Physical Sciences Finalists

AI-Accelerated Advanced Battery Materials

Developing a new class of high-energy, beyond-lithium battery active materials made entirely from earth-abundant, domestically sourced elements. By integrating ML/AI with proprietary advanced crystal-structure engineering, their materials enable energy parity with conventional lithium systems at a fraction of the cost. The team has formed a startup, Orva Energy, to bring their innovation to market.

• Evan Flitz , PhD Candidate of Chemical and Biological Engineering at CU Boulder, Co-Founder and Principal Materials Engineer of Orva Energy, evan@orvaenergy.com   
• Chunmei Ban , Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Orva Energy
• Cooper Tezak , PhD Alum of Chemical Engineering at CU Boulder, Scientific Advisor at Orva Energy 

In the News

• From Tony Stark to Obi-Wan Kenobi: Meet 4 (of 7) West Gate Fellows and Their Technologies (2026, National Laboratory of the Rockies)

An Autonomous Optical Clock

Ptarmigan is developing the autonomous optical clock, the first clock to eliminate the environmental and calibration constraints that have kept optical clocks bespoke devices. For the first time, optical precision can be manufactured at scale and deployed as network infrastructure for distributed sensing, quantum systems and national security. The team has formed a startup, Ptarmigan Clockworks Inc. , to bring their innovation to market.

• Benjamin Hunt , Graduate Research Assistant at NIST and Graduate Student of Physics at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder and CEO of Ptarmigan Clockworks, benjamin.hunt@ptarmigan-clockworks.com   
• Phillip Klein , Commercialization for Ptarmigan Clockworks 
• Andrew Ludlow, Neutral Atom Optical Clock Group Leader at NIST, Scientific Advisor
• Jun Ye , Professor Adjoint of Physics at CU Boulder and Fellow at JILA, Scientific Advisor

Intelligent Electronic Skin Transforming Prosthetic Diagnostics

Intelligent liquid-metal electronic skin embedded in prosthetic sockets for real-time pressure mapping. AI-driven analytics learn each patient’s pressure patterns to predict socket issues before they cause pain. This affordable, scalable system gives prosthetists data-driven insights to improve socket fit and daily comfort. The team has formed a startup, RheoSynapse Inc., to bring their innovation to market.

• Jianliang Xiao, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder of RheoSynapse, jianliang.xiao@colorado.edu  
• Dhileep Kumar Jayashankar, PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, Lead Researcher  
• Ruili Zhang, Graduate Student of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder

Read More About the Science

• Stretchable, Rehealable, Recyclable, and Reconfigurable Integrated Strain Sensor for Joint Motion and Respiration Monitoring (2021, Research)
• Deep-learning-assisted printed liquid metal sensory system for wearable applications and boxing training (2023, npj Flexible Electronics)

Optical Timekeeping Made Portable: The Single-Chip Acoustic-Optoelectronic Oscillator

A chip-scale microwave oscillator that generates exceptionally pure signal tones by circulating energy between sound and light on a single chip. By amplifying the sound waves directly on-chip — with no electronics in the loop — the device targets the signal purity of room-sized precision oscillators in a package small enough for portable radar, navigation and communications.

• Daniel Lesko , Research Scientist in Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU Boulder, Engineer  
• Matt Eichenfield , PI, Endowed Chair in Quantum Engineering at CU Boulder, matt.eichenfield@colorado.edu  
• Scott Diddams , Professor of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU Boulder, Scientific Advisor
• Kiyan Hocek , PhD Student of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU Boulder, Engineer

Practical Post-Quantum Cryptography for Resource-Constrained Networks and Devices

New quantum-resistant algorithms have been developed that prevent quantum computers from breaking the public-key algorithms that secure almost all internet communications. This technology works where these new public-key algorithms do not: low-power IoT devices and limited-bandwidth networks. The team has formed a startup, Choyu Networks Inc., to bring their innovation to market.

• Elliot Eichen , Research Associate of Computer Science at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder and CTO of Choyu Networks, elliot.eichen@colorado.edu   
• Matt Collier , Co-Founder and CBO of Choyu Networks
• Marco Rubin , Co-Founder and Investment Advisor of Choyu Networks
• Sylvia Llosa , PhD Candidate in Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU Boulder, Cryptography SME
• Richard Dixon , Marketing for Choyu Networks
• Yueqi Chen , Assistant Professor of Computer Science at CU Boulder, Advisor
• Sangtae Ha , Associate Professor of Computer Science at CU Boulder, Advisor

Tunable 3D-Printed Helmet Liners for Multi-Impact Protection

Reimagined helmet protection with a 3D-printed liner computationally tuned by sport, helmet region and impact type. Its plate-lattice structure is designed to manage repeated hits and severe impacts alike. Peer-reviewed research showed up to 6x greater energy absorption than conventional foams at equal density—performance being translated into next-generation helmet protection. The team has formed a startup, Fortifyd LLC, to bring their innovation to market.

