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Innovation is happening. Right here.

Fitzsimons Innovation Community is a sprawling campus of leading-edge laboratory workspace where innovative health and life sciences companies of all sizes take their research to the next level to cure diseases, save lives, and improve care.

Smart, inclusive, forward-thinking, and highly educated people lead life sciences innovation in Colorado, the Hub for Health Impact. Together, we welcome life sciences organizations looking to call Colorado home and to collaborate with a robust community already in on the secret: the health and life sciences industry in Colorado is strong and making a global impact on the future of health.

 Move in, and build your vision here—today.

Community

The emphasis is on Community

We called it a community for a reason. From the board of directors to the newest company on campus, everyone at Fitzsimons Innovation Community knows that easy access to collaboration has direct results on success. From idea incubation to final-product manufacturing, your end-to-end innovation can come alive right here on our campus. All that Colorado sunshine is just a bonus.

Community

Cutting-edge discoveries in action

62%

Companies Hiring

Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies are thriving. 62% of companies added employees to their workforce.

75%

Companies Fundraising

Most Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies are actively involved in fundraising to power their progress.

16+

New Innovations

Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies introduced more than 16 new innovations to the market in 2023.

$116M

Capital Raised

Last year, Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies attracted more than $116M in investments to support R&D, prepare for clinical trials, accelerate commercialization, and retain or recruit talent.

75%

Companies with Discoveries

Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies made news with major breakthrough discoveries last year. Areas included molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, medical device, research tools, cell and gene therapy, material science, and diagnostics.

50%

Companies Forging Strategic Partnerships

Fitzsimons Innovation Community member companies forged strategic partnerships for business collaboration, legal services, and venture capital opportunities.

*Fitzsimons Innovation Community Member Growth Survey responses (January – December 2023)

A heritage of healthcare and innovation

Fitzsimons Innovation Community stands on the grounds that once held the Fitzsimons Army Hospital, where soldiers returning from World War I were treated. The Colorado high altitude has always been a destination for advancements in lung treatment, and 100 years ago, soldiers sought cures for tuberculosis and mustard gas exposure right here.

After the Army decommissioned the hospital in the 1990s, ideas for the current University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Fitzsimons Innovation Community began to percolate. That rich history of discovery, care, and research continues to inspire our vision a century later.

Our team is on your team

You know best when it comes to your projects, and we know how to keep you up and running with first-class scientific facilities management and community engagement. Our priority is to help you thrive on this campus and we have the proven tools and expertise to make that happen.

Don Larson

Facilities engineer

Erica N. Slaughenhoup

Accounting Specialist

Julie Ehler

Accounting Lead

Lyle Artz

Site manager

Steve VanNurden

PRESIDENT & CEO

Sue Niblo

Senior property manager

Thomas Smith

Vp, finance & operations

“The workspace has been perfect for our projects, but the most impressive thing to me has been the community. We’ve collaborated with researchers from the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, networked with other Fitzsimons Innovation Community members, and bounced ideas off some of the best minds in healthcare. And it’s all contributed to us moving forward in our research.”

Scott Deeter

CEO, InVitria

“I park my car in the morning, and then I never move it until I leave after work. We walk to lunch and meetings and take advantage of the outdoor space as much as we can during the day. Work-life balance happens right on campus.”

Kristin Nixon

President, PhosphoSolutions

Community

Fitzsimons Innovation Community News

GelSana Shares Vision for Innovative Would Care Solutions with Pharmaceutical Executive
News | Sep 18, 2024

GelSana Shares Vision for Innovative Would Care Solutions with Pharmaceutical Executive

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, Melissa Krebs, Ph.D., the CEO and founder of GelSana, discusses her journey in developing novel biomaterials that aim to revolutionize the $78 billion wound care market

EnteroTrack: Tiny Capsule Could Be Game Changer in Gut Health
News | Sep 18, 2024

EnteroTrack: Tiny Capsule Could Be Game Changer in Gut Health

Denver’s 9News recently profiled a biotech entrepreneur leveraging a health innovation developed at Fitzsimons Innovation Community. Robin Shandas, founder and CEO of EnteroTrack, developed the swallowable capsule that collects microbiome samples. Using the capsule, UC Denver graduate student Alex Gregorian founded an early stage startup, BioWell, to make gut health insights more accessible.

