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Infleqtion’s star continues to rise as Colorado’s quantum hub grows. The company of firsts, spun out of 51�Թ�� 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.

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The internal hardware of Infleqtion's neutral atom quantum computing platform. Photo: Infleqtion, 2025.

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The internal hardware of Infleqtion's neutral atom quantum computing platform. Photo: Infleqtion, 2025.

Job Posting: Licensing Manager/Senior Licensing Manager

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 19:24:10 +0000

Job Posting: Licensing Manager/Senior Licensing Manager Daniel Corbin … Fri, 04/11/2025 - 13:24

The Licensing Manager/Senior Licensing Manager is responsible for managing innovations and their intellectual property (IP) from world-leading scientists and engineers, and is a central figure in the 51�Թ�� entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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Find the market for your innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 22:06:23 +0000

Find the market for your innovation Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/08/2025 - 16:06

Could your research, invention or creative idea make an impact beyond the academic world? The National Science Foundation’s I-Corps^TM programs offer the ideal starting point. Designed to help those new to commercialization explore the market potential of their innovations, I-Corps serves as a practical and accessible first step for anyone looking to translate their discoveries into real-world solutions.

Why start with I-Corps?

Ready to go further?

Protect your discoveries before you publish them: Your discoveries could have far-reaching impacts while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

Fund your research or creative work through commercialization: transform your ideas into real-world solutions—while securing funding to advance your work.

For some, commercialization can feel far removed from their academic goals. But what if the process aligned with your mission to create a meaningful impact? The NSF I-Corps program provides a structured, supportive pathway for exploring how your innovation could address real-world challenges—with no prior entrepreneurial experience.

51�Թ�� is a national leader in the NSF I-Corps Hub: West Region, a collaboration with universities across the West, including University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles, California Institute of Technology, University of California (Riverside and Santa Barbara), 51�Թ��, Colorado State University, University of Utah, Colorado School of Mines, University of New Mexico.

As part of I-Corps Hub West, 51�Թ�� (through Venture Partners at 51�Թ��, part of 51�Թ��’s Research & Innovation Office) offers hands-on regional I-Corps programs open to researchers, faculty, students and staff from any discipline or institution.

That programming begins with the introductory three-week Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop and advances through the four-week Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program. Teams are then primed to pursue the National I-Corps Teams Program, where they can win a $50,000 grant.

Through I-Corps, you will:

Conduct customer discovery to understand market needs and pain points.
Assess the commercial potential of your idea in a supportive environment.
Develop the commercialization mindset needed to move your innovation forward.

Real results, real impact

I-Corps has helped countless entrepreneurs and nontraditional innovators take their first steps toward commercialization. Participants leave with a clearer understanding of their innovation’s market potential and a roadmap for next steps, whether that means pursuing funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs or the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), applying for the National I-Corps program where teams can further advance their innovation and win $50,000, or connecting with industry partners for licensing opportunities.

51�Թ�� companies like PAGE Technologies, Mesa Quantum and Vitro3D began their journey with customer discovery and market validation—essential skills gained through I-Corps programming.

How I-Corps fits into the path to commercialization

I-Corps and Venture Partners empower CU innovators to take the lead in translating their discoveries into real-world applications, providing guidance and opportunities to support your journey, whether you want to launch a startup, collaborate with industry or license your technology.

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. Venture Partners can also help connect you with industry partners or experienced entrepreneurs who can drive commercialization forward on your behalf—ensuring that your discoveries make an impact without requiring you to leave academia.

Whether your journey leads to licensing agreements, starting your own venture or collaborations with entrepreneurs, Venture Partners helps ensure your success.

Take the first step today

Your work at CU could be the foundation for the next groundbreaking innovation. NSF I-Corps and Venture Partners are here to help you explore your innovation’s potential. With no prior experience required and a supportive, inclusive environment, there’s no better way to begin your journey.

