b'STARTUP INVESTMENTS IN that has been so vital to the successSUCCESS of new commercial technologies hereINNOVATION in Colorado, says Opgenorth. The economics may impact private investmentCSU VENTURES COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINESand risk tolerance in ways that are hard 57 new startups in last 10 years, 30 in life sciences Mines established the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to predict. On the flip side, this crisis is which collaborates with the Office of Technology Transfer to develop already spurring a lot of new ideas, new$57 million raised in SBIR/STTR funding since 2009disclosures, and licensing of existingfaculty entrepreneurs. In 2022, it will open two new buildings, an technologies. And there are strong reasonsVENTURE PARTNERS AT CU BOULDER Innovation Hub and Venture Center.for the government to continue investing15 new startups in last fiscal yearin health and related technologies. $618 million in funding for spinout companies since 2018 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BIOFRONTIERS INSTITUTETheia Labs accepts an investment fromResearchers from the life sciences, physical sciences, computer the Venture Partners at CU BoulderNo matter what happens, organizationsscience and engineering work together to uncover new knowledge at program.CU INNOVATIONSlike CSUV, CU Innovations, and Venture24 new spinouts in last three years the frontiers of science and partner with industry to transform their Partners at CU Boulder will continue to be$90.8 million raised discoveries into new tools. startups. However, Venture PartnersEvery week we hear about newessential conduits connecting academic did play an essential role in ensuringtherapeutics, new diagnostics, newresearchers to the life sciences ecosystem. that agreements with the Universityvaccines, new methods for disinfection, positioned the company to attract topsays Rees. Theres this huge innovationMany of our faculty inventors never talent and investment.boom happening, and that shows thedreamed they would found a company power of federally funded research toas a result of their academic research, Rees believes that the increase increate solutions to these problems. says Opgenorth, But they are doing university spinouts will have a long-termitbuilding companies to tackle many effect on the composition of ColoradosClearly, the challenges and opportunitiesof todays greatest problems, from life sciences community.will be mixed. Were wondering howagricultural initiatives and climate things will look, and concerned about thechange to the most pressing needs in The transition from traditional tech trans- continued availability of the Advancedhuman and animal health.fer to a more entrepreneurial, acceleratorIndustries Accelerator Grant funding model is big here in Colorado, says Rees. I think well see more and more parts of the life sciences ecosystem in Colorado tracing their roots back to our own universities. Overshadowing this activity is the question of how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the life sciences ecosystem, now and in the future. Some companies anticipateContributing to Society through Healthcarethe pinch of reduced funding; others have been able to develop COVID-19 relatedThrough the technologies we provide and partnerships we forge, we applications and take advantage of newunlock the potential of blood and cellular therapies to ultimately enable funding streams.better lives for patients throughout the world.TERUMOBCT.COM 2020 Terumo BCT, Inc.CO-NONP-0006224BIOSCIENCECOLORADO//2020-2021CBSA_PhRMA_Covid_Quarter.indd 1 7/24/20 9:26 AM'