recap of 2025

A group of people seated side by side at a panel, with a woman in the center holding a microphone and speaking, wearing a sleeveless top, with dark hair. There are three other individuals visible, one with a tablet, all dressed in business or semi-fo
A man in a suit holding a microphone speaking on stage at the Deep Tech Summit in Colorado, with a large digital-themed screen behind him, and audience members in the foreground.
Group of people engaged in conversation at a professional event, with a sign in the background reading 'Janzen Family Pitch Dec'.

reactions to our inaugural year:

 

“It was inspiring to see Colorado front and center, and to be part of a gathering that brought together such a dynamic group of founders, investors, and operators. The momentum you’re building is meaningful.”

“Great inaugural event! One key metric I measure an event by is the number of pages of notes I take. Your event had a high page count! Thanks so much for bringing the people, content, and location together. Looking forward to future events.”

2025 Attendees Included

Investors: Massive, Access Venture Partners, In-Q-Tel, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Type One Ventures, Squadra Ventures, Caruso Ventures, Lavrock Ventures, D4 Investments, Lemnos, Everywhere Ventures , Harpoon, Innosphere, Morpheus, Alley Corp, One Bow River, Buff Gold Ventures, Drive Capital, Next Frontier Capital, AFWERX, Anzu Partners, and more!

Companies: Vescent, Lux Aeterna, Urban Sky, Maybell, Rebel Space, CisLunar, Katalyst Space, Think Orbital, Endolith Mining, Canopy Aerospace, Ampaire, Longpath, Mesa Quantum, Lynq, OrbitFab, Xcimer Fusion and more!

Industry Supporters & Sponsors: Colorado School of Mines, KO Law, JP Morgan, Ascent CFO, Lago Innovation Fund, Pathstone, Elevate Quantum, CU Boulder, NREL, DIU, OEDIT, Catalyst Campus, SAIC and more.

  • 8:30 – 9:30 AM | Arrival & Breakfast
    Networking, light breakfast, and attendee check-in.

    9:30 – 9:45 AM | Welcome & Setting the Stage

    Opening remarks framing why deep tech — and why Colorado — right now.

    Speakers:

    • Maggie Rodney, Massive VC

    • Ari Newman, Massive VC

    • Zack Bennett, Beck Venture Center

    9:45 – 10:15 AM | Keynote Fireside Chat: National Security & Innovation

    A conversation on how frontier technologies move from research to real-world deployment at national scale.

    Guest:

    • Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, Director, DARPA & Eric Shu, Access Venture Partners

    10:15 – 11:00 AM | The Capital Perspective

    How different pools of capital — venture, strategic, and government-adjacent — evaluate and support deep tech.

    Panelists:

    • Kelly Coyne, D4 Investments

    • John Cheatwood, In-Q-Tel

    • Alex Poulin, Lavrock

    • Sam Stonberg, Lockheed Martin

    11:00 – 11:15 AM | Break

    11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Beyond Venture: Non-Traditional Funding Paths

    Exploring grants, venture debt, federal programs, and alternative capital structures for scaling deep tech.

    Panelists:

    • DIU

    • CYBERWORX

    • LAGO Innovation

    • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

    12:00 – 12:45 PM | Colorado Deep Tech Ecosystem Spotlight

    A look at the infrastructure, institutions, and public-private partnerships powering Colorado’s deep tech momentum.

    Panelists:

    • Elevate Quantum

    • NSF Engines (CO/WY)

    • Catalyst Campus

    • Colorado Cleantech Industries Association

    • Department of Energy initiatives

    • Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT)

    12:45 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Networking

    1:30 – 2:15 PM | Lab to Market

    What it really takes to commercialize breakthrough science — and where teams get stuck.

    Panelists:

    • Maybell Quantum

    • LongPath Technologies

    • AlleyCorp

    • Endolith

    2:15 – 3:00 PM | Hardware vs. Software: Where Deep Tech Breaks the Rules

    Why traditional startup playbooks fail — and how founders navigate capital intensity, timelines, and risk.

    Panelists:

    • Lemnos

    • Vescent

    • Tynt

    • Ampaire

    3:00 – 3:15 PM | Break

    3:15 – 4:00 PM | Building Deep Tech Teams

    Talent, culture, and leadership in companies solving problems that actually matter.

    Panelists:

    • Mesa Quantum

    • Xcimer Energy

    • Urban Sky

    • ThinkOrbital

    4:00 – 4:15 PM | Closing Reflections

    Key takeaways, themes from the day, and a look ahead.

    4:30 – 6:30 PM | Community Happy Hour

    An informal close to the day with founders, investors, operators, and partners.ng started or scaling something bigger. Everything is tailored to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Audience attending the Deep Tech Summit in a modern conference room with a large digital screen displaying the event name, two speakers on stage having a discussion, and a glass ceiling reflecting the audience.
Three men in conversation near a wooden wall with a sign that reads 'The Janzen Family Pitch Deck.' One man is wearing a black suit and holding a rolled paper, the second man is wearing a light blue vest, and the third man is in a plaid jacket.
Five people sitting on chairs on a stage, engaging in a panel discussion, with a large digital screen behind them displaying a mountain and snow scene.
A man in a brown blazer with glasses holding a microphone and speaking to an audience at a conference with a large screen behind him displaying "Deep Tech Summit" in a room with wood-paneled walls.
Group of professionals socializing and working in a bright, modern conference lounge area with large windows and blue chairs.
Group of people having a discussion at a conference with a large screen displaying profile pictures in the background.
Two people seated on stage at the Deep Tech Summit, engaging in a discussion. The person on the left, dressed in a gray blazer, is holding a microphone and looking towards the woman on the right, who is speaking into a microphone. Behind them is a la
Two women conversing at a networking event, each holding a beverage, with others in the background near large windows showing greenery outside.
A group of people attending a conference in a modern room with large windows showing trees outside, seated and standing, some using phones, a few listening attentively, with natural light and black round tables with black tablecloths.

THANK You to our 2025 sponsors

The Pathstone logo with a pixelated square icon and the company name in bold letters.
J.P. Morgan logo on a black background
Logo for KO Law with the text 'KO' and 'LAW' underneath, separated by a horizontal line.
Stylized black background with the word "LAGO" arranged vertically, with the letters in gray and a minimalist design.
Logo of Ascent CFO Solutions with mountain graphic and company name.
Logo for Colorado School of Mines Book Trouble Center.