Colorado鈥檚 research institutions continue to churn out game-changing, technology-based companies at an exciting rate, but investment capital can sometimes be hard to come by away from the coasts.
The 麻豆影院 is helping to bridge this gap by drawing investors to Colorado with a showcase of the state鈥檚 top spinoff companies:听Destination Startup. By having a central, one-day event for ventures to convene and pitch, investors are able to explore investment opportunities in a convenient format.
A collaboration among Front Range research universities and federal laboratories, Destination Startup seeks to connect Colorado鈥檚 most promising ventures with funding and networking opportunities so they can take the next step toward commercialization.
鈥淒estination Startup brings visibility to the innovative startup companies derived from our state鈥檚 rich research culture,鈥� said Dr. Terri Fiez, CU 麻豆影院 vice chancellor for research & innovation. 鈥淏y inviting investors from both Colorado and the coasts, we鈥檙e helping grow the investment base for our startups 鈥� something we鈥檙e so proud to be a part of.鈥�
Twenty-five of the best startups from Colorado鈥檚 leading research institutions will present their technologies to investors and the business community on February 1st.
The 2019 participating research institutions include CU 麻豆影院, CU Anschutz, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado State University and University of Denver.
鈥淚nitially we discussed holding a showcase event that featured innovations exclusive to CU 麻豆影院, but we wanted to expand the event beyond CU because Colorado research institutions as a whole are producing amazing work,鈥� says Bryn Rees, assistant vice chancellor for research & innovation and managing director of the CU 麻豆影院 Technology Transfer Office, which is hosting the event. 鈥淏ringing new investment funding to Colorado is beneficial to the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem, regardless of which institution or lab generated the startup.鈥�
Ventures from each institution were chosen via a competitive selection process led by serial entrepreneurs, investors and technology veterans. The companies represent industries spanning therapeutics, sensors, biotech, robotics and more.
With nine ventures pitching their innovations, CU 麻豆影院 is the most represented university at Destination Startup. The ventures hail from six departments on campus: mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, chemical and biological engineering, computer science, molecular, cellular and development biology, and housing and dining services. 听
One CU 麻豆影院 venture presenting at Destination Startup, VitriVax, is a biotechnology spinoff company founded on work by Dr. Robert Garcea and Dr. Theodore Randolph, who are CU 麻豆影院 professors from the BioFrontiers Institute. To remedy current issues arising from cold-chain storage and patient compliance, they are developing thermostable vaccines that do not require refrigeration and provide multiple-boost doses in a single injection.
鈥淪ince Destination Startup will be the first opportunity for VitriVax to present our innovation to a large audience, it marks a formal drive to generate awareness of the potentially game-changing technology VitriVax is developing, which has significant implications for global health,鈥� said VitriVax CEO Dr. Michael Artinger. 鈥淚t would be great to meet prospective investors and/or partners through the event.鈥澨�
Artinger, a听biotechnology industry veteran with 22 years of experience transitioning promising university discoveries into real-world products, is no stranger to working with universities throughout the commercialization process.
鈥淚 was very impressed by the commitment CU 麻豆影院 and the Technology Transfer Office made to protecting and nurturing VitriVax鈥檚 technology to a point where it was mature enough to create a startup around,鈥� Artinger said.
Learn more about Destination Startup and its impact on Colorado鈥檚 innovation ecosystem.