University of Colorado
The University of Colorado is a four-campus public research university system (Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus) founded in 1876, serving approximately 67,000 students and 37,000 employees through undergraduate and graduate education, federally funded research, and healthcare delivery in Colorado.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1876
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What University of Colorado does
The University of Colorado is a public state university system founded in 1876, governed by the Board of Regents and headquartered at 1800 Grant Street in Denver. It operates four campuses—CU Boulder, CU Colorado Springs, CU Denver, and CU Anschutz Medical Campus—serving approximately 67,000 students and 37,000 employees. The system delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, federally funded research, healthcare services through CU Anschutz, and statewide public health initiatives such as the Colorado Asthma-Friendly Schools program, which has recognized 221 schools serving 126,000+ students.
The system's revenue model is hybrid: state appropriations and tuition from 67,000 enrolled students form the base, supplemented by federal and state research grants (NSF, NIH, DOE, ARPA-H), clinical revenue from CU Anschutz, NIL-related apparel (the AVO line via Digital Brands Group), and foundation/donor support. Distribution is direct-enrollment through campus admissions portals, with research commercialization channeled through corporate partnerships (notably Medtronic on AI/robotics) and technology transfer. Recent strategic moves show aggressive buildout: a $2M annual OpenAI ChatGPT Edu contract serves 100,000 users system-wide; a $500K state grant funded the 13,000-sq-ft Colorado Quantum Incubator/PICACTs facility; ARPA-H funding supports an injectable osteoarthritis treatment; and Independence Plaza was acquired for $29.75M to expand CU Denver's downtown footprint.
Underlying technology assets span quantum hardware testbeds, biomedical research platforms (including an A$170M Pro Medicus cloud imaging contract and brain-computer interface implants at CU Hospital), and applied AI in materials science and rare earth extraction. The institution is simultaneously an education provider, a research performer with R1 designation at Boulder, and a clinical operator via Anschutz—an integrated stack that distinguishes it from single-campus peers.
University of Colorado firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Colorado
- Legal name
- Regents of the University of Colorado
- Website
- https://cu.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1876
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- The University of Colorado is a four-campus public research university system (Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus) founded in 1876, serving approximately 67,000 students and 37,000 employees through undergraduate and graduate education, federally funded research, and healthcare delivery in Colorado.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Colorado industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI), Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated) (EDAHABAC)
Keywords
Where University of Colorado is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
University of Colorado business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition across four campuses including CU Boulder, CU Colorado Springs, CU Denver, and CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
- Research Grants and Contracts: Federal and state research funding including grants from NSF, NIH, DOE, ARPA-H, and other government agencies supporting scientific research across all campuses.
- State Appropriations: Annual state funding from the Colorado state government as a public institution.
- NIL Apparel Revenue: Revenue from the AVO apparel line through Digital Brands Group partnership, with a portion of each purchase contributing to the university's NIL fund for student athletes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tuition Assistance Benefit (TAB) for employees and dependents |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
University of Colorado product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of Colorado is a four-campus public research university system that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across arts, sciences, engineering, business, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and public health. In addition to education, it conducts federally funded scientific research (NSF, NIH, DOE, ARPA-H) and provides clinical healthcare services through CU Anschutz Medical Campus, including the University of Colorado Hospital.
Product overview
The University of Colorado is a four-campus public research university system (Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Anschutz Medical Campus) offering educational programs, research initiatives, and healthcare services. The institution's product offerings include AI-powered educational tools like ChatGPT Edu, research facilities such as the Colorado Quantum Incubator, healthcare programs including palliative care training and the Asthma-Friendly Schools initiative, and various research partnerships in biotechnology, cancer research, and atmospheric science.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CU Boulder Academic Programs Undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the University of Colorado Boulder, the flagship R1 research campus offering programs spanning arts, sciences, engineering, business, and NASA/DOE-collaborative research.
- CU Colorado Springs Academic Programs Undergraduate and graduate academic programs at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the only graduate research institution in southern Colorado with ties to local business and government agencies.