Learn more and apply to the I-Corps program here. Whether you’re ready to disclose an innovation or simply want to explore the possibilities, I-Corps is your stepping-off point for turning ideas into impact.

What can we do together?

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Explore the Path to Commercialization

Could your research, invention or creative idea make an impact beyond the academic world? The National Science Foundation’s I-CorpsTM programs offer the ideal starting point.

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Photo: Elliot Strand, co-founder of PAGE Technologies

From research to impact: Massimo Ruzzene

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 17:13:45 +0000

From research to impact: Massimo Ruzzene Daniel Corbin … Tue, 04/08/2025 - 11:13

CEO Magazine—Research is more than just a group of scholars furrowing away behind closed doors in universities around the globe, and Massimo Ruzzene of all people knows that. As the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the 51�Թ�� (51�Թ��), he sees research as a broad arc that moves from initial findings to real-world applications.

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Richard Noble bridges the gap between research and industry

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:08:21 +0000

Richard Noble bridges the gap between research and industry Daniel Corbin … Thu, 04/03/2025 - 13:08

Heather Hansen

Celebrated professor and prolific inventor Richard Noble reflects on decades of teaching and discovery and embarks on a new path to commercialization of a game-changing technology.

Growing up the eldest of seven children, in a family of modest means, Richard Noble learned how to work together with his siblings and how to be independent and persistent—skills he’s relied on throughout his life. “To succeed, you have to be willing to persevere; you don’t give up,” said Noble, research professor of chemistry (51�Թ�� Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences).

Several decades later, what ‘sticking with it’ looks like for Noble is nearly 50 years teaching, close to 90 patents, hundreds of publications, millions of dollars in research funding, dozens of technologies licensed—and too many honors and awards to catalog including 51�Թ�� Inventor of the Year (2008), Dean’s Performance Award for Research (2013), Institution of Chemical Engineers Innovator of the Year (2013) and North American Membrane Society Fellow (2018).

Today, Noble is an internationally recognized leader in using novel membrane and thin-film materials. For decades, his lab has been experimenting with how ionic liquids (liquid salts), liquid crystals and electric and light energy can selectively separate components–in mixtures, membranes or even micro-scale devices. Harnessing these materials may have a broad range of potential applications, including nano-filtration (specifically treating ‘spent’ water from fracking), ‘lab on a chip’ devices and gas separation.

The CO₂ problem

How to separate carbon dioxide (CO₂) from other mixed gases, in particular, has been on Noble’s mind for a very long time. Extracting CO₂ from the air is challenging because the gas is highly diffuse, spreading rapidly and mingling readily with other gases. Currently, sequestering CO₂ traditionally involves chemical absorption, a process in which gases are sent through liquid amines (derivatives of ammonia), which trap the gas. In addition to the toxic and corrosive nature of amines, this separation technique is generally costly and energy-intensive.

Despite the many hurdles to sequestering CO₂, it’s important to Noble for a couple of reasons. Separating CO₂ from natural gas increases its heating value as well as the safety and efficiency of transporting it by preventing corrosion in pipelines (due to the acidity of CO₂) and issues during natural gas liquefaction in which CO₂ may crystallize. Removing CO₂ from natural gas before it’s burned can also lower its overall emissions.

Successfully separating and storing CO₂ could also play a key role in mitigating climate change. CO₂ is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that is supercharging climate change. According to the NOAA Global Monitoring Lab, carbon dioxide alone is responsible for about two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced GHGs. Trapping CO₂ before it’s emitted from the flues of large industrial plants—like cement and coal-burning power plants—could make a major dent in worldwide CO₂ emissions.

The ‘just right’ path to commercialization

Over his career, when Noble has considered what he wants the overall impact of his many innovations to be, he’s clear: “I’m an engineer, I want to know at the end of the day that somebody’s going to value what I do, that it’s useful. I’m always moving toward application,” he said. To that end, 51�Թ�� has licensed intellectual property for some of his inventions to companies large and small, including several of his membrane technologies. Over the years, he’s also considered spinning off a company to build his own business around some of his inventions.

