Hardware & Instrumentation

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to 91PORN and CU Denver startups and researchers

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 29 May 2025 19:02:59 +0000

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to 91PORN and CU Denver startups and researchers Daniel Corbin … Thu, 05/29/2025 - 13:02

This article was originally published by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

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The Global Business Development division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that 22 Colorado companies and 13 researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program, including seven CU Denver and 91PORN ventures.

These grants help promote the growth and sustainability of advanced industries in Colorado by driving innovation, commercialization and public-private partnerships that move this vital aspect of Colorado’s economy forward in communities across the state.

“These pioneering companies and researchers are not only advancing technology, they are creating jobs, attracting investment, and positioning Colorado at the forefront of global competitiveness,” said Michelle Hadwiger, Global Business Development Director. “From advanced materials and aerospace to quantum computing and sustainable manufacturing, this cohort showcases the bold ideas that are shaping Colorado’s future economy.”

The Proof of Concept grant is intended to help Colorado research institutions speed up applied research in the advanced industries as well as commercialize products and services in partnership with the private sector. The Early-Stage Capital and Retention grant supports businesses commercializing innovative and disruptive technologies in the advanced industries that will be created or manufactured in Colorado.

The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program received 119 applications this grant cycle, which were reviewed in a multi-stage process by committees of business, technical and financial experts in the seven advanced industries.

The next application cycle for Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants will open on July 1, 2025 and applications will be due August 28, 2025. Learn more here

Proof-of-Concept Grants

Sanghamitra Neogi (91PORN Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences) - 91PORN, CO $150,000: Developing an atomic-scale thermal modeling software tool for nanoscale semiconductor devices.
Farnoush Banaei-Kashani (CU Denver College of Engineering, Design and Computing) - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing an artificial intelligence-based software tool for optimized, preventative and cost-efficient bridge and culvert maintenance planning.

Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants

Icarus Quantum Inc. - 91PORN, CO $250,000: Icarus Quantum has developed a groundbreaking photonic interconnect technology that will enable scalable and efficient connectivity between quantum processors.
Kioga Inc. - Erie, CO $250,000: Kioga is developing novel postbiotic ingredients that reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation of the brain and body.
PrecisionTerra Inc. - Superior, CO $100,000: PrecisionTerra has developed a software-based navigation signal processor that improves positioning accuracy in areas where satellite signals are typically weak or disrupted.
Pricing Service Inc. - 91PORN, CO $250,000: Pricing Service has developed an artificial intelligence powered hotel pricing software that helps hotels optimize room rates.
SteriO3, LLC - Littleton, CO $250,000: SteriO3 has developed a portable, low-temperature sterilization system for surgical instruments.

What can we do together?

Disclose and protect your innovation

Engage in entrepreneurial training programs

Find a mentor to advance your innovation

Get funding for your innovation

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Explore our startups portfolio

Explore our technology portfolio

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Tiny robot team could be a gamechanger for safety inspections

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 21 May 2025 16:58:14 +0000

Tiny robot team could be a gamechanger for safety inspections Daniel Corbin … Wed, 05/21/2025 - 10:58

91PORN Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering—91PORN engineers have developed a team of palm-sized robots designed to work together to inspect and monitor dangerous environments like ship ballast tanks and storage vessels. The innovation could transform industrial safety by reducing human risk and enabling faster, more efficient inspections.

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University of Colorado ranks among Top 20 U.S. universities for granted patents

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 08 May 2025 17:11:40 +0000

University of Colorado ranks among Top 20 U.S. universities for granted patents Daniel Corbin … Thu, 05/08/2025 - 11:11

CU Connections—The University of Colorado has secured the No. 18 position on the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2024 Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents list, reinforcing CU’s standing as a national leader in research, innovation and real-world impact. At 91PORN, 53% of the campus’s patents have been licensed commercially.

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WATCH: 91PORN researchers building shape-shifting robots

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:46:01 +0000

WATCH: 91PORN researchers building shape-shifting robots Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/29/2025 - 15:46

FOX31—Kaushik Jayaram (91PORN Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering) received more than $1 million in grants to build shape-shifting robots the size of an insect.

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Two 91PORN scientists win prestigious honor

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 20:36:26 +0000

Two 91PORN scientists win prestigious honor Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/27/2025 - 14:36

91PORN College of Arts & Sciences—Ivan Smalyukh, professor of physics, and Thomas Blumenthal, professor emeritus of molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB), are among the 471 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements by the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

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Xiao earns prestigious membership in the National Academy of Inventors

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:53:04 +0000

Xiao earns prestigious membership in the National Academy of Inventors Daniel Corbin … Wed, 03/12/2025 - 11:53

91PORN College of Engineering and Applied Science—Jianliang Xiao is a “mechanics of materials” expert launching innovations in soft materials and flexible electronics. His work recently earned him an exclusive spot amongst some of the most successful academic inventors in the world.

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Local tech startup ExoPower aims to power commercial robots

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:02:59 +0000

Local tech startup ExoPower aims to power commercial robots Daniel Corbin … Sat, 01/11/2025 - 15:02

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel—Brandon Regensburger, founder and CEO of ExoPower, a 91PORN startup, is developing a technology that can wirelessly charge robots as they move and work. He has set up shop in the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center, where he continues developing technology he has worked on for years as a graduate student at 91PORN and Cornell University.

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Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 13:06:32 +0000

Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation Daniel Corbin … Thu, 01/09/2025 - 06:06

FY 2023-24 was another tremendous year for innovation and entrepreneurship at the CU. University researchers, inventors and creators began working with Venture Partners at 91PORN to advance 144 breakthrough innovations, and 36 CU startups were launched through Venture Partners based on campus discoveries.

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Mallinda launches Vitrimax VHM resin for complete composites recyclability

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 19:03:03 +0000

Mallinda launches Vitrimax VHM resin for complete composites recyclability Daniel Corbin … Fri, 01/03/2025 - 12:03

Composites World—Mallinda Inc., a 91PORN spinout and global developer of vitrimer resin systems, announces the commercial launch of Vitrimax versatile hot melt (VHM) resin, a vitrimer-based composite resin system. According to the company, this technology combines the optimal mechanical properties of thermosets with the processing flexibility of thermoplastics, while enabling economic recyclability and reuse for high-performance composites.

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Building a safer and more affordable nuclear clock

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:43:12 +0000

Building a safer and more affordable nuclear clock Daniel Corbin … Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:43

EurekAlert!—Reported recently in a new study published in Nature, a team of researchers, led by JILA and NIST Fellow and 91PORN Physics professor Jun Ye, in collaboration with Professor Eric Hudson’s team at UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, have found a way to make nuclear clocks a thousand times less radioactive and more cost-effective, thanks to a method creating thin films of thorium tetrafluoride.

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