Today, the Global Business Development division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that 32 Colorado companies and 8 researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. These grants help promote the growth and sustainability of advanced industries in Colorado by driving innovation, commercialization, and public-private partnerships that move this vital aspect of Colorado’s economy forward in communities across the state, from Aurora to Penrose and Buena Vista to Paonia.
“The advanced industries are key drivers of the Colorado economy. Together, they account for nearly 30% of the state’s total wage earnings, around 30% of total sales revenue, and almost 35% of the state’s total exports,” said Advanced Industries Senior Manager, Rama Haris. “These 40 recipients represent the future of those industries. By supporting their development, we are boosting Colorado’s strong economy and supporting the development of technologies that can change the world for the better.”
The Proof of Concept grant is intended to help Colorado research institutions speed up applied research in the advanced industries as well as commercialize products and services in partnership with the private sector. The Early-Stage Capital and Retention grant supports businesses commercializing innovative and disruptive technologies in the advanced industries that will be created or manufactured in Colorado.
Among the recipients announced today are several life saving technologies, including a throwable camera robot that provides situational awareness for first responders and a communication assistance device for trauma resuscitation teams that increases data capture in chaotic environments. Also funded are companies improving outdoor recreation through an advanced freeze drying and production process to freeze-dry meals as well as biodegradable and non-toxic ski and snowboard wax.
These awards represent a total of $9,524,777 in funding. The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program received 98 applications this grant cycle, which were reviewed in a multi-stage process by committees of business, technical and financial experts in the seven advanced industries. Final recommendations were approved by the Economic Development Commission on November 17, 2022.
The next application cycle for Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants will open on January 2, 2023 and applications will be due March 2, 2023.
Proof-of-Concept Grants:
Colorado School of Mines, PI Colin Wolden – Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a catalytic membrane reformer for on-demand delivery of green hydrogen.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Lori Tunstall – Golden, CO $150,000: Developing biochar concrete as a low carbon, renewable alternative to ordinary Portland cement.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Ning Wu – Golden, CO $88,541: Developing recyclable functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for oil and gas flow assurance management.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Veronica Eliasson – Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a multi-material additive manufacturing process for high-performance solid rocket propellant.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Zhenzhen Yu – Golden, CO $105,000: Developing novel multi-principal element alloy consumable material to enable robust repair of critical aerospace engine components.
University of Colorado Denver, PI Nicholas Jacobson – Aurora, CO $150,000: Developing 3D printed nasoalveolar molding devices for the presurgical treatment of cleft palate.
University of Denver, PI Ali Arab – Denver, CO $149,999: Developing a quantum-enabled, peer-to-peer solar energy trading system on blockchain for the decentralization, decarbonization, digitalization, and democratization of energy systems.
University of Denver, PI Ali Azadani – Denver, CO $150,000: Developing a left atrium unloading device for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants:
Aclymate – Denver, CO $215,000: Aclymate has developed a B2B SaaS solution that enables small and medium-sized businesses to discover their climate related emissions and reduce them.
Black Swift Technologies – Boulder, CO $250,000: Black Swift Technologies has developed unmanned aircraft systems and sensor technologies that can inexpensively and accurately monitor well sites for methane leaks.
CaliberMRI – Boulder, CO $250,000: CaliberMRI is developing a new generation of anthropomorphic phantoms to optimize qualitative MRI scans for breast tissues.
Company Six – Boulder, CO $492,000: Company Six has developed a low-cost, rugged and throwable camera robot that provides situational awareness to first responders.
Delta Brick & Climate Company – Paonia, CO $250,000: Delta Brick & Climate Company is manufacturing sustainable building materials from reservoir sediment and working toward coal mine methane capture to power their kilns.
Different Kind – Buena Vista, CO $250,000: Different Kind has built a unique data platform that helps measure and improve provider performance as it relates to patient experience and outcomes in dentistry.
dolaGon – Denver, CO $250,000: dolaGon is building an add-on to create autonomous, all-season, off-road utility vehicles to automate the labor-intensive field of backcountry travel.
Estes Energetics – Penrose, CO $250,000: Estes Energetics has developed a new advanced design and manufacturing method for solid rocket motor nozzles with complex, unique internal geometries.
e-volv – Littleton, CO $500,000: E-volv is developing revolutionary manufacturing to produce the first ever advanced utility grade commercial superconducting cable cores.
