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Fourteen teams of University of Colorado faculty, researchers and graduate student innovators competed for a combined $1.25 million in startup funding grants in this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC). Judges from ���ϳԹ�’s entrepreneurial network heard Shark-Tank-style pitches across two nights, one for innovations in biosciences and another for physical sciences and engineering.

Through LVC, top innovators from ���ϳԹ�, Denver and Colorado Springs compete for grants of up to $125,000. LVC supports projects that address a commercial need, have a clear path to a compelling market and have strong scientific support. The LVC grants are funded by the , as well as Venture Partners at ���ϳԹ� and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund. Ten awards were granted this year for a total of $1,250,000.

This culminating event for these groundbreaking teams showcased the university’s initiative to support innovators from discovery to economic success. LVC is run by Venture Partners at ���ϳԹ�, the university’s commercialization arm and central resource for researchers who wish to translate their work into impactful business and social ventures. As part of the LVC program, all the competitors worked with Venture Partners to protect their innovations and practice their funding pitches for business audiences. LVC awardees will continue to work and collaborate with Venture Partners on their path to commercialization.

“At this early stage, funding is essential, but can be a challenge to obtain,“ said Joshua Bennett, director of LVC and senior licensing manager at Venture Partners. “All of these teams have promising innovations ready to launch new businesses. LVC is a unique opportunity for those innovators to receive that vital funding, and we’re proud to work with the State of Colorado to make it happen..”

To date, LVC has funded over 117 projects through 64 new deep-tech startup companies; collectively, these companies have raised over $349 million in follow-on financing.

Applications for the next LVC will open in July 2025.

This year’s LVC was additionally made possible by , , and .

2024 Physical Sciences $125,000 Winners