Opportunities and Events
Signature Venture Partners Programming
A partnership with seven of the top research universities across the Western U.S. to reduce the time and risk associated with translating promising ideas and technologies to the marketplace.
Applications Now Open
A campus-wide resource for both existing and aspiring university-originated startups seeking non-dilutive funding—to translate their university inventions into a startup company.
Accepting Support Requests
With myriad CU Boulder technologies ready to make a real-world impact, Embark seeks motivated entrepreneurs ready to launch new companies.
A competition for CU Boulder's top innovations showing high commercial potential, a clear path to a compelling market and strong scientific support.
Application Now Open
An accelerator for research teams building deep tech startups coming out of the University of Colorado campuses in Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver.
A collaboration among the Intermountain West region's leading research universities and federal laboratories, showcasing the best companies from the region’s innovation ecosystem to investors and the business community.
Upcoming Opportunities at CU
Venture Partners and NSF I-Corps | Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop
Aug. 1-15, BaseCamp at the Pearl East Innovation Campus, Boulder | Application Deadline Friday, July 25
Do you have an innovation that could make a difference? Whether a researcher, entrepreneur, inventor or problem solver, the Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop at Venture Partners at CU Boulder can help you transform your concept into a successful venture—even if you aren't a CU student or employee.
CU Boulder Computer Science | Sponsor a Computer Science Capstone Project
Prospective sponsors must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to propose a project before Aug. 1
Sponsored projects connect industry with senior student teams to develop custom software or hardware solutions over the course of an academic year. Sponsors gain fresh technical insight and early access to talent while helping students tackle real-world challenges in computer science. For startups, the sponsor fee is waived, and companies are just expected to cover any costs of the project itself.
CU Boulder Research & Innovation Office | Workshop: Funding Strategies in a New Federal Landscape
Friday, July 11, 10-11 a.m. MST, Virtual Event
+ More Dates Through December
Has the recent federal transition prompted you to reconsider your research funding approach? Join RIO’s Donna Axel for a fast-paced, 30-minute introduction to Pivot, internal funding opportunities, and other free tools available with your CU Login. Bring your team—faculty, staff, and students are all welcome!
Venture Partners and NSF I-Corps | Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program
Sept. 3-Oct. 10, Virtual Event | Application Deadline Wednesday, Aug. 27
This four-week program helps teams through customer discovery and finding a market for their innovation. Derived from the National Science Foundation's I-Corps™ program, R2M leverages the nationally recognized Lean LaunchPad and Business Model Canvas methodologies specifically designed for researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors and problem solvers from any research or community institution.
Venture Partners and NSF I-Corps | Therapeutics Customer Discovery Program
Oct. 7-Nov. 4, Virtual Event | Application Deadline Wednesday, Aug. 27
Do you have a therapeutic innovation that could improve lives? This program is a focused, five-week entrepreneurial training program designed to help academic researchers and early-stage biotech innovators explore the commercial potential of therapeutic technologies.
Opportunities Outside CU
Thursday, July 24 (deadline) | Grid Catalyst's Demonstration Cohorts—Helping innovative energy startups pilot new technologies with strategic partners in Minnesota, build connections with new customers and investors, and accelerate their path to market.
Friday, Aug. 8 (deadline) | Blueprint by The Engine—Designed to help graduate students, postdocs, researchers, and their teams explore the translational potential for their breakthrough research.
Friday, Aug. 22 (deadline) | Berkley SkyDeck—A six-month acceleration process for promising startups in any vertical and selected Cohort teams receive a $200,000 investment.
Aug. 27-29 | TechConnect's Space Industry and Government Summit and Expo—Connecting non-space dual-use technology providers with leading commercial and government space opportunities focused on in-space manufacturing, national security initiatives and government and private sector funding.
Friday, Aug. 29 (deadline) | Carbon to Value Initiative Accelerator—Welcoming applications from startups that are developing carbontech solutions.
Sept. 8 (deadline) | Sept. 16-Oct. 14 | Colorado Bioscience Institute's Foundations of Leadership Workshop—For first-time leaders and scientists new to management, this workshop is designed to build the foundations of leadership by exploring the characteristics of leaders, effective communication and teamwork skills.
Sept. 15-17 | Techstars Foundercon 2025 | A three-day gathering in Boulder of 1,000+ founders, mentors, partners and community leaders from across the global network.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | National Science Foundation Translation to Practice-Translate(NSF TTP-T)—Supporting projects that build on early translational work to refine ideas, improve solutions and reduce barriers to moving research from the lab into real-world use.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | National Science Foundation Translation to Partner-Translate(NSF TTP-P)—Supporting translational efforts that demand one or more partnerships for technology development and deployment.
Monday, Sept. 29 (deadline) | Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i)—Investing in and cultivating meaningful partnerships with start-ups focused on advancing climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency efforts, while also promoting social equality and economic prosperity, in Exelon’s service territories.
Friday, Oct. 31 (deadline) | ERDCWERX's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory CSO—Seeking innovative solutions or potential new capabilities, which may include existing technologies or procedures that are not currently in use, that would improve mission capabilities.
Nov. 19-21 | TechConnect's Defense Innovation Summit and Expo—The U.S.'s premier defense innovation event, connecting top dual-use solution providers with top military, industry and investment leadership.
Rolling Applications
Calling International Student Entrepreneurs & Offering Support—Unshackled Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on immigrant-founded startups.
Advanced Industries Accelerator Programs—Promoting growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries that increase the state's global competitiveness.
Advanced Industry Investment Tax Credit—Encouraging investments in Colorado advanced industry businesses by incentivizing investors with state income tax credits.
Techstars Accelerator Programs—Empowering entrepreneurs by providing access to mentorship, capital and a global network to help them succeed and scale their startups.
SBIR/STTR Funding—Funding is granted through many different agencies across the federal government and in various areas of innovation.
National Science Foundation Translation to Practice-Explore (NSF TTP-E)—Offers up to two additional years of funding on a current NSF award to support high-risk, use-inspired research and early translation efforts not included in the original project.
NYSERDA's Building Better Homes Program—Expanding the capacity of builders and developers to construct and market zero emissions (all-electric) homes.
Various Deadlines
National Technology Alliance—A curated pipeline of vetted opportunities aligned with industry and national priorities from Catalyst Partners, government requirements and industry targets.
U.S. Federal Prize Competitions—Empowering the federal government and the public to participate together in equitable forms of innovation through prize competitions.
Employment Opportunities
PricingService.ai | Account Executive—Looking for a self-starter who’s comfortable hunting for new business, managing a full sales cycle (except demos—for now), and building relationships that drive long-term customer success.
For more opportunities, please check back soon or sign up for updates.
Are you a CU startup with an employment opportunity to share with the CU community? Send it to vpnews@colorado.edu for posting here. Also, you can post to CU Boulder's recruitment platform Handshake and/or join the Startups2Students career fair.