Fischer Medical – Wheat Ridge, CO $250,000: Fischer Medical is developing the next generation of the Bloom Cardiac Stimulator to advance electrophysiology of the heart.
Intellisafe – Denver, CO $250,000: Intellisafe has developed MaskZero™, the world’s only personal protective device proven to kill viruses at the point of breath.
Kayhan Space – Lafayette, CO $500,000: Kayhan Space is developing their product Pathfinder Max to deliver Coordinated Autonomous Satellite Collision Avoidance capability to the space industry.
LifeBoard Medical – Fort Collins, CO $250,000: LifeBoard Medical has developed a communication assistance device for trauma resuscitation teams to increase data capture in chaotic environments.
Link to Learn – Denver, CO $249,487: Link to Learn has developed a multi-modal medical simulation training to more accurately create, manage, and deliver complex multi-casualty training scenarios.
mountainFLOW eco-wax – Carbondale, CO $250,000: mountainFLOW eco-wax is developing a fastest ski and snowboard wax that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and made entirely from plants.
New Day Hydrogen – Englewood, CO $250,000: New Day Hydrogen is bringing green hydrogen solutions to Colorado by designing, building, and operating hydrogen fueling stations for fleets.
Orion Labs – Nunn, CO $250,000: Orion Labs is developing a safety system for autonomous mobile robotic applications that provides enhanced obstacle detection and avoidance.
Oso Adventure Meals – Avon, CO $250,000: Oso Adventure Meals is a backcountry food and beverage company that creates deliciously authentic adventure meals through an advanced freeze drying and production process.
Otoro Energy – Boulder, CO $250,000: Otoro Energy is developing a low-cost, high efficiency, and high-safety energy storage technology using a metal chelate flow battery system.
Outward Technologies – Broomfield, CO $250,000: Outward Technologies is building lightweight optical systems for concentrating sunlight to power high temperature processes in space.
Pattern Labs – Erie, CO $250,000: Pattern Labs is developing a new class of mobile robot to improve operational efficiency and safety in airport material logistics.
Perspectus – Greenwood Village, CO $250,000: Perspectus has developed a patented software platform that allows users to upload, view, and manipulate MRI or CT scans in 3D for patient education and presurgical planning.
Pronto AI – Denver, CO $250,000: Pronto AI has developed a cloud based and automated SaaS video creation tool to assist small businesses in developing professional-quality video content within minutes.
Rank One Computing – Denver, CO $250,000: Rank One Computing is building on its world-leading core product ROC SDK with fingerprint, tattoo, and weapon detection algorithms to solve mission-critical security issues.
Red Canyon Software – Denver, CO $75,000: Red Canyon Software is developing a highly modular software solution that can be utilized by commercial spacecraft companies in their ground control and simulation test environments.
RedDrop Dx – Fort Collins, CO $250,000: RedDrop Dx has developed a low-cost, pain-free, blood collection and transportation system for blood collection at home or by a healthcare professional.
Securisyn Medical – Littleton, CO $249,750: Securisyn Medical has developed a chest tube seal and securement device that can improve survivability of military or civilian trauma patients injured by penetrating chest wounds or blunt trauma to the chest.
SentrySciences – Longmont, CO $250,000: SentrySciences has developed ParticleSentry, a software solution that delivers quantitative, actionable data to assist biologic drug manufacturers in the development and manufacturing of life-saving drugs.
Silvis Materials – Boulder, CO $150,000: Silvis Materials is developing 100% bio-renewable and bio-degradable emulsions for the polymer emulsion market.
Spark Ionx – Denver, CO $250,000: Spark Ionx has developed TuffBrane™, a durable, highly conductive Anion Exchange Membrane for electrolyzers, fuel cells, and flow batteries.
Stride Tech Medical – Boulder, CO $250,000: StrideTech is developing StrideTech Go, a walker attachment to monitor a patient’s posture and prevent falls before they happen.
Think Bioscience – Boulder, CO $250,000: Think Bioscience has developed a drug discovery platform that uses living systems to guide the design and assembly of better medicines.