The Department of Mechanical Engineering has been the start of manyÌýsuccessful businesses. Our entrepreneurs includeÌýcurrent students, alumniÌýand over 10 current babyÖ±²¥app members. Businesses founded by members of our community span a variety ofÌýindustries,Ìýdeveloping everything from artificial muscles to safer, more efficient batteriesÌýto apparel made with additive manufacturing to snowboards, shoes and longboards.

In 2015, Forbes Magazine ranked CU Boulder as the 18th most entrepreneurial across universities. CU Boulder continues to lead in this area withÌýroughly 180 inventions and 51 deals across campus each year and 25 startups formed over the past three years.

Mechanical engineeringÌýentrepreneurs have been supported at CU Boulder with programs, mentorship and resources, such as the New Venture Challenge, Catalyze CU and Venture Partners, the technology transfer office. For a complete list of entrepreneurial spaces, workshops and more, be sure to check out theÌýcampus-wideÌýInnovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Interested in learning more? Check out a few of our ME-affiliated entrepreneurs below and stop by our ME founders hallway in the mechanical engineering wing!

Traditional robots lack the flexibility and dexterity needed to maximize their potential. Artimus RoboticsÌýhas taken inspiration from nature to develop strong, flexible, adaptable materials for use in developing theÌýnext generation of robotic technology.Ìý

  • Tim Morrissey, PhD '19
  • Eric Acome, PhD '20
  • Shane Mitchell, PhD Student
  • Nicholas Kellaris, PhD Student
  • Christoph Keplinger,ÌýFormer Faculty

Over 90% of balloon endoscopy procedures lead to an incompleteÌýdiagnosis. Aspero Medical's APâ„¢ Balloon Overtube increases theÌýballoon endoscopy success rate by delivering up to 2.5x moreÌýtraction than existing balloon endoscopy systems.

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The US consumes over 95 quadrillion BTUs of energy eachÌýyear. Berrendo is working to shift how that energy isÌýproduced and reduce the associated environmentalÌýimpacts by providing development services to buildÌýutility scale wind farms in areas that have greatÌýrenewable resources that have never been captured.

  • Joel Johnson, BS '81

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Mexican food should be fresh, healthy and vibrant. Carmen’s Salsa provides uniqueÌýauthentic salsas and moles handmade in babyÖ±²¥app.

  • Carmen Pacheco-Borden, Faculty

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The perfect snowboard isn’t one-size-fits-all. Donek designs andÌýbuilds custom snowboards that are handcrafted for maximum fit,ÌýqualityÌýand performance.

  • Sean Martin, BS '93

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Current methods for monitoring brain activity for patientsÌýwith epilepsy are often highly invasive. FieldLine isÌýdeveloping magnetic imaging technology with small,Ìýlow-power, high-precision quantum sensors that allowÌýfor non-invasive, real-time imaging of brain activity.

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Nano-material coatings can change the behavior of surfaces inÌývaluable ways. Forge Nano creates solutions to enable fast andÌýaffordable atomic level coatings and surface engineering.

  • James Trevey, BS '07, PhD '11
  • David King, CHEN PhD '08
  • Paul Lichty, BS '06, CHEN PhD '11

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Controlling your longboard can be challenging. KOTAÌýLongboards are easier and more fun to ride by design.ÌýThrough careful engineering of the materials, geometry,Ìýand manufacturing process, these boards are tuned forÌýenhanced turning performance and improved ride.

  • Mike Maloney, BS '85

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There is an urgent need to find a low-cost solution to monitor theÌývast oil and gas infrastructure across the US. LongPath TechnologiesÌýuses CU-developed nobel-prize-winning lasers to effectively monitorÌýand locate gas leaks from 2 miles away.

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Automated manufacturing has becomeÌýmore common in today's world, and uniqueÌýmaterials open doors to new technologies.ÌýLupine labs combines cutting-edge manufacturingÌýtechniques with material scienceÌýto create smart manufacturing tools for next
generation medical device technologies.

  • John Francis, PhD '13

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Partial hand amputation presents unique challenges for prosthetic design.ÌýThe Point Digit is a functional, durable product that allows patients withÌýMCP level amputation to regain critical hand function.

  • Levin Sliker, PhD '15
  • Jacob Segil, PhD '14

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Lung injury causes over 80,000 deaths annuallyÌýin the USA. Respirogen Oxygen MicrobubblesÌýare a novel therapy for oxygen delivery inÌýcritical patients.

  • Mark Borden, Faculty
  • Paul Mountford, PhD '15
  • Robert Scribner, BS '10

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Most runners only replace their shoes when theyÌýbecome painful. ShoeSense allows runners to avoidÌýinjury and achieve peak performance by notifyingÌýthem when their shoes are ready to be replaced.

  • Connor Winter, BS '16

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Our society is heading towards an electric-mobility future and batteries areÌýat the center of that revolution. Solid Power provides high-performanceÌýand highly manufacturable all solid-state batteries.

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Successful businesses are driven by purpose and creativity. TBD Innovation uses a strong foundation in technology, businessÌýand human-centered design to help their clients create remarkable products.

Note: The pictured image is from a consulting project for .

  • Craig Sampson, BS '81

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The apparel industry produces 150 billion garments every year,Ìýwhile roughly 30% are burned or destroyed without ever beingÌýsold. Unspun's mission is to radically change this process throughÌýan automated and additive robotic manufacturing process, creatingÌýcustom-fit apparel on-demand based on 3D body scans.

  • Kevin Martin, BS '16

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Uncontrolled movement of helicopter hoist and sling load systems is a serious risk to emergency rescues. Vita Inclinata is working to develop disruptive, autonomous solutions to end all helicopter search and rescue accidents due to uncontrolled cable motion.

  • Derek Sikora, BS '16

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Weather affects the daily operation ofÌýpeople and businesses, yet is unpredictable.ÌýWeatherCloud offers real-time groundÌýweather intelligence through a forecastÌýengine and sensor technology to enableÌýnavigation of adverse weather conditions.

  • John Mickey, BS '08

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Mission critical applications require a consistent power source. Xtreme Power Conversion manufacturesÌýuninterruptible power supplies that provide industrial, data center, and retail clients with a reliable, high-quality source of backup power.

  • Tom Ebner, BS '85

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Are you an entrepreneur who is affiliated with CU Boulder's Department of Mechanical Engineering as an alumnus(a), babyÖ±²¥app member or current student? Submit your information to Kat McConnellÌýto have your company featured.Ìý

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