• Teri Ham , Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator and BS Alum of Business at CU Boulder, Co-Founder and CEO of Fortifyd, hamteri@gmail.com   
• Robert MacCurdy , Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, PI and Technical Advisor
• Charles Wade , Master of Science Alum and PhD Student of Computer Science at CU Boulder, Lead Software Engineer at Fortifyd
• Daphne Felt , Graduate Student of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, Lead Product Engineer at Fortifyd
• Elisse Lockhart , Product Strategy and Commercialization Leader at Fortifyd

Read More About the Science

• Tunable Metamaterials for Impact Mitigation (2024, Advanced Materials Technologies)
• OpenVCAD: An open-source volumetric multi-material geometry compiler (2024, Additive Manufacturing)
• Digital Multiphase Composites via Additive Manufacturing (2024, Advanced Materials)

Biosciences Finalists

AI-Designed Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine

Cell therapies are grown in Matrigel, an undefined mouse tumor extract that varies lot to lot; every alternative is one formulation sold for every use. Regelife uses machine learning to design the matrix around the cell, turning 18 months of trial and error into one kit. In ALS, the matrix decides whether transplanted neurons survive. Built on Anseth Lab hydrogel chemistry at CU Boulder. The team has formed a startup, Regelife Inc., to bring their innovation to market.

• Kristi S. Anseth , Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, PI, Co-Founder and CSO of Regelife
• Mark Ma , Co-Founder and CEO of Regelife, mark@regelife.bio   
• Hideyuki Okano, Scientific Co-Founder of Regelife

A Real-Time Screening Platform for Drugs Targeting Transcription Regulators

RIFT (Real-time In vitro Fluorescent Transcription), developed in the Taatjes Lab at CU Boulder, enables direct visualization of individual drug-target interactions in real time, distinguishing on-target from off-target activity to improve drug screening ahead of clinical trials. The team has formed a startup, Enlixa Bio Inc., to bring their innovation to market.

• Nik Chopra , Embark Startup Founder, Co-Founder and CEO of Enlixa Bio, nik@enlixabio.com   
• Dylan Taatjes , Professor of Biochemistry at CU Boulder, PI, Founding Scientist of Enlixa Bio

Read More About the Science

• Real-time visualization of reconstituted transcription reveals RNAPII activation mechanisms at single promoters (2025, Cell Reports)

EYA Degraders: Releasing the Immune Brake in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer resists immunotherapy because tumor-associated macrophages are reprogrammed to shield it. The team discovered that eliminating a single protein, EYA3, from those macrophages shrinks tumors in mice and draws cancer-killing T cells inward. They are now building bifunctional molecules that destroy EYA3 outright, making immunologically cold tumors treatable. The team has formed a startup, Sieyax Inc., to bring their innovation to market.

• Xiang Wang,Associate Professor of Chemistry at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax, xiang.wang@colorado.edu   
• Heide Ford, Endowed Chair and Professor of Pharmacology at CU Anschutz, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax
• Rui Zhao, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at CU Anschutz, Co-Founder and Co-CSO of Sieyax
• Ginny Orndorff, Co-Founder and CEO of Sieyax

Read More About the Science

• Rational Design of Novel Allosteric EYA2 Inhibitors as Potential Therapeutics for Multiple Brain Cancers (2024, ChemMedChem)
• Genetic and Pharmacologic Targeting of Eya3 in Macrophages Drives Anti-Tumor Immunity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (2026, bioRxiv)

Long-Acting, Non-Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain

A long-acting non-opioid analgesic that selectively targets CaV3.2 to provide sustained relief from chronic pain without abuse liability. The team has formed a startup, AnesaBio, to bring their innovation to market.

• Michael Stowell, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder and CSO of AnesaBio, michael.stowell@colorado.edu   
• Slobodan Todorovic, Professor of Anesthesiology at CU Anschutz, Co-Founder and CMO of AnesaBio
• Sam Kintz , Advisor
• Joe Lyssikatos, Advisor

Read More About the Science

• Facilitation of CaV3.2 channel gating in pain pathways reveals a novel mechanism of serum-induced hyperalgesia (2025, bioRxiv)

Microgravity Manufacturing of Next-Generation Stem Cell Therapies

A microgravity biomanufacturing platform designed to expand umbilical cord blood stem cells for treating blood cancers. By keeping cells naturally suspended without mechanical agitation, the technology aims to preserve their therapeutic advantages while producing enough cells to treat adult patients, unlocking the potential of cord blood transplantation. The team has formed a startup, Opera Space LLC, to bring their innovation to market.

• Stuart Tozer , Associate Director of BioServe Space Technologies at CU Boulder, Co-Founder of Opera Space LLC, stuart.tozer@colorado.edu   
• Tobias Niederwieser , Assistant Research Professor of Bioastronautics, PI, Co-Founder of Opera Space LLC

Novel Electromechanics Biomarkers for Cartilage Health Diagnostics

A noninvasive MRI technique that reveals cartilage's hidden electrical and mechanical signatures under joint loading, detecting early degeneration years before it appears on standard scans. This new biomarker could help diagnose osteoarthritis risk sooner and track whether emerging joint-preserving therapies are actually working. The team has formed a startup, Potentis Imaging, to bring their innovation to market.

• Corey Neu, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder, PI, Co-Founder of Potentis Imaging, cpneu@colorado.edu  
• Yassmeen Youssef, Co-Founder of Potentis Imaging