Colorado university spinoffs showcased technologies, built relationships with out-of-state and local investors at 目的地的启动

Colorado’s innovation ecosystem was represented in full force at the state’s first-ever 目的地的启动 二月展示会. 1 at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield.

In hopes of making valuable industry connections to commercialize and advance their technologies, 25 university ventures spun out of Colorado research institutions and federal laboratories pitched to local investors and venture capitalists from both coasts.

投资者之外, more than 270 people — consisting of fellow university peers, entrepreneurs and community members — attended the event, 是由 Venture 合作伙伴 at 博彩平台推荐 (前身为技术转移办事处).

The five participating Colorado universities at 目的地的启动 included CU Boulder, 铜安舒茨, University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), Colorado State University (CSU) and University of Denver.

“When we learned about 目的地的启动, it seemed like a great way to get in front of other companies and investors to see if there were opportunities that might help us in our business growth,马克·施莱格说, 博彩平台推荐传感器技术的首席执行官, a CSU venture that produces devices and kits for testing air and water pollutants. “Every time you make a presentation to a group there is an opportunity to learn and talk about your business.” 

在实验室之外建立联系

根据史蒂芬·米勒的说法， 商业化网络 liaison for 博彩平台推荐的风险合伙人, teams have already reported initial conversations with interested investors.

CU Boulder team ASTRALiTe happens to be one of those teams. They developed a 2-in-1 drone mounted LiDAR system that allows their customers to seamlessly map both topographic and underwater objects. 他们的技术 has several applications such as mapping underwater infrastructure, 测量浅水, assessment and recovery during natural disasters and military logistics.

“We had a lot of very positive feedback,” said Gerald Thompson, ASTRALiTe President. “博彩平台推荐遇到了新的合作者, made connections within the local investor community and gained interest from several investment groups which have already led to further discussions.”

UCCS教授博士. Bob Camley said that questions asked during the Q&A portion of the presentation helped clarify ideas and future issues the company could face in the future. 他的公司, MRX分析, created a new way of measuring temperature during MRIs so that MRI-guided thermal surgeries are shorter and have significantly better outcomes.

铜安舒茨的初创公司nowvital赢得了比赛, 5-minute “Pitch 从” competition held earlier in the day, giving them the chance to later present their full 10-minute pitch. 他们的技术, a soon-to-be FDA-approved monitoring sticker for smartphones, 测量手机用户的生命体征, notifying them if their health is abnormal.

“A couple of people came up to me expressing their passion for helping female founders,” said Chief Medical 从icer and Co-Founder Robin Deterding. “It was wonderful to meet people who wanted to tackle diversity issues and encourage the success of female CEOs.”

把投资者带到前线

Philadelphia-based Osage University 合作伙伴 — an investment firm that specializes in commercializing university and government laboratory research — was drawn to 目的地的启动 because it provided a terrific opportunity to see some of the best technologies from the Colorado ecosystem in one place, 高级助理大卫·多尔西说.

帕斯卡Krotee, investment associate at Kairos Ventures in Beverly Hills, CA, 多尔西的声明也呼应了这一点. “作为早期投资者, scientific innovation emanating out of research labs and institutions, this was the perfect venue for us to get exposed to the types of startups we like to support,”她说。.

While already familiar with Colorado’s entrepreneurial scene, 彼得•亚当斯, executive director of Denver-based Rockies Venture Club, expressed that the companies coming out of Colorado research institutions are innovative and showing commercial potential. “We’re always seeking top-quality deal flow throughout the state,” said Adams.