The Insider: Deep Tech Partners Edition—May 2026
Featured News
Forge Nano to go public via $1.6B SPAC, becoming ̽»¨ÊÓƵ’s 11th unicorn
Forge Nano, a University of Colorado Boulder spinout, has announced it will go public through a $1.6 billion blank-check deal, making it the 11th unicorn to spin out of ̽»¨ÊÓƵ.
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University Startup and Innovation News
Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible
̽»¨ÊÓƵ Today—University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a method to activate and sustain glowing bioluminescent algae using simple chemical solutions, opening the door to future technologies such as living sensors and autonomous systems that operate in dark environments.
The solar cell that moonlights as an LED, and does both better
̽»¨ÊÓƵ Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)—Imagine a display that harvests ambient light when it is not actively in use, offsetting some of its own energy consumption. The materials physics shows that this is possible.
Ayar Labs, a ̽»¨ÊÓƵ spinout, raises $500M
OPTICA—Silicon Valley–based optical-interconnect solutions provider Ayar Labs announced in early March that it had raised $500 million in a series E funding round, bringing the company’s total funding to about $870 million and pushing its valuation to $3.75 billion.