- CU Denver Academic Programs Undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Colorado Denver, located downtown with globally recognized programs in business, engineering, public affairs, computer science, and digital media.
- CU Anschutz Medical Campus Programs Professional and graduate health sciences degree programs at CU Anschutz Medical Campus, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and public health, with 42 highly rated programs and adjacent clinical services.
- ChatGPT Edu Deployment Enterprise AI platform providing secure, institutionally supported ChatGPT access for students, faculty, and staff across all four CU campuses, designed to offer an alternative to public AI platforms with better data protection.
- CU Anschutz Medical Campus Healthcare Services Clinical healthcare delivery at CU Anschutz Medical Campus including the University of Colorado Hospital, providing specialty care, clinical trials, and patient services across Colorado's Front Range.
- AVO NIL Apparel Line CU-branded apparel line marketed through Digital Brands Group's AVO storefront, with a portion of each purchase directed to the University of Colorado's Name, Image, and Likeness fund supporting student athletes.
- Colorado Quantum Incubator (PICACTs Facility) A 13,000-square-foot quantum technology incubator in Boulder featuring the Photonic Integrated Circuits Assembly Characterization and Test Facility (PICACTs), an open-access facility eliminating packaging and testing bottlenecks for the regional quantum industry.
- Community Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Online training pathway for midcareer physicians addressing the national shortage of palliative care clinicians, including an interdisciplinary Master of Science in Palliative Care program.
Quantifiable outcome
- 221 schools recognized in Colorado Asthma-Friendly Schools initiative, positively impacting more than 126,000 students.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use University of Colorado
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
University of Colorado technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
University of Colorado partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Colorado Quantum Incubator Partners (CSU, Colorado School of Mines, Elevate Quantum)coreThe Colorado Quantum Incubator in Boulder was established through collaboration between the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, and Elevate Quantum. It received a $500,000 Collaborative Infrastructure Grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade to establish the Photonic Integrated Circuits Assembly Characterization and Test Facility (PICACTs), a 13,000-square-foot open-access facility.
- Lunai Bioworks - Pathfinder ConsortiumminorThe Pathfinder Consortium, a national academic-industry alliance through Lunai Bioworks' subsidiary BioSymetrics, includes the University of Colorado. The consortium targets $400 million to $1.2 billion federal procurement market per program for chemical countermeasures, leveraging Lunai's AI-enabled phenotypic platform combined with academic and military expertise.
- Digital Brands Group (DBGI)minorDigital Brands Group launched its AVO apparel line at the University of Colorado, the third university under its NIL strategic initiative. Every purchase contributes to CU's Name, Image, and Likeness fund supporting student athletes. The launch included a $25 gift card promotion. Grand View Research projects the NIL college apparel segment will grow from $36.4 billion in 2024 to $49.0 billion by 2030.
- Sanctuary CaresminorSanctuary Cares, a nonprofit providing in-home postpartum doula care to low- and middle-income families across 11 Colorado counties, is conducting an NIH-funded research project with the University of Colorado to study the impact of postpartum doula care on depression and anxiety among BIPOC women.
- Colorado Attorney General Phil WeiserminorColorado AG Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to recover $600 million in federal clean energy research grants canceled by the Trump administration, including $8 million to the University of Colorado for solar energy research, $300 million to Colorado State University, and $32 million to the Colorado School of Mines.
- OpenAIcoreCU system signed a $2 million annual agreement with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT Edu access across its four campuses (Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aurora/Anschutz) for 100,000 users during the first year. Each campus operates a dedicated ChatGPT environment offering a secure, institutionally supported alternative to public AI platforms. Individual campuses assume costs after the first year. The partnership has faced backlash from faculty and students over data privacy and academic integrity concerns.
- Sports Business Ventures (SBV)minorCU Athletics Scripps Student-Athlete Leadership and Career Development program partnered with Sports Business Ventures to launch a 1:1 Sports Executive Mentorship Program connecting CU student-athletes with leading sports industry executives. The program provides personalized career guidance tailored to professional goals for athletes in Lacrosse, Football, Nordic Ski, Alpine Ski, and Soccer.