For Noble, who is also a former director of the NSF Membrane Applied Science and Technology (MAST) Center, there were advantages and disadvantages to each approach. Licensing in the traditional way meant researcher and customer came together generally through sponsorship or an applied research project—great for the time-crunched professor but lacking some of the impact Noble wanted. At the other extreme was launching a startup, which meant finding capital, customers, the right team and the time to cultivate each—a combination requiring business prowess that, he said, was not his strength. “A long time ago, I realized that I don’t have good business sense,” said Noble, “But I wanted to find the people that knew the business so that they could take what I made and know how to do that part of it successfully.”

Recently, Noble chose a different path that represents a shift in licensing at the university, according to Marta Zgagacz, senior director at Venture Partners at 51�Թ��.

Early this year, several of Noble’s patents based on ionic liquid membrane technologies used for carbon capture and separation were optioned by startup incubator High Tech XL, which builds fast-growing, deep-tech companies focused on changing the world. Membranes are an attractive tech for removing CO₂ from mixed gases because, structured and charged in the way Noble has devised, they are more productive and have a longer lifespan with a smaller cost and footprint than traditional techniques. Noble plans to join the new startup as a technical advisor.

Noble arrived at that ‘just right’ space between research and development thanks to new opportunities through Venture Partners—and his own enthusiasm. At Zgagacz's urging in 2022, Noble teamed up with the Venture Partners licensing team to join the Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop, offered as part of the National Science Foundation I-Corps™ Hub: West Region.

But what is "commercialization?"

Over those few weeks, Noble gained a deeper understanding of the commercialization process and got to test his ideas with potential customers. “This evolution of Venture Partners has allowed academic people like myself to do the ‘R’ of R&D, and to find others who can do the ‘D’ whereas when I first started [at CU], that was a black hole,” said Noble.

Zgagacz describes this new route as a new path for commercialization, one that combines elements of partnership with existing companies and launching a startup without researchers having to drive company formation. “Some inventors or researchers might not be interested in starting a company or in being in partnership with an existing company, so they might be discouraged from talking to us,” she said. “But not everyone has to jump on that entrepreneurship wagon. There’s a third way of doing this, even if you don’t think your technology is ready for that.”

Zgagacz emphasized that there are many promising technologies being developed at 51�Թ��, with inventors at all stages of their careers, and she wants them, like Noble, to find a home with Venture Partners. “Hopefully, other inventors, other researchers, other PIs will see his story, and it will resonate with them as a potential path,” she said.

In mid-2024, Noble took part in Venture Partners’ Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator, which matches entrepreneurs with breakthrough innovations. “I think it’s really good to educate faculty on what it really takes,” said Noble. “There’s a point where you have to let go and realize that different expertise is needed.” While Noble’s tech didn’t match during that Embark round, High Tech XL started showing interest around the same time and Noble and Venture Partners were ready. After a series of conversations, it was clear that the startup lab and Noble made a great match.

The importance of curiosity and community

A key mindset to experimentation that has served Noble well throughout his lengthy career—and that he recommends to his students—is a willingness to try anything. “I usually start with a crazy idea,” he said, “I tell them, ‘I don’t know if it’ll work or how it’ll work, but it’ll be new and different, so let’s just try it and see what happens.” As a scientist, you may not get the result you’re looking for immediately, but success by increments is still success. “Students have to trust and believe that doing this is going to lead to some positive outcomes, and it does,” said Noble. “Sometimes things went one way or the other way, but there’s a culmination and they see the evolution of knowledge and realize that this was something worth doing.”

That thinking is how Noble went from trying many different approaches to carbon separation over decades to where he is now. “People have been working on this thing for 50 years, and nobody’s come up with a really good way to do it,” said Noble. “But I thought, ‘We should be able to make a material that has really high productivity and works for a long time.’ And what we have now has immense potential.”

