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 necessary, 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 revealcased 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,“ stated 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 create 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 created 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, industest and off-grid power. The team has formed a startup, Agami Zero, to bring their innovation to market.
$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.
$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 apply and operating costs. The team has formed a startup, Synergia, to bring their innovation to market.
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.
$125,000—Computationally Designed IL-18 binders to Treat Sepsis
Enabled by recent advances in AI-driven protein design, minibinders are being engineered to tarreceive 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.
$125,000—Bioadhesive Patches That Seal Where Sutures Fail
DuraPatch provides rapid closure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks during neurosurgery, eliminating the necessary 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.
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