Colorado picks two Munich startups for Startup Week 2026

Colorado Governor Jared Polis selected Munich startups Ewigbyte and Telura to join Colorado Startup Week 2026 after a deep-tech showcase in Munich. The move links German frontier technologies in data storage and geothermal drilling with Colorado’s push to strengthen infrastructure, energy and innovation ties.

Why it matters: - Colorado is bringing in technologies that could affect how data is preserved and how geothermal energy is unlocked. - The selection ties Bavaria-based startups to Colorado investors, researchers, industrial partners and public-sector leaders. - The visit is part of a broader transatlantic effort to connect Colorado and Bavaria around frontier technology.

What happened: - Governor Jared Polis joined a deep-tech showcase in Munich organized by Start2 Group. - Eight selected companies presented technologies aligned with Colorado’s innovation priorities. - Polis and his delegation selected both Ewigbyte and Telura to participate in Colorado Startup Week 2026. - Both companies were also selected for validation by Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, known as SPRIND. - Colorado Startup Week 2026 is scheduled for September.

The details: - Ewigbyte is developing photonic storage on glass for strategic data. - The company uses ultrashort laser pulses and spatial light modulators to write immutable data directly into glass. - Ewigbyte says the approach is meant to enable permanent preservation without the fragility and continuous energy demands of conventional storage systems. - Telura is developing next-generation electric impulse technology for hard-rock drilling. - Telura’s goal is to unlock deep geothermal energy by reducing the technical constraints of conventional drilling. - The company aims to make access to geothermal resources faster and less restricted by geology. - Colorado’s data-storage heritage includes IBM Boulder, StorageTek and generations of storage pioneers. - The state’s energy and innovation base also draws on decades of investment in research, entrepreneurship, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, energy innovation, quantum technologies and data storage. - Polis served on the judging panel and questioned founders about commercialization and defensibility. - Lance Gloss of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade called the participating companies “perhaps the best overall quality I have ever seen in a pitch competition” and pointed to their alignment with Colorado’s long-term priorities. - Start2 Group CEO Prof. Matthias Notz said the event showed the value of connecting regions with complementary strengths around real technologies and market opportunities. - Ewigbyte co-founder Dr. Ina von Haeften said Colorado is a natural fit for a technology seeking to define the next chapter of data storage. - Telura co-founder and CEO Philipp Engelkamp said Colorado is actively pulling in the technology needed to unlock the state’s geothermal resource.

Between the lines: - Colorado is not just recruiting startups. The state is using its innovation brand to source companies that fit long-term industrial and infrastructure goals. - Ewigbyte’s pitch speaks to data resilience and lower-energy storage. - Telura’s pitch speaks to cleaner baseload power and deeper geothermal access. - The pairing suggests Colorado wants both digital infrastructure and energy infrastructure winners.

What's next: - Ewigbyte and Telura will take part in Colorado Startup Week 2026 in September. - The startups are expected to meet entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, research institutions and public-sector stakeholders across Colorado. - The selection may deepen collaboration between Colorado and Bavaria if the companies advance beyond the showcase stage.

The bottom line: - Colorado is using Startup Week as a recruitment tool for frontier tech that could shape the state’s data and energy future.