- MedtroniccoreThree University of Colorado campuses including CU Boulder, CU Anschutz, and CU Denver entered into a strategic research partnership with Medtronic to accelerate development of transformative health technologies. The collaboration focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, and sustainability, with a goal to move technologies from lab to bedside faster and deliver benefits to patients worldwide. The alliance was launched at a summit on the CU Anschutz campus.
- Finland (LUMI Supercomputer Partnership)minorColorado Governor Jared Polis and the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade hosted Finland's Ambassador to the US for a three-day visit reinforcing a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding. Four research partnerships work with Finland's LUMI supercomputer involving Colorado institutions, strengthening transatlantic quantum technology partnerships.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University of Colorado competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Michigan State University: Land-grant public research university with comparable scale (~50K students), Big Ten athletics, and dual healthcare/research footprint; comparable tuition plus state appropriation funding mix.
- Colorado State University: Public research university also based in Colorado and co-collaborator with CU on the Colorado Quantum Incubator; shares state funding dynamics, federal grant exposure, and patient/research overlap via the Fort Collins and Anschutz research footprints.
- University of Oregon: Public R1 research university and Big 12/CFP athletic peer with comparable student (~22K) and research scale; shares similar tuition-dependence, federal-grant reliance, and Pac-12/Big-12 conference athletics dynamics with CU Boulder.
- University of Arizona: Big 12 public R1 university with academic medical center in Tucson; shares athletic conference dynamics, federal research funding exposure, and multi-campus public university governance model.
- University of Utah: Public R1 university with academic medical center, comparable in research portfolio (quantum, biomedical) and Western regional positioning; shares Big 12 athletics dynamics and state-land-grant funding characteristics.
- University of Kansas: Big 12 peer public research university with medical center, athletics-driven admissions, and similar scale (~30K students, 7K employees); comparable budget reliance on state appropriations and federal research funding.
Broad incumbents
- University of Washington: Large public R1 with academic medical system; provides comparable benchmarks for biomedical research scale, partnership economics with major medical device/pharma vendors, and multi-campus governance model.
- Arizona State University: Larger multi-campus public research university known for technology-enabled and online program scale; competes with CU for non-traditional enrollment and federal research grants, especially under similar state appropriations structures.
Others
- Children's Hospital Colorado: Anschutz Medical Campus co-located clinical partner; co-leads population health initiatives like Asthma-Friendly Schools and operates jointly with CU faculty, making it a deeply integrated operating peer for CU's healthcare delivery and research revenue.
Regional players
- Colorado School of Mines: Specialized Colorado public university focused on engineering, applied science, and quantum research; collaborates with CU on the Colorado Quantum Incubator and shares state funding dynamics as a smaller regional complement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of Colorado social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Colorado compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
University of Colorado financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Colorado leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
University of Colorado subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
University of Colorado funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
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University of Colorado M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of Colorado
What does University of Colorado do?
The University of Colorado is a four-campus public research university system that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across arts, sciences, engineering, business, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and public health. In addition to education, it conducts federally funded scientific research (NSF, NIH, DOE, ARPA-H) and provides clinical healthcare services through CU Anschutz Medical Campus, including the University of Colorado Hospital.
Is University of Colorado a public or private company?
University of Colorado is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Colorado founded?
University of Colorado was founded in 1876. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is University of Colorado based?
University of Colorado is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does University of Colorado make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Contracts, state Appropriations and NIL Apparel Revenue.
Who are University of Colorado's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Michigan State University, Colorado State University, University of Oregon, University of Arizona, University of Utah and University of Kansas. Broad incumbents are University of Washington and Arizona State University. Children's Hospital Colorado is listed as an others. Colorado School of Mines is listed as a regional player.
Does University of Colorado have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Colorado.
What industry is University of Colorado in?
University of Colorado's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAC, Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs), with a secondary code of EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.