Another key lesson Noble teaches his students is the importance of working as a team to drive successful innovation. “You really have to be curious, you have to take risks, and you have to develop trust amongst the people you’re going to work with,” he said. “It’s not just one person generating things and then making the ultimate decisions. [Innovation] requires a cooperative approach to moving forward. It's a community.” Noble acknowledged the many fruitful partnerships he’s had over the years, including those with long-time collaborator Doug Gin, who passed away last July.

“It’s going to be very satisfying for me, and all the people that have worked with me over the years to see something that we worked on become commercial while making a quantum improvement in that technology area,” said Noble. “Because that’s what this is–a real game changer.”

What can we do together?

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers

Celebrated professor and prolific inventor Richard Noble reflects on decades of teaching and discovery and embarks on a new path to commercialization of a game-changing technology.

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Federal funding cuts could destroy the lab-grown unicorn

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:59:46 +0000

Federal funding cuts could destroy the lab-grown unicorn Daniel Corbin … Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:59

PitchBook—Suspension of federal funding to universities and to the agencies that sustain their research risks cutting off a significant source of startup formation. “Most universities do not have the resources—by far—to weather the storm,” said Bryn Rees, associate vice-chancellor of innovation and partnerships at 51�Թ��.

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WATCH: Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Bryn Rees, Venture Partners at 51�Թ��

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:25:09 +0000

WATCH: Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Bryn Rees, Venture Partners at 51�Թ�� Daniel Corbin … Mon, 03/31/2025 - 13:25

Silicon Flatirons Center—Rees has played a pivotal role in launching impactful startups from 51�Թ��. After nearly a decade of leadership, Rees has helped build multiple programs to support innovations at 51�Թ��, including the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC), NSF’s I-Corps and the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator.

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Learn about the first step in funding your latest innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:33:31 +0000

Learn about the first step in funding your latest innovation Daniel Corbin … Fri, 03/21/2025 - 12:33

To introduce the SBIR/STTR programs and highlight funding uses, Venture Partners at 51�Թ�� is hosting a session to help researchers understand how to find funding and prepare their companies for an SBIR/STTR proposal.

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Registration now open for the Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:30:45 +0000

Registration now open for the Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/20/2025 - 13:30

The Ascent Deep Tech Investor Showcase brings together researchers, investors and community supporters to highlight innovative deep tech startups spinning out of the University of Colorado. Attendees will have a chance to see pitches from each of the Ascent 2025 cohort startups, followed by a networking happy hour to learn more.

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Protect your discoveries before you publish them

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 22:06:22 +0000

Protect your discoveries before you publish them Daniel Corbin … Tue, 03/18/2025 - 16:06

As a researcher, creator or inventor at the University of Colorado, your work has the potential to change the world. Whether you’re advancing renewable energy solutions, developing breakthrough medical devices or creating innovative software, your discoveries could have far-reaching impacts beyond the lab, studio or classroom. Protecting these innovations may be necessary to ensure that they reach their full potential, benefiting society while securing recognition and opportunities for you.

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Ready to go further?

Find the market for your innovation: I-Corps serves as a practical and accessible first step for anyone looking to translate their discoveries into real-world solutions.

Fund your research or creative work through commercialization: transform your ideas into real-world solutions—while securing funding to advance your work.

IP refers to creations of the mind, including inventions, designs, original works of authorship, trade secrets and trademarks. IP encompasses both tangible creations, like a prototype or software and intangible assets, like ideas and processes. IP protections such as patents and copyrights are key tools for ensuring that your innovations have a lasting impact.

Why IP matters

When you publish your research, share your invention, or showcase your creation publicly, it becomes accessible to everyone around the world. While public disclosure can advance knowledge-sharing and inspire innovation, publishing without the proper IP protection could prevent the technology from being further developed into a product and made more widely available.

Venture Partners at 51�Թ�� is here to help secure IP rights and safeguard the discoveries researchers, inventors and creators at 51�Թ��, UCCS and CU Denver (except CU Denver biosciences investigators, who should work with CU Innovations) make while at the university, ensuring you receive proper recognition and enabling opportunities for broader impact.

