Events and Opportunities
Whether you're just curious to learn more about innovation and entrepreneurship or even ready to launch your next business, we have events and opportunities throughout the year to help you make the real-world impact that you envision. Keep up to date on upcoming events, opportunities and deadlines with our newsletters:Ìý
Signature Programs of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative
Connecting the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ campus with the Boulder community to developÌýinnovativeÌýideas and pitchÌýfor up toÌý$50,000 in venture funding.
Student entrepreneurs with diverse perspectives who embrace theÌýspirit of innovation and impact on campus and in the Boulder community.
A micro-funding opportunity for ̽»¨ÊÓƵ undergraduate and graduate students that provides up to $500 in funding for entrepreneurial ideas in the making.
A mini job fair that brings entrepreneurially-minded ̽»¨ÊÓƵ students and local Front Range startups together with a twist.
Join this collaborative event that's all about making positive changes in the world.ÌýWhether you haveÌýanÌýidea or are someone eager to help those ideas become real, this is the event you don't want to miss.
̽»¨ÊÓƵ's entrepreneurial mentor network supports innovative activity on campus led by students, faculty and staff.
Off-Campus Opportunities
Events
Wednesday, Oct. 22: —Teams of top innovators from CU will pitch to a panel of judges and a live audience for grants of up to $125,000—that’s $750,000 in total awards—for their early-stage projects in bio- and physical sciences with compelling market potential.
Wednesday, Oct. 22: —Join us at the Boulder Dairy Arts Center for the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) Community Showcases, where teams of top innovators from CU will pitch to a panel of judges and a live audience for grants of up to $125,000—that’s $750,000 in total awards—for their early-stage projects in bio- and physical sciences with compelling market potential. Enjoy great food, make new connections and see what’s next in innovation.
Wednesday, Oct. 22: â€Äâore than 400 decision-makers will gather to explore disruptive technologies, policy shifts and market dynamics. Learn strategies, partnerships and data-driven insights that can help deliver real ROI.Ìý
Thursday, Oct. 23: â€Äâeet Natalie Levy, managing partner of She’s Independent Investments, a Boulder-based women-first investment group driving financial empowerment and influence through angel investing and investment education.
Thursday, Oct. 23:Ìý—Exponential Impact Ìýhosts Tech Connect: Coffee & Community—a weekly gathering for entrepreneurs, founders and tech enthusiasts shaping the future through emerging technologies.
Saturday, Oct. 25: —Bringing together search fund entrepreneurs, students, investors, service providers, faculty, and other participants in the ETA ecosystem to connect, learn and share best practices in a growing field. Hosted by hosted by the CU Leeds School of Business Ìýin collaboration with Denver ETA Meetup.
Oct. 27-30: ̽»¨ÊÓƵ Translational Funding Week: Unlock Funding to Move Your Research or Venture Forward—A series of engaging lunchtime sessions designed to demystify the landscape of non-dilutive funding opportunities that support the journey from lab to market.
Wednesday, Nov. 5: —A one-day innovation sprint where ̽»¨ÊÓƵ students team up with Google professionals to tackle Colorado's most pressing climate and energy challenges.
Thursday, Nov. 13: —See the latest cohort of the XI Accelerator share demos and pitches followed by purposeful networking with founders, mentors, investors and community partners.
Thursday, Nov. 20:Ìý—Engage with others in Colorado’s life sciences community and spark dynamic relationships with fellow innovators.
Thursday, Dec. 4: —Discover how this online certificate program is designed to open doors for professionals in Colorado’s life science ecosystem by providing critical training in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs.
Applications
Monday, Oct. 27 (deadline): —The Website Build Initiative from United for Business and GeekPack helps small business owners create professional, mobile-friendly websites that reflect their brands and support long-term growth.
Thursday, Oct. 30 (deadline): Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop—Offered as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps™ Hub: West Region, this workshop is for anyone from a research or community institution motivated to bring their ideas to life, secure funding and create lasting impact.
Friday, Oct. 31 (deadline extended): —Participants gain access to our network of 2000+ industry leaders and partners across biotech, pharma and VC.
Friday, Oct. 31 (deadline): —Exponential Impact (XI), in partnership with the City of Colorado Springs will provide loans up to $50,000, along with mentorship and learning opportunities.Ìý
Friday, Nov. 7 (deadline): — Seeking scientists, engineers, inventors and founding entrepreneurs with promising technologies to commercialize and who are interested in embedding at NREL. The two-year program will support selected innovators with non-dilutive funding, resources and entrepreneurial mentorship.
Friday, Nov. 7 (deadline): —This two-year fellowship embeds early-stage startup founders at Argonne to help transform breakthrough science and energy technologies into impactful solutions.
Friday, Nov. 7 (deadline): —Innovation Crossroads supports and mentors entrepreneurial researchers whose early-stage innovations are presently too challenging or technically uncertain to pursue in a venture capital–financed start-up.
Applications open: –Student teams compete for more than $540,000 for successfully identifying a promising energy technology, assessing its market potential, and creating a business plan for commercialization.
Applications open: —A free expert-led cohort to help sustainability ventures. Participants will receive expert-led training, committed mentorship and pitch coaching.
Rolling Application: —A²Ô open-access, equity-free biotech accelerator for early-stage founders.
Rolling Application: –Grants that support rural entrepreneurs who are eager to level up their businesses but need a financial boost to get there.andÌýdelivering results.
Rolling Application: —ForÌýinvestors and advanced industries businesses in the amount of 25% toÌý35% per investment up to $100,000.
Rolling Application: –Apply for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's funding and trade show participation program.