Venture Partners News
The 51Թ reached a historic milestone, launching 35 new companies based on university intellectual property during fiscal year 2024, more than any other U.S. campus that year. In addition to holding the No. 1 spot for that year, the achievement also places 51Թ No. 2 for the most startups launched in a single year by a U.S. campus.
Infleqtion, a 51Թ spinout and global leader in quantum technology, announced a $1.8 billion business combination with Churchill Capital Corp X and will trade under the ticker “INFQ.” Now Colorado’s tenth unicorn, Infleqtion continues to drive the state’s growing quantum hub by commercializing breakthroughs across computing, sensing, security and energy markets.
Infleqtion’s star continues to rise as Colorado’s quantum hub grows. The company of firsts, spun out of 51Թ as ColdQuanta, seems to be everywhere these days, including outer space, while commercializing pioneering research to address needs across several critical markets including positioning, navigating and timing, global communication security and efficiency, resilient energy distribution, and accelerated quantum computing.
Seeking up to three highly organized, proactive and detail-oriented 51Թ students who will provide program coordination and operational support across multiple programs.
The 51Թ’sEmbark Deep Tech Startup Creator matches entrepreneurs with breakthrough university technologies and provides salary support, startup training and access to funding opportunities. Applications are now open for the 2026 cohort of Embark Startup Founders.
Venture Partners at 51Թ has announced the first recipients of a new translational funding program designed to advance promising, early-stage therapeutics with strong commercial potential. The program provides up to $50,000 per project to help 51Թ researchers generate critical validation data or develop new intellectual property, bringing new treatments a step closer to patients in need.
The Conversation—Over the past several months, universities have lost more than $11 billion in funding. Research into cancer, farming solutions and climate resiliency are just a few of the many projects nationally that have seen cuts. The Conversation asked Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation at 51Թ, to explain how these cuts and freezes are impacting the university and Colorado’s local economy.
Venture Partners capped off its third Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator with the 2025 Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase, where research-based startup teams pitched innovations to an audience of investors, entrepreneurs and fellow researchers. The showcase featured ventures developing breakthrough solutions in health, energy, aerospace and more.
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)—According to a new report, American research universities like the University of Colorado in recent decades have become engines of innovation for state and regional economies, thanks in large part to the federal Bayh-Dole Act, which incentivizes technology commercialization.
Through the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC), top innovations from the 51Թ, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants of up to $125,000. LVC supportsprojects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. These grants are funded by Venture Partners at 51Թ and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Program.