Tsung-Han Wu (Postdoc: CU Boulder Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering), Founder, CEO
• Peter Chang , CTO
• Nathan Brooks , Principal Scientist

$125,000—Novel Synergistic Catalysis for Clean Water and Fuel   

A modular photo-thermo-catalysis device that rapidly activates a wide range of stubborn chemical bonds, enabling carbon-free fuel production at high reaction rates and the destruction of toxic PFAS in water, while reducing energy use and operating costs. The team has formed a startup, Synergia, to bring their innovation to market.

• Longji Cui  (CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), PI
• Dishan Chooi (Student: CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Technical Co-Lead
• Sarang Gosavi  (Student: CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Technical Co-Lead
• Yunxuan Zhu (Postdoc: CU Boulder Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering), Director of R&D
• Karen Crofton  (CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science), Advisor

2025 Biosciences Winners

$127,500—Metabolite-Based Therapeutics for Obesity

Pythons exhibit dramatic metabolic plasticity with feeding, increasing organ size and activity by up to 40% after consuming large prey. From this biology, the team discovered a novel feeding-induced metabolite that was upregulated by 1,000-fold and acts as a natural appetite suppressant through modulating satiety. The team has formed a startup, Arkana Therapeutics, to bring their innovation to market.

• Leslie Leinwand  (CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), PI
• Thomas Martin  (Postdoc: CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), CSO
• Jack Gugel , CEO
• Yuxiao Tan  (Postdoc: CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), Co-Founder

$125,000—Computationally Designed IL-18 binders to Treat Sepsis

Enabled by recent advances in AI-driven protein design, minibinders are being engineered to target IL-18, a key driver of sepsis. These compact, stable proteins penetrate tissues efficiently and can be precisely dosed to avoid prolonged immune suppression, offering a next-generation therapeutic for sepsis. The team has formed a startup, iMembrane Therapeutics, to bring their innovation to market.

• Jingshi Shen (CU Boulder Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), PI
• Suzhao Li (CU Anschutz Medical Campus), President
• Charles Dinarello (CU Anschutz Medical Campus), Advisor

$125,000—Bioadhesive Patches That Seal Where Sutures Fail

DuraPatch provides rapid closure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks during neurosurgery, eliminating the need for sutures. Engineered with high-resolution 3D printing and advanced biomaterials, DuraPatch strongly adheres to wet tissues to create a watertight seal while supporting and promoting healing. The team has founded a startup, Entangl3d, to bring their innovation to market.

• Matt Davidson  (CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute), CEO and Founder
• Jason Burdick (CU Boulder Chemical and Biological Engineering and BioFrontiers Institute) Co-Founder, PI
• Peter Lennarson  (CU Anschutz Medical Campus), Advisor