Opportunities and Events

Discover opportunities and events that foster innovation and entrepreneurship. From the Lab Venture Challenge to Destination Startup, Venture Partners at CU Boulder offers valuable opportunities to connect, learn and grow. Plus, explore our curated list of opportunities and events outside of the University of Colorado. Join a vibrant community driving change through innovation.

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 from the laboratory to the marketplace

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.

CU Boulder's deep tech startup creator for matching entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations.

A competition for CU Boulder's top innovations showing high commercial potential, a clear path to a compelling market and strong scientific support.

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.

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The Insider is a series of newsletters from Venture Partners featuring the latest headlines, news, events, opportunities and emerging university innovations in three editions:

Inventors and Researchers (Monthly) | Community (Monthly) | Investors (Quarterly)

View the latest Insiders  Subscribe to The Insider

Upcoming Venture Partners Opportunities

More CU Opportunities

Research & Innovation Week October 14-18, 2024

CU Boulder Research & Innovation Week (Oct. 14-18): Designed to elevate awareness across campus, build a sense of shared community, create opportunities for collaboration and recognize exceptional leadership and outcomes.


Two girls work on laptops on a green lawn.

CU Boulder New Venture Launch (Oct. 21 deadline): An application-based class for cross-disciplinary teams, individual founders, and entrepreneurially-focused students who are driven to succeed in a startup ecosystem


 

Opportunities Outside CU

Applications open: Advanced Industries Accelerator Programs—Promoting growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries that increase the state's global competitiveness.

Rolling application: Advanced Industry Investment Tax Credit—Encouraging investments in Colorado advanced industries businesses by incentivizing investors with state income tax credits.

Rolling application: Techstars Accelerator Programs—Empowering entrepreneurs by providing access to mentorship, capital and a global network to help them succeed and scale their startups.

Various Deadlines: American Made Challenges—Offers innovators and entrepreneurs from various backgrounds the tools and opportunities to contribute clean energy solutions.


Thursday, Oct. 3 (deadline): Technology Commercialization Fund Open Voucher Call—Innovators can receive up to $100,000 for testing, validation, and other needs at participating National Laboratories, facilitating the commercialization of technological breakthroughs.

Oct. 14-18: SOSV Climate Tech Summit—Join us for a live, virtual and free event featuring panels and breakout sessions with the founders and venture capitalists inventing our decarbonized future, plus a powerful VC-Founder Matchup for qualified participants.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (deadline): Colorado Cleantech Award Nomination—Celebrating the cleantech community and honoring the creativity, innovation, and dedication to a cleaner energy future.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 (deadline): Activate Fellowship—The two-year fellowship provides early-stage science entrepreneurs with funding, technical resources, and unparalleled support.

Friday, Nov. 8 (deadline): West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program—Seeking talented scientists, engineers, inventors and founding entrepreneurs with promising technologies to commercialize.

Friday, Nov. 15 (deadline): Science2Startups—An invitation-only symposium featuring the most innovative therapeutics startup ideas from the world’s top research institutions.

Friday, Nov. 15 (deadline): Gates Grubstake Award Program—A total of $1.5 million available to support multiple projects focused on regenerative medicines and cell/gene therapies.

Monday, Dec. 2 (deadline): Breakthrough Energy Fellows—Designed to accelerate the development of promising early-stage climate technologies, a full-time commitment for innovators committed to commercializing their climate technology.

Monday, Dec. 16 (deadline) NSF Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2)—Supports collaborative, community-engaged initiatives to develop and implement scalable solutions to climate-related challenges by translating recent research advancements in climate and Earth system science into practical applications.

Employment Opportunites

No listings at this time. 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 or join the Startups2Students career fair.