Second Cohort Graduates from CU Denver’s TechUp Incubator 

Four teams were recognized as Most Innovative, Most Disruptive, Most Likely to Become a Unicorn, and Most Passionate Storytelling during the program’s final presentations.

By Nicholas Shaffer, graduate student program assistant at the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship

Denver, CO, August 2025 – The Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship (JJCE) celebrates the graduation of its second cohort of innovative tech-based businesses. Nineteen ventures participated in the JJCE’s TechUp Incubator, a hybrid summer program dedicated to supporting early-stage ventures from across the Denver metro area. This cohort is twice the size of the program’s first and represents a diverse range of industries and inspiring ingenuity.   

Hosted at the CU Denver Business School, the JJCE’s TechUp Incubator is an immersive nine-week program that gives participating founders free access to weekly workshops, a dedicated workspace, mentorship, and peer-to-peer accountability. Each team also receives equity-free membership and a $2,000 stipend upon graduation from the program to fuel their business’s growth. Open to anyone in the Denver area, the program is in part funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), for which the JJCE is a sub-awardee in partnership with Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN), and the Colorado Thought Leaders Forum (CTLF). 

Throughout June and July, participants attended expert-led workshops covering critical entrepreneurial topics for early-stage founders, including branding, management, cybersecurity, legal resources, intellectual property, AI tools, and strategies for raising capital. 

“The weekly workshops gave me structured time to learn alongside other entrepreneurs,” said Lauren Little, founder of LodgeIt., a maker of wellness products for vaginal health. “Having a space to ask questions, share challenges, and get real-time feedback made the workshops directly applicable to the unique situations we were navigating.”  

Each team in this year’s cohort also met weekly with a dedicated mentor. These pairings quickly became a cornerstone of the incubator experience, offering strategic guidance, continual feedback, and relevant industry connections. 

“My mentor Jeromy Metz and I met every Tuesday morning, and those coffee chats quickly became my weekly reset,” said Luyu Huang, founder of Anyone, an activity-first social app for making friends. “I could bring him anything, from big-picture strategy to the messy realities of team growth, and he always had grounded advice and real stories to share. I’m thrilled he’s continuing with us as an advisor.” 

On Tuesday, July 29, the program culminated in a Final Pitch & Demo Day, where each team presented their venture to an audience of more than 50 community leaders, mentors, investors, and fellow founders. The event served as both a celebration of their progress and a launchpad for the next stage of each company’s journey.  

“It’s been profound and moving to see these founders grow, form meaningful relationships with their mentors and each other, and rapidly develop their businesses over the last nine weeks,” said Chandler Hughes, Grant and Event Manager at the JJCE and co-organizer of the TechUp Incubator. 

During this final event, those in attendance voted on winners for the following categories (with the winning teams listed):

• Most Innovative: SALVA, maker of a two-in-one water bottle that serves both hydration and saliva management needs
• Most Disruptive: VertoAI, an AI-powered solution that empowers healthcare patients and providers with tools for better communication 
• Most Likely to Become a Unicorn: Agami Zero, creator of a liquid hydrogen-powered EV charging system to accelerate off-grid clean energy access 
• Most Passionate Storytelling: First Decree, designer of functional, fashion-forward clothing that liberates women from the tyranny of the bra 

Other participating ventures in this year’s cohort are creating products and services related to clean energy and sustainability, healthcare, event planning, AI-driven platforms, cutting-edge consumer products, and creative commerce. 

Although this year’s program has concluded, the momentum continues. Several founders are now preparing for seed rounds, launching MVPs, and scaling their ventures. The Jake Jabs Center team looks forward to championing their growth in the months and years ahead. 
 

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Media Contact: Sarah Soenke, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship
sarah.soenke@ucdenver.edu