A look around the rows of posters at Colorado State University’s Demo Day reveals a world of diverse ideas.
On one hand, design and merchandising student Corinne Sage demonstrated how virtual reality can help architecture students study distant buildings. Another design and merchandising student named Bridget Brown introduced how kombucha byproducts can be used to create sustainable fibers. Just a few feet away was Hassan Mahmoud, a bioengineering master’s student who developed a unique solution to help people suffering from jaw pain.
“I just want to create things that help people,” he said.
The ultimate goal of Demo Day is to provide a path for all these ideas to become startups. His April 17 event, hosted by CSU STRATA, drew not only CSU students and researchers, but also members of the Northern Colorado business community and local startups.
“I like being here because researchers like me are always in the lab. This allows us to introduce what we’re working on to people outside of that community.” said Ahmed Gad, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology. Her research addresses the effects of global warming on animal fertility.
Many teams won prize money and were able to continue the long process of commercializing their ideas. After the poster show, they were able to hear from CSU alumnus Marcus Martinez. Marcus Martinez jumped into the startup after an entrepreneur saw the potential for his paper to become the basis for Aquanta Vision, software that makes it easier to detect methane leaks.
Martinez said he was drawn to the startup because he is an engineer who likes to solve problems.
“Find a way for yourself to enjoy that fight,” he told the crowd.
Demo Day is just one part of Innovate CSU Day. This included the annual Venture RAMS Business Showcase hosted by the College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship.
The pitch competition featured six CSU students from various majors who showed how their ideas could be turned into businesses. The ultimate winner was Gabe Allen, a first-year business major who won $5,000 for his startup company with a unique backpacking table.
Learn more about our students and their startups below.
