Innosphere

Last week’s Innovation Hour conversation reinforced something we’ve known for a while: Colorado is an incredible place to build a startup—even as many founders still seek capital from out-of-state investors. The momentum in our ecosystem is real. While we haven’t yet hit critical mass, the support for early-stage companies across sectors is strong and growing. From access to accelerators and university partnerships to a collaborative culture of innovation, Colorado continues to rise as a launchpad for cutting-edge ventures. And when it comes to talent? The lifestyle here does the heavy lifting. As one of our panelists, Trey, put it: “The best investment we can make in recruiting is to buy a candidate a plane ticket to come see it for themselves.” Thanks to everyone who joined the conversation and our incredible panel.

We are HIRING! The Innosphere Research Associate (RA) program offers students and early-career professionals the opportunity to gain practical experience at the intersection of market research, startup strategy, and venture capital. About the Role: Research Associates support Innosphere’s startup clients and investment activities by: ➡️ Conducting market and competitive analyses ➡️Researching industry trends, investment activity, and M&A landscapes ➡️Preparing reports and strategic insights for client managers and internal teams ➡️Contributing to presentations and research that support innovation and commercialization Ideal Candidates: We’re seeking bachelor’s or graduate-level students—ideally in technical or financial disciplines—with strong research, analytical, and communication skills. Successful candidates are proactive, detail-oriented, and intellectually curious. Position Details ➡️Duration: 12–24 months ➡️Time commitment: 5–15 hours per week ➡️Compensation: $17.50+/hour ➡️Work model: Remote or hybrid (Fort Collins, CO preferred) This is a hands-on learning opportunity designed to build skills and professional experience for those pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, or venture capital. To apply or learn more visit: https://lnkd.in/gzPztaPB

We’re excited to release the 2024 Colorado Venture Report, following this week’s Council on Competitiveness convening. This year’s report highlights key trends shaping Colorado’s innovation economy, from startup capital flows to sector-specific momentum across climatetech, biosciences, and more. Our focus remains on strengthening Colorado’s venture ecosystem and supporting the companies building the future. 📊 Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gnqA9_Du "This year’s report underscores the resilience and evolution of Colorado’s venture landscape. We’re seeing promising growth in key sectors, but also recognizing where gaps still exist. That’s exactly where our ecosystem has the opportunity to step in and lead." -Jack Hemmelgarn, Research Director, Innosphere 

Innosphere is launching the Innosphere Wyoming Innovation Fund (IWYIF) to provide early-stage capital for Wyoming-based startups. Backed by the Wyoming Venture Fund (WYVC) under the Wyoming Business Council, this fund addresses the state’s critical need for pre-seed and seed-stage investment, ensuring high-potential companies can grow and scale locally. With $11 million to invest in approximately 12 startups, IWYIF will bridge the funding gap, support Wyoming’s innovation ecosystem, and attract additional private investment. “Wyoming has incredible entrepreneurial talent, but limited access to early-stage venture capital,” said Jack Hemmelgarn, General Partner of the Innosphere Wyoming Innovation Fund. “With the Wyoming Venture Capital fund as a capital partner, this fund will bridge the funding gap, ensuring that more high-potential startups can grow in-state, create jobs, and attract follow-on investment. Innosphere has spent over 27 years supporting startups and IWYIF is an impactful next step in strengthening Wyoming’s venture ecosystem.” To read the full release, follow the link here: https://lnkd.in/gYpXkmfA

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has joined Innosphere Ventures as a new sponsor, strengthening our commitment to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through this partnership, early-stage startups in Innosphere’s incubation programs will gain access to top-tier legal expertise in intellectual property, transactions, term sheets, board governance, and venture capital strategy. Wilson Sonsini will also co-host six entrepreneurial training events annually, helping startups navigate key growth milestones. 💡 “We are very excited to partner with Wilson Sonsini to support our startup ecosystem and work towards establishing a sustainable and robust entrepreneurial environment,” said Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere. With decades of experience advising technology pioneers and life sciences trailblazers, Wilson Sonsini’s expertise will provide invaluable guidance to the region’s most innovative companies. 📢 “We’re excited to partner with Innosphere Ventures and support their vital work in advancing innovation in life sciences and climate technology,” said Bill Barrett, Partner at Wilson Sonsini. We look forward to the impact this collaboration will bring to startups and innovators shaping the future Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gzut49Wq

We are looking forward to attending the 30th NREL Industry Growth Forum, where investment meets innovation. March 26-28, 2025, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown! What’s in Store? • Network with Active Investors: More than 250 leading investors attend (collectively managing over $30B+ in deployable capital), with over 3,000 one-onone meetings facilitated through our new-and-improved scheduling platform. • Exclusive Pitch Sessions: Competitively selected startups pitch their solutions directly to a curated audience of potential backers and industry leaders. • Gain Industry Insights: Engage with NREL experts and industry thought leaders who are shaping the future of clean energy technologies and markets. Let’s connect and transform cleantech together. See you in Denver!