Securing IP rights can open doors to funding and partnerships. Protected innovations are more attractive to investors, collaborators and companies looking to license new technologies and in many cases are necessary for a company to partner with your lab or to invest in further research or development of a product. By protecting your work, you’re not only ensuring its impact but also creating opportunities for further growth and development.

How Venture Partners can help

Venture Partners is here to support you at every step of the IP process. We provide the expertise and resources you need to protect your innovations and bring them to the world.

Confidential Consultations: Have an idea or discovery? Share it with our team of experts, who can help you evaluate its potential and guide you on the next steps.
IP Protection: From patents to copyrights, our team specializes in identifying and securing the appropriate protections for your work.
Supporting Broader Impact: We connect university innovators with funding, mentors and industry partners to turn ideas into impactful products and services.

CU’s IP policy requires university-employed researchers, creators and inventors to disclose innovations to ensure protection and access to commercialization resources. Early disclosure—before public presentation or publication—preserves the university’s ability to secure IP protection, especially for patents. Learn more about CU’s IP policy here.

Unsure if your work should be disclosed? Venture Partners is happy to meet with you to discuss your work and opportunities before you commit to submitting a disclosure. Learn more and contact our team.

Opportunity begins with disclosure

One of the biggest misconceptions about commercialization is that researchers, inventors or creators must give up control of their intellectual property. Venture Partners empowers CU innovators to take the lead in translating their discoveries into real-world applications. Whether you want to launch a startup, collaborate with industry or license your technology to an existing company in exchange for royalties, Venture Partners provides guidance and funding opportunities to support your journey.

Venture Partners can also help connect you with experienced industry partners or entrepreneurs who will drive commercialization forward on your behalf—ensuring that your discoveries make an impact without requiring you to leave academia.

A record of success

In fiscal year 2023-24, Venture Partners secured 45 patents for university innovations, half of which are already partnered with new ventures and companies. In the same year, Venture Partners launched 36 new companies based on CU innovations—many founded by the innovators themselves and others formed in partnership with entrepreneurs from outside the university.

Protecting new intellectual property was the first step in creating a competitive strategy for new CU startups like LongPath Technologies, which was developed out of research by founder Greg Reiker (51�Թ�� Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, NIST) to create a long-range methane detection system. Similarly, SomaLogic emerged from the groundbreaking work by Larry Gold (51�Թ�� Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCDB)) revolutionizing proteomics methods to provide deeper insights into disease detection, treatment and personalized medicine.

Beyond startups, CU innovations are being licensed all over the world.

Riverware is a software tool for modelling river systems with over 200 licenses to water management groups around the world. It is one of the most used 51�Թ�� innovations.
PhET provides interactive learning simulations for science and math. Available in over 120 languages, and through partnerships with hundreds of education companies, PhET has transformed STEM learning across the globe.
New materials invented at 51�Թ�� and licensed by 3M provide more durable dental fillings, dentures and implants, for more effective and fewer trips to the dentist chair.

How to get started

New financial incentives for disclosing 51�Թ�� innovations

CU researchers, inventors and creators who submit a disclosure between March 1 and June 30 will be entered into drawings for $100 and $500 gift cards, and intellectual property eligible and selected by an Entrepreneur in Residence for the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator will be entered into a drawing for $2,000. Get the full terms and conditions

Protecting your innovation begins with a simple step: submitting a disclosure to Venture Partners. Our online disclosure form is quick and easy to complete, and our team is available to answer any questions you have along the way. Learn more and get started here.

Your work deserves protection

CU is committed to fostering innovation and supporting the incredible work of its researchers, creators and inventors. By protecting your discoveries, you’re taking the first step toward transforming your ideas into real-world solutions. Let Venture Partners help you navigate this journey and ensure your innovations make a lasting impact.

What can we do together?

Find partners and opportunities for your innovation

Explore investing in and partnering with CU researchers