DENVER - Today, the Global Business Development division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that 21 Colorado companies and 15 researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants through OEDIT’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. These grants 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.
“Colorado’s economic strength is built on a diverse ecosystem of innovation, and these grants provide the vital capital needed to keep that momentum in the state. They help fill a critical funding gap, helping Colorado innovators navigate the high-risk stages of scaling and commercialization. By filling this gap, we are turning technological potential into market-ready success.” said Michelle Hadwiger, Director of Global Business Development at OEDIT.
The recipients announced today are developing technologies to address a range of critical challenges, from carbon-sequestering concrete and space-debris detection to healthcare breakthroughs in targeted cancer therapies and bioresorbable medical polymers. This innovation also extends to the digital landscape, where companies are developing agentic AI to automate commercial real estate workflows and foundation models that enable robots to master complex assembly tasks.
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.
The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program received 144 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 May 21, 2026, and the awards announced today represent a total of $7,487,298, in funding.
The next application cycle for Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants will open on July 1, 2026 and applications will be due August 27, 2026.
Proof-of-Concept Grants
Colorado School of Mines, PI Aaron Girard - Golden, CO $137,298: Developing a fiber-optic sensing system to improve the efficiency and safety of direct undercutting caving in underground mining operations.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Xiaolei Guo - Golden, CO $150,000: Developing uniform oxide coatings on metal powders to enable the additive manufacturing of high-performance oxide dispersion strengthened alloys.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Ahmadreza Hedayat - Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a sustainable brick manufacturing technology that utilizes mine tailings and natural pozzolans as primary feedstocks for the construction industry.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Mohammed Khaled - Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a digital twin platform to screen and rank legacy oil and gas wells for repurposing into clean geothermal energy infrastructure.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Anna Staerz - Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a low-cost, modular measurement platform for the high-temperature validation of electronic devices and sensors used in harsh industrial environments.
Colorado School of Mines, PI Colin Wolden - Golden, CO $150,000: Developing a versatile fuel reforming system capable of generating hydrogen from both ammonia and methanol to support net-zero maritime shipping.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Mirela Alistar - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a nanorobotic DNA synthesis platform that uses real-time error correction to produce the long genetic templates required for advanced gene therapies.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Christopher Bowman - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a photopolymer-based optical materials platform to improve the performance and manufacturing of holographic elements for augmented reality displays.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Xiaoyun Ding - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a microfluidic cell-modification platform to improve the manufacturing efficiency and payload capacity of cell and gene therapies.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Timothy Hellickson - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a satellite-mounted, space-debris detection system to identify and characterize orbital debris that is too small for conventional radar tracking.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Mija Hubler - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a regenerative, biobased tape for the durable repair of cracks in residential, commercial, and municipal concrete infrastructure.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Laila Marzall - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing an innovative in-band full-duplex analog hardware architecture to enable spectrum-agile wireless communication systems.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Jay McMahon - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing an artificial intelligence–powered strategic wargaming platform for evaluating complex conflict scenarios in the defense and aerospace sectors.
University of Colorado Boulder, PI Stephanie Bryant - Boulder, CO $150,000: Developing a customizable therapeutic platform to restore cartilage and bone in patients with osteoarthritis at any stage of disease progression.
University of Colorado Denver, PI Zhengxiong Li - Denver, CO $150,000: Developing a foundation model platform that enables robots equipped with high-degree-of-freedom anthropomorphic hands to master complex manufacturing and assembly tasks.
Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grants
Bifrost Electronics, Inc. - Arvada, CO $250,000: Developing a new class of quantum microelectronics built on strontium titanate to improve the readout and scaling of quantum computers.
Biota Inc. - Longmont, CO $250,000: Developing a PFAS extraction system that accelerates the testing of PFAS in environmental labs.
Blue Cubed, LLC - Lafayette, CO $250,000: Developing a laser communications terminal designed for seamless interoperability between satellite networks.
Cheetah Engineering LLC - Longmont, CO $250,000: Developing an automated 3D scanning platform that enables high-accuracy inspection directly on the production floor.
Codebreaker Tx, Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing a genomic data-as-a-service platform that generates high-resolution biological datasets for artificial intelligence-driven research and drug development.
Dream Face Technologies, LLC - Centennial, CO $250,000: Developing an artificial intelligence-powered humanoid companion robot designed for senior care facilities.
EMode Photonix LLC - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing an industry-first nonlinear eigenmode expansion platform for the design of complex photonic integrated circuits.
GenesisTissue Inc. - Denver, CO $250,000: Developing a personalized, 3D-printed breast implant sizer designed to improve surgical planning and patient outcomes in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Hale SWx Inc. - Longmont, CO $250,000: Developing a systems-level weather intelligence platform that combines physics-based solar activity models with atmospheric science to forecast orbital and hypersonic environments.
Intero Biosystems, Inc. - Aurora, CO $250,000: Developing a stem cell-derived human intestinal organoid designed to replicate the complex spatial structure and physiological function of the human intestine.
IPM Products Manufacturing, Inc. - Denver, CO $250,000: Developing a proprietary artificial intelligence-driven sensor network designed to identify and monitor invasive insect densities in real-time.
Lifting Up, LLC dba knowtifyED - Pagosa Springs, CO $250,000: Developing a secure SaaS platform that automates trauma-informed notifications from first responders to schools to support students affected by adverse childhood experiences.
Modendo Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing an ultrathin, fiber-based optical probing platform designed for the failure analysis and security evaluation of advanced 3D semiconductor architectures.
Origami Space Development, Inc. - Berthoud, CO $250,000: Developing modular, high-precision antenna systems designed for resilient data connectivity in remote or contested environments.
Peaks Precast LLC - Buena Vista, CO $250,000: Developing an advanced manufacturing platform that replaces traditional cast-in-place concrete with precision-engineered, factory-made structural foundation systems.
Raven Space Systems, Inc. - Broomfield, CO $250,000: Developing an additive manufacturing technology that enables the scalable 3D printing of heat-resistant composite parts for extreme environments.
ScoutSpace Technologies, Inc. - Buena Vista, CO $250,000: Developing an agentic artificial intelligence platform that automates the manual data workflows and communication protocols of the commercial real estate industry.
SusMer, Inc. - Fort Collins, CO $250,000: Developing a chemical manufacturing platform for poly-4-hydroxybutyrate, a bioresorbable polymer used in implantable medical devices like sutures and meshes.
Team Wildfire Inc. - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing a biodegradable and non-toxic fire retardant platform designed to protect vegetation and infrastructure from wildfire.
Vesicle Therapeutics Inc - Boulder, CO $250,000: Developing a targeted genetic therapy to treat head and neck cancer by distinguishing between different versions of the same protein.
ZeroTwelve, Inc. - Golden, CO $250,000: Developing a carbon-sequestering concrete additive made from engineered biochar that replaces a portion of traditional cement.