🚀 From Innovation to Impact: How Onconaut Therapeutics is Advancing Cancer Treatment At Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator, we support groundbreaking startups tackling some of the biggest challenges in healthcare. Onconaut Therapeutics, led by Dan LaBarbera, PhD, is developing next-generation cancer drugs targeting CHD1L, an oncogene that drives cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance in liver, breast, lung, and colon cancers. Through mentorship, strategic connections, and a deep understanding of what it takes to move innovation into commercialization, Onconaut has gained the tools to navigate the complex journey toward clinical translation. 💬 Dan LaBarbera on the power of community: "The most important thing that I have learned is that there is a vast community out there—a community of experts and entrepreneurs who are willing to help each other." At Innosphere, we are proud to be part of that community, supporting life science startups in turning scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. 🎥 Watch the video to hear more about Onconaut’s journey and how Innosphere helped accelerate its path to commercialization.

RoGO Communications, an Innosphere Client Company, founded to develop lifesaving technology for firefighters and first responders, has launched a new DropBlock 2.0 to track the location of firefighters and equipment. The new satellite communication DropBlocks are smaller in size and weight to be carried by wildland firefighters, often hiking into the wilderness in remote areas where cellular networks are typically not available. DropBlocks also share hyper-local weather information from portable weather stations, including wind speed, direction, temperature, humidity and other IoT sensor data. Immediate tactical coordination and lifesaving situational awareness is enabled by tracking the location of crews, equipment and resources including bulldozers, water tenders, fire engines, high-value structures, medical evacuation rescue and makeshift water resources. “Based on feedback from wildland firefighter field trials, the new DropBlocks’ reduced size and weight better enables immediate deployment to support the initial attack of a wildfire, the time of most dangerous risk to firefighters,” said RoGO Chief Executive Officer Rod G. To read more and find out how to access DropBlock 2.0 follow the link below! https://lnkd.in/grzXtq98

OncoBLAZE: Advancing Precision Cancer Treatment At OncoBLAZE, our mission is to pioneer cutting-edge technologies that precisely target and eliminate residual cancer cells after surgery. By preventing cancer recurrence and advancing personalized treatment solutions, we are dedicated to improving patient outcomes and reducing the economic burden of cancer care. Through relentless innovation and strategic collaborations, we are committed to saving lives and driving the future of oncology. The Innosphere Experience: Insights from Our Founders “Starting a company in Life Sciences is a LOT, and Innosphere has been incredibly helpful in navigating that journey. They did a fantastic job of laying everything out for us—from the critical steps we needed to follow from day one to the strategic decisions ahead. Instead of having to search for those steps ourselves, our Client Director, Joanna (Joey) Money, got us on the right track in every aspect, which has been extremely valuable.” — Christian Rossmann, PhD, CTO “We can’t say enough about our Client Director, Joanna (Joey) Money. She has been incredibly helpful in answering questions related to IP, regulatory issues, and the complexities of our drug-device combination—which is far more intricate than just a drug or just a device. We’re currently working on a licensing deal, and she has provided critical guidance on key terms, valuation, and negotiation strategies.” — Dieter Hemmmerich, PhD, DSc, CEO 🚀 The next cohort of the Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator is now open for applications! If you’re a science-driven entrepreneur looking for expert guidance and a proven framework to accelerate your innovation, apply today. 📅 Apply now! https://lnkd.in/dUE6AhpE

Launching a startup is never easy—but in the U.S., coastal hubs often dominate the conversation with deeper capital pools and extensive ecosystems. So why do so many founders and investors choose Colorado instead? This panel brings together entrepreneurs and startup leaders who have built and scaled successful ventures in Colorado. They’ll dive into the unique advantages of the region, the critical factors for startup success here, and why they chose to grow their companies in Colorado rather than following the traditional coastal path. Sign up today 👇