Fitzsimons CEO Featured on Healthicity “Compliance Conversations” podcast to Discuss Groundbreaking Ideas Transforming the Future of Healthcare and Medicine
News | Sep 16, 2024

Fitzsimons CEO Featured on Healthicity “Compliance Conversations” podcast to Discuss Groundbreaking Ideas Transforming the Future of Healthcare and Medicine

Fitzsimons Innovation Community CEO Steve VanNurden spoke with CJ Wolfe, M.D., host of Healthicity "Compliance Conversations" podcast, to explore the unique integration of academic and entrepreneurial ecosystems, discuss the reinvention of tech transfer, and reveal the keys to building a thriving biotech community.

Fitzsimons Innovation Community Creates a Hub for Healthcare Tech
News | Aug 19, 2024

Fitzsimons Innovation Community Creates a Hub for Healthcare Tech

Fitzsimons Innovation Community President and CEO Steve VanNurden welcomed Dynamic Tech Media to campus for a conversation about the wrap-around support for our Community members and the growth of life sciences in our state.

GelSana Adds Commercialization Expertise with New Board Director, Diana Verrilli
News | Aug 12, 2024

GelSana Adds Commercialization Expertise with New Board Director, Diana Verrilli

GelSana welcomes Diana Verrilli, Chief Growth Officer at DispatchHealth, to the company’s Board of Directors. Diana, an accomplished healthcare leader brings extensive experience in commercialization and business strategy planning and execution.

CU School of Medicine Boosted to Top-Tier Research Institution by U.S. News
News | Jul 23, 2024

CU School of Medicine Boosted to Top-Tier Research Institution by U.S. News

The University of Colorado School of Medicine at CU Anschutz is a top-tier research institution in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. Only 16 medical schools are included in the top tier.

Pioneers in Health Care
News | Jul 22, 2024

Pioneers in Health Care

Fitzsimons Innovation Community is home to more than 80 health and life sciences companies whose live-saving scientific research is blazing the trail for medical advancements and curing diseases, improving patient care, and saving lives. Livability (Adams County) features vignettes of three entrepreneurs conducting groundbreaking research on site.

Fitzsimons Innovation Community Features Among the “Titans of Transformation”
News | Jul 22, 2024

Fitzsimons Innovation Community Features Among the “Titans of Transformation”

Fitzsimons Innovation Community is recognized for having made a profound impact on the region’s economy in the annual issue of Livability (Adams County). Last fall, AC-REP honored Fitzsimons with their Gamechanger award for driving economic vitality.

Atara Biotherapeutics
News | Jul 17, 2024

Atara Biotherapeutics

Today Atara announced that the FDA has accepted its Biologics License Application (BLA) and granted Priority Review with a January 15, 2025 hashtag#PDUFA date for tabelecleucel (tab-cel®) as monotherapy for treatment of adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with Epstein-Barr virus (hashtag#EBV) positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (hashtag#PTLD) who have received at least one prior therapy. For solid organ transplant patients, prior therapy includes chemotherapy unless chemotherapy is inappropriate. If approved, tab-cel would be the first approved therapy in the U.S. for EBV+ PTLD. Read the press release for more: https://bit.ly/46bainx

DARTNet enhances and enlarges clinical decision support for clinicians
News | Jul 03, 2024

DARTNet enhances and enlarges clinical decision support for clinicians

DARTNet leaders Wilson Pace and John Westfall co-author "An Exploratory Study of Physician Decision-Making When Treating Uncontrolled COPD" in International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

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