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 OEDIT: Lab Venture Challenge
Tuesday, July 15, 5 p.m.: Deadline to disclose innovations
Friday, Aug. 22, 11:59 p.m.: Deadline to apply to LVC
Through the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC), top innovations from the University of Colorado Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants of up to $125,000. LVC supports projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. These grants are funded by Venture Partners at CU Boulder and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program.
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.
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
Tuesday, July 15 (deadline) | NYSERDA Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Program Opportunity Notice (PON)—Seeking innovative improvements to operating and planning the electric grid to accommodate widespread adoption of clean energy resources across New York State.
Thursday, July 17 | Osage University Partners (OUP) Webinar: SBIR/STTR—Looking for early-stage commercialization funding? Join this discussion with federal agency experts on their small business research commercialization funding programs, including SBIR and STTR.
Friday, July 18 (deadline) | ETVF 2025: Call for Energy Tech Ventures—For participating energy startups and companies, the Energy Tech Venture Forum is an opportunity to meet energy investors and corporations.
Saturday, July 19 (deadline) | Colorado Smart Cities Alliance's Connected Colorado (C²) Challenge—An open-ended innovation process for government procurement that removes the need to meet specific requirements and provides an open door to business and academic innovators to propose new ways of solving a problem.
Monday, July 21 (deadline) | U.S. National Science Foundation's Request for Information on Updating Key Technology Focus Areas—Seeking input from academia, non-profits, philanthropy, state and local government, venture capital, the private sector and any other interested parties to inform the agency's assessment and potential update of the Key Technology Focus Areas.
Tuesday, July 22 | NCI SBIR Regional Outreach Webinar: Rochy Mountain—Are you working on bringing your cancer technology idea to life? This webinar will provide attendees with insights into NCI SBIR funding opportunities and entrepreneurial resources that help cancer technology innovators.
Wednesday, July 23 | Unshackled Venture's Founders Without Limits—This interactive session will break down what it takes to qualify for the O-1 “Extraordinary Ability” visa, especially for technical innovators building high-impact companies.
Wednesday, July 23 (deadline) | mHUB Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator—A six-month program designed for hands-on product development and backed by top-tier corporate and venture investors.
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.
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.
Nov. 19-21 | TechConnect's Defense TechConnect 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 industries 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 areas of innovation.
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
RayChill: Co-Founder/CEO—RayChill, a startup built on IP from CU Boulder, provides a passive radiative cooling material that cools structures without power and is seeking a Co-Founder/CEO.
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.