Events and Opportunities
Whether you're just curious to learn more about innovation and entrepreneurship or even ready to launch your next business, we have events and opportunities throughout the year to help you make the real-world impact that you envision. Keep up to date on upcoming events, opportunities and deadlines with our newsletters: Sign Up Now
Signature Programs of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative
Connecting the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop innovative ideas and pitch for up to $50,000 in venture funding.
Student entrepreneurs with diverse perspectives who embrace the spirit of innovation and impact on campus and in the Boulder community.
A micro-funding opportunity for CU Boulder undergraduate and graduate students that provides up to $500 in funding for entrepreneurial ideas in the making.
A mini job fair that brings entrepreneurially-minded CU Boulder students and local Front Range startups together with a twist.
Join this collaborative event that's all about making positive changes in the world. Whether you have an idea or are someone eager to help those ideas become real, this is the event you don't want to miss.
CU Boulder's entrepreneurial mentor network supports innovative activity on campus led by students, faculty and staff.
Off-Campus Opportunities
Events
March 30-April 3: Colorado Climate Week—A statewide series of panels, forums, and community events convening leaders from across the state to explore climate innovation, strengthen energy resilience, advance technology adoption and protect landscapes and communities.
Wednesday, April 1: Startup Colorado Lean Coffee—A quarterly, interactive networking discussion that’s tailored to entrepreneurs from all industries.
Wednesday, April 8: Golden Startup Coffee—A monthly opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives and community members to explore Colorado startup journeys.
Thursday, April 9: Women's Venture Challenge—The Women’s Venture Challenge (WVC) is a high-impact pitch competition and founder development experience designed to support women entrepreneurs with: cash and in-kind prizes, expert mentorship, visibility with investors and community leaders and a powerful network of fellow founders.
Friday, April 10: Rural Women in Entrepreneurship—Startup Colorado's virtual networking conversation focusing on current projects, story sharing and pooling resources to help reach the "next step" on the long entrepreneurial road ahead.
Wednesday, April 15: Boulder Climate Happy Hour—A monthly opportunity to share ideas on solving the climate crisis, connect and learn from one another.
Thursday, April 16: The Entrepreneur’s Masterclass & Mixer—A high-impact evening built specifically for early-stage and growth-minded entrepreneurs navigating capital, partnerships and long-term strategy in emerging tech.
Wednesday, May 6: Virtual Pitch Workshop—Startup Colorado's virtual workshop designed to help you help you refine your message and deliver it with clarity and impact.
Thursday, May 13: Executive Leadership: Energy, Relationships, and Change—Designed to address the specific needs of leaders at growing Colorado life sciences companies. Hosted by Colorado BioScience Institute.
May 14-15: CU Boulder GoldLab Foundation GoldLab Symposium—Bringing together critical thinkers in bioscience, medicine, public policy and the humanities to discuss complexities and barriers for improving health care in a straightforward, understandable and approachable way.
Wednesday, May 20: Boulder Climate Happy Hour—A monthly opportunity to share ideas on solving the climate crisis, connect and learn from one another.
Applications
Tuesday, March 31 (deadline): OEDIT Advanced Industries Collaborative Infrastructure Grant—Funding large-scale collaborative infrastructure projects that will have broad industry-wide impacts across one or more of Colorado's advanced industries. Projects fill a gap in the advanced industries and have multiple, collaborative partners. Grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded.
Thursday, April 2 (deadline): Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop at Venture Partners—Transform your innovation into a successful venture in this workshop, designed for anyone motivated to bring their ideas to life, secure funding and create lasting impact. Offered as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps™ Hub West.
Friday, April 3 (deadline): XI Discovery Accelerator—An in-person, small-group experience emphasizing hands-on creation, rapid iteration and applied use of generative AI and vibe-coding tools. For Colorado-based tech founders building software or SaaS solutions.
Sunday, April 6 (deadline): 2026 Cleantech Open Accelerator—Providing entrepreneurs and corporate innovators the resources they need to launch and grow successful cleantech businesses.
Friday, April 10 (deadline): Colorado Bioscience Association's Rocky Mountain Life Sciences Investor and Partnering Conference—Connect with leading investors and strategic partners seeking the most promising life sciences innovations from across the Rocky Mountain region.
Tuesday, May 5 (deadline): Research-to-Market Customer Discovery Program—A four-week program for scientists and engineers that teaches the process of customer discovery and how to find a market for technology by getting out of the lab.
Monday, May 11 (deadline): AB Nexus 2026 Research Collaboration Grant Program—Designed to strengthen research collaborations and forge new research opportunities between the CU Anschutz and CU Boulder campuses, AB Nexus is requesting proposals for two mechanisms that differ in project scope, budget and award duration, and each have their own application and review processes.
Monday, June 15 (deadline): Startup Prize: Health—This national, founder-first program is designed to support early-stage companies preparing for commercialization. Health, medical, and life sciences startups can compete for $10,000 in non-dilutive funding.
Applications open: EnergyTech University Prize–Student teams compete for more than $540,000 for successfully identifying a promising energy technology, assessing its market potential, and creating a business plan for commercialization.
Applications open: The Environmental Sustainability Entrepreneurship Program—A free expert-led cohort to help sustainability ventures. Participants will receive expert-led training, committed mentorship and pitch coaching.
Rolling Application: Activator: 25-26 Cohort—An open-access, equity-free biotech accelerator for early-stage founders.
Rolling Application: Startup Colorado Community and Entrepreneurship Grants–Grants that support rural entrepreneurs who are eager to level up their businesses but need a financial boost to get there.and delivering results.
Rolling Application: OEDIT Advanced Industry Investment Tax Credit—For investors and advanced industries businesses in the amount of 25% to 35% per investment up to $100,000.
Rolling Application: Global Business Development's 2025 Trade Shows–Apply for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's funding and trade show participation program.