babyֱ��app

Catalyze CU, the university’s flagship venture accelerator program, celebrated the close of its fifth annual 10-week program on Thursday (July 26th). As we’ve come to expect from this event, the caliber of startups coming out of CU is only growing stronger annually, with everything from smart fencing solutions to early child education being showcased by 7 energized, passionate founders. 

The community’s interest of the program has grown steadily, so much so that Catalyze had to move its signature closing event off campus to the Dairy Center of the Arts. Over 250 people showed up to see 7 companies give their pitch and demonstrations; still, over 30 had to be turned away! 

This year’s pitches were some of the most exciting the program has seen. In front of an electric crowd, founders showed off their incredible depths of knowledge in their fields and innovative new ideas challenging industry status quo. We’ll spare details and give a basic rundown of “who’s who” from this year’s Catalyze CU Demo Day. 

• Uzio kicked things off with their updated electric fence for use in agriculture. The smart fencing solution provides farmers real-time feedback and updates on their fences, including where it’s shorting out or if posts have fallen over, saving them time and money spent on troubleshooting the 60-year old technology. 
• Next up, EdBoard discussed their innovative solution to teaching elementary school students about STEM fields using bread boards. Their magnetic, intuitive-to-use buildable boards let kids learn about circuits and hardware from a young age so they’re more tech-literate. 
• Feeding their fellow founders throughout the program, Noble Roots looks to help companies ditch unhealthy snacks and save time along the way. Their customizable packages of healthy snacks get delivered straight to office doors. Orderers can choose between dozens of options from local food manufacturers and specify dietary restrictions, then set the frequency of delivery.  
• Founded by a PhD in computer science, Quoala Code allows mobile app developers a peek under the hood of their software by chasing bugs and presenting potential fail points before the app is even released to the public, allowing for smoother launches and less crashing.
• With your home in mind, the founders of Hearth created a solution to climate control. Their smart vents install into your existing HVAC system and automatically open or close dependent on the temperature setting of a given room, saving money on heating and cooling and providing a more comfortable home. 
• You may find a beverage from Boulder Sun in your local supermarket soon. Their sunflower-based milk alternative has only four ingredients and is allergen free. Plus, sunflowers use far less water than almonds, making their milk a greener—not just healthier—option for a dairy substitute. 
• At MindScribe, early childhood education again takes center seat. This company’s paired lovable stuffed animals with smart technology that encourages kids to write and tell their own stories, then reflect on their creations, spurring development and encouraging creativity in young children. 

Between networking with Boulder Entrepreneurship A-Listers like Dan Caruso, a jam-packed auditorium, and firey pitches from CU’s most eager and talented young founders, Catalyze CU’s Demo Day is one of our favorite events of the year. If you missed it this year, we hope to see you there next summer!