Led · Grant · May 2026

Biota develops faster PFAS monitoring and analysis technologies, combining a RapidTest screening platform that delivers results in about 15 minutes with MagnaPrep, a laboratory sample-preparation method using proprietary magnetic nanoparticle technology. The company is focused on accelerating PFAS analysis across both field and laboratory workflows and plans to expand its diagnostics platform to additional contaminants, including microplastics. Biota opened a 7,500-square-foot laboratory and innovation center in Longmont, Colorado to support product development, manufacturing, and customer deployments. It has received support from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the State of Colorado's Advanced Industries Program, and participates in gener8tor's Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator and Imagine H2O's ecosystem. Financially, Biota recently completed a $3 million seed round to scale commercial deployment, sales, and customer operations.

Led · Seed · Apr 2026

HapWare is developing AlEye, a wearable communication system that uses computer vision, artificial intelligence and haptic feedback to convey facial expressions, gestures and body language as vibration patterns. The product is intended to help users perceive nonverbal social cues in real time across settings such as classrooms and workplaces. The company was founded in 2025 and is engaging early users through beta programs and product waitlists as it refines usability ahead of market launch. Financially, HapWare has completed a pre-seed round backed by Kickstart and secured $250,000 in state economic-development grant funding plus a small competitive award. The funds are being used to accelerate product development, expand beta testing activities and support commercialization preparation. HapWare has participated in disability-tech challenges and is positioning itself to seek additional investment and strategic partnerships as it moves toward launch.

Led · Grant · Feb 2026

CREW Carbon offers a process intensification solution for wastewater treatment that uses strategically-sourced alkaline minerals to optimize pH and alkalinity, improving biological performance, settleability, and plant capacity while permanently sequestering CO2. Since beginning commercial operations in 2024, CREW has deployed at nearly 10 facilities across the U.S. and Europe and secured long-term RFPs with utilities. The company has captured over 2,000 tons of CO2 and secured more than $33 million in carbon removal offtake agreements, delivering verified carbon removal credits to corporate buyers. CREW has developed proprietary measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities and is developing a scalable analytics platform to provide operational insights and process optimization. Financial and strategic support from the Series A will be used to scale deployments, expand customer engagements, and add key hires in wastewater process, technology, supply chain, and business development.

Led · Grant · Nov 2020

Bond Pet Foods began as a maker of plant-based pet treats and is shifting to develop precision-fermented, nature-identical chicken, beef, fish and other meat proteins for pet food. The company has partnered with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to develop a craft meat protein and is positioning to supply other established pet-food brands rather than building its own consumer-facing line. Bond is based in Boulder, Colorado, and plans to scale production at a new 15,000-square-foot facility in Boulder while tripling the size of its team. Management expects the facility to be complete in Q1 2023 and initial meat proteins ready for commercialization in roughly two years, including pilot feeding programs and regulatory work. The move is framed against a global pet food market valued at $110 billion in 2021 and projected to grow to $164 billion by 2029. Since 2017 the company has raised a total of $20 million, including a $17.5 million Series A in June. Bond Pet Foods develops dog and cat foods produced via microbial fermentation to make real animal proteins without animals. In August the startup announced a prototype of its "chicken without the chicken" product. Co-founder Rich Kellman said Bond is currently the only company developing meat proteins through microbial fermentation in the pet food space. The company plans to develop other cultured meat proteins for pet nutrition, including turkey, pork, and beef, and is exploring applications in the human food space. Financially, Bond completed $1.2 million in seed funding in December and a seed extension this year, bringing private raises to just under $2M to date; it also received a $250,000 grant from the Colorado OEDIT Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program. Bond states its mission is to be an ally for all animals by finding a better way to make complete, nutritious food for pets. Bond Pet Foods is a biotechnology company that produces animal-free, protein-rich ingredients for pet food by using fermentation to grow muscle proteins in microbes such as yeast. The company adapts fermentation technology used for cheese-making and insulin production to harvest high-quality proteins nutritionally identical to chicken, turkey, beef, pork and fish. Its proprietary process inserts animal muscle protein genes into microbes, ferments them with simple sugars, vitamins and minerals, and uses the resulting proteins as the foundation of complete pet-food recipes. Bond plans to use the seed proceeds to drive R&D and scale its animal protein production. It intends to debut its first consumer product — a protein-packed dog treat bar made with a pure yeast protein — early next year. The company reported closing a $1.2M seed round to support these efforts.

Led · Grant · Sep 2019

Aspero Medical develops an intraoperative gastrointestinal endoscopic balloon overtube called the C-TubeTM that incorporates its patented PillarTM balloon technology. The company aims to enable more efficient and effective colonoscopies and to support complete colonoscopy procedures. NSF awarded a $1 million grant to advance development of the C-Tube product line. Aspero is a graduate of Innosphere’s incubation and commercialization program and is now a portfolio company of the Innosphere Ventures Fund. The project is led by CEO and principal investigator Mark Rentschler and supported by the Aspero team. The company positions its product against limitations in current endoscopy technology amid rising colorectal cancer rates and high annual volumes of GI endoscopies. Aspero Medical is a medical device startup focused on solutions for gastroenterology procedures. The company is developing an advanced intraoperative endoscopic balloon overtube as part of its C-Tube product line, which incorporates its proprietary PillarTM micro-texture technology. The NSF grant will fund finalization of a new balloon and overtube design intended to enable more consistent and complete colonoscopy procedures. Aspero is a spinoff of the University of Colorado Boulder and a graduate of Innosphere Ventures' commercialization program. Mark Rentschler, the company's CEO and a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, will lead the project. The company has received prior support from Innosphere Ventures and the State of Colorado OEDIT Advanced Industries grant program. Aspero Medical has developed the AP Balloon Overtube intended for use in gastrointestinal balloon endoscopy procedures, which a company news release says could improve procedure performance, save time for practitioners and patients, and improve patient outcomes. The company is using recent funding to support ongoing product development and to establish full contract manufacturing capabilities. Aspero plans to complete key regulatory filings and develop its commercial strategy with the new capital. Financially, the company announced a $500,000 seed investment from the Innosphere Fund and recently received a $250,000 Early Stage Capital and Retention Grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. In 2018 the Innosphere Fund provided $75,000 in the form of a convertible note, according to Aspero CTO Mark Rentschler. The company is based in Boulder and is positioning the AP Balloon Overtube for clinical and commercial advancement.