What Innosphere Ventures does

Innosphere Ventures is a science and technology accelerator founded in 1998 and headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. It supports early-stage science and technology startups in the Mountain Plains Region through a platform of structured accelerator programs, advisory services, capital deployment, and physical infrastructure. Core programs include the Life Sciences Accelerator (serving startups across six states through the EDA-funded Regional Life Sciences Incubator), the Earth & Space Systems Accelerator, the NSF-funded ASCEND Engine, and the SAGE founder-advisor matching program. The Innosphere Ventures Fund deploys seed-stage capital, and the Labs & Offices offering provides wet and dry laboratory and office space at the Fort Collins headquarters.

The business model combines non-dilutive grant funding from federal and state economic development agencies with venture fund economics and program fees. Key partners include the U.S. Economic Development Administration ($2M grant, 2023), the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade ($1.4M, 2024), Colorado State University, the National Science Foundation ASCEND Engine, and co-investors such as Stout Street Capital. The go-to-market relies on inbound applications from founders, direct outreach via events and newsletter, and the published Colorado Venture Capital Report. Customer segments are organized vertically across life sciences, earth and space systems, and advanced industries (advanced sensing, computational analytics, soil health, quantum computing, SHIELD wildfire preparedness).

Reported outcomes include 80% of portfolio startups receiving funding and $2.1B in cumulative capital raised by portfolio companies. In late 2025, Innosphere co-led a $5 million Series Seed in RedDrop Dx alongside Stout Street Capital. The organization operates with 11-50 employees and is privately held.

Name

Innosphere Ventures

Legal name

Innosphere

Website

https://innosphereventures.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innosphere Ventures is a Fort Collins-based science and technology accelerator that supports early-stage startups in the Mountain Plains Region through structured programs, mentorship, seed-stage venture funding, and wet/dry lab facilities, with vertical focus on life sciences, earth and space systems, and advanced industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator services
• Life sciences incubator
• Science technology commercialization
• Seed stage venture capital
• Wet dry lab facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Programs and Startup Support: Innosphere operates as a science and technology accelerator providing programs for early-stage startups, supported by grant funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration ($2 million grant for Regional Life Sciences Incubator over three years).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Innosphere Ventures is a science and technology accelerator operating multiple programs (Life Sciences Accelerator, Earth & Space Systems Accelerator, NSF ASCEND Engine, SAGE advisory program) to help early-stage startups commercialize innovations. The organization provides dedicated client success management, investor and advisor connections, and physical wet/dry lab and office infrastructure, complemented by a seed-stage venture fund for portfolio investments in the Mountain Plains Region.

Product overview

Innosphere Ventures is a science and technology accelerator that operates as a platform offering multiple distinct programs and focus areas. The core programs include the Life Sciences Accelerator, Earth & Space Systems Accelerator, NSF ASCEND Engine, and SAGE advisory program, which work together to support startup founders from innovation through commercialization. The Ventures Fund provides investment opportunities for investors, while the Labs & Offices facility service offers physical wet and dry lab and office spaces. These programs are complemented by specialized focus areas in advanced sensing and computational analytics, soil health, quantum computing, and SHIELD wildfire preparedness and recovery. The accelerator focuses on the Mountain Plains Region, with particular emphasis on advancing life sciences startups across six states through its Regional Life Sciences Incubator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NSF ASCEND Engine: NSF ASCEND (Accelerating Solutions for Economic Development through engineering) is an NSF-funded initiative focused on advancing technology solutions for regional challenges.
• SAGE
• Innosphere Ventures Fund

Products and services

• Life Sciences Accelerator Accelerator program focused on advancing startups in the life sciences sector, supporting innovation and ecosystem development across six states through the Regional Life Sciences Incubator funded by a $2M U.S. Economic Development Administration grant. Targets early-stage life sciences startup founders in the Mountain Plains Region.
• Earth & Space Systems Accelerator Accelerator program advancing leading-edge science in earth and space systems, contributing to economic growth, technological leadership, and regional resilience. Cohort companies include FloodID, PrecisionTerra, and Brint Tech. Targets startups working on earth observation, space technology, flood monitoring, environmental sensing, and resilience solutions.
• NSF ASCEND Engine National Science Foundation program focused on advancing startups and research in advanced sensing and computational analytics, soil health, quantum computing, and SHIELD wildfire preparedness and recovery technologies in the Mountain Plains Region.
• SAGE Program connecting startup founders with advisors, experts, partners, and potential investors to help build investment-ready companies, providing support for market understanding, capital access, talent building, customer acquisition, and successful exits.
• Ventures Fund Seed-stage venture fund (Innosphere Ventures Fund) that invests in promising science and technology entrepreneurs in the Mountain Plains Region, enabling investors to drive regional innovation. Example: led a $5M Series Seed round for RedDrop Dx in late 2025 alongside Stout Street Capital.
• Labs & Offices Wet and dry lab and office space rentals located at the Fort Collins headquarters (320 East Vine Drive, Suite 101) for science and technology startups requiring physical infrastructure to scale operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of Innosphere startups received funding
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner collaborating on research and development projects. CSU's RadSense project on wildfire smoke forecasting is an example of this partnership, with Professor John Volckens leading the research through the NSF ASCEND Engine program.
• National Science Foundation (NSF) ASCEND EnginecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded program administered through Innosphere focusing on advanced sensing and computational analytics, soil health, quantum computing, and SHIELD wildfire preparedness and recovery technologies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plug and Play: Multi-vertical technology accelerator and venture investor with corporate partnership programs, structurally analogous to Innosphere's accelerator-plus-fund-plus-corporate-partner platform.
• CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center): Innovation campus operator providing lab and office infrastructure plus venture-ecosystem programming; comparable to Innosphere's Labs & Offices and program platform.
• Techstars: Global accelerator operator running multiple vertical programs with a dedicated venture fund, directly comparable to Innosphere's multi-program + fund structure, though at far larger scale.
• gener8tor: U.S. accelerator that runs sector-agnostic and skills-based programs; Innosphere explicitly partners with gener8tor via the NSF ASCEND Engine Skills Accelerator, indicating near-identical operating models.
• BioGenerator: St. Louis-based life-sciences accelerator and investor; directly comparable to Innosphere's life-sciences-vertical focus with co-investment and lab-infrastructure support.
• IndieBio: Life-sciences- and biotech-focused accelerator with venture funding; closest comparable to Innosphere's Life Sciences Accelerator vertical.
• MassChallenge: Global nonprofit accelerator with sector programs (including health and deep tech) and a partnership-driven model mirroring Innosphere's program-platform approach.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: Largest and most-recognized startup accelerator globally; broader software/consumer orientation but competes for the same early-stage founders Innosphere targets.

Regional players

• JumpStart Inc. Cleveland-based venture development organization running regional accelerator and fund programs; structurally similar to Innosphere but serving a different U.S. region.
• CSIRO ON Accelerate: Australia-based deep-tech accelerator attached to a national science agency; similar place-based, science-commercialization mandate to Innosphere's NSF ASCEND Engine model, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innosphere-technology-incubator
• Xx.com/Innosphere_V
• Facebookfacebook.com/InnosphereVentures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Innosphere Ventures