Fort Collins, CO, Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For 28 years, Innosphere has been building Colorado’s innovation ecosystem by supporting entrepreneurs in bringing their technical innovations to life, and today, that work has gained national recognition. Innosphere has been named to TIME’s 2026 list of America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators, presented in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The list was announced today, and is available now on TIME.com. 

TIME’s ranking identifies the top 80 incubators and accelerators in the country, built on a rigorous, three-part evaluation. More than 2,000 founders who moved through incubator and accelerator programs between 2020 and 2025 weighed in on their personal experiences, rating mentoring and training, infrastructure, legal assistance, funding opportunities, networking, and business development advice. Statista’s research team then dug into the track record behind those impressions, evaluating each organization’s top five reported startups against publicly available outcomes. Rounding out the methodology, investors and experienced entrepreneurs across the country weighed in directly, naming the programs they trust and recommend most.

Innosphere has spent nearly three decades developing its commercialization programming. What started as a virtual incubator in 1998 has grown into the largest venture development organization in the Mountain West, connecting nonprofit acceleration in Life Sciences and Environmental Intelligence, capital access, purpose-built innovation campuses, the NSF ASCEND Engine, and regional alignment through the Colorado Innovation Council. In 2025 alone, that platform helped 102 startups raise $248M in capital and supported 171 full-time jobs.

Innosphere Accelerators are 8-month, sector-specific programs that include dedicated client director support. Participation is fee based with no equity required, and Innosphere has successfully leveraged federal funding, university partnerships and matching fundraising to eliminate or reduce program fees for start-ups. Matching support is now being accepted for the 2027 Life Science Accelerator cohort.  

“Innosphere’s mission is to support founders that are turning discovery into companies, returns, jobs and impact,” said Tim Jones, Chief Operating Officer of Innosphere. “We’ve seen our accelerator model accomplish this, and are grateful to TIME and Statistica for the third-party validation of our organization’s dedication to growing the economy through entrepreneurship.”

Statista is the leading data and business intelligence portal for statistics, market studies, and consumer research, and has published hundreds of worldwide industry rankings and company listings with high profile media partners. 

An important aspect of creating a vibrant innovation network is providing a platform for collaboration and conversation. To that end, Innosphere invites Colorado’s innovation community to its expanded Innovation After Hours event on Thursday, Sept. 17, at The Legacy Building in Denver. The evening will feature a keynote from two Milken Institute experts, co-authors of the organization’s annual Best-Performing Cities report, and will bring together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, and economic and innovation leaders for an evening of data, dialogue and networking. Held in coordination with the Colorado Innovation Council and sponsored by FBT Gibbons, the event reflects the same collaborative spirit that has helped drive Innosphere’s impact across the region. More information and registration details are available HERE. 

About Innosphere:

Innosphere is the Colorado-based nonprofit venture development organization — built for entrepreneurs turning discovery into companies. We bring acceleration, capital, infrastructure, and partners together to advance the region and enhance national competitiveness. Innosphere offers sector-specific accelerators, advances capital access, leads the NSF ASCEND Engine, and convenes the Colorado Innovation Council across four R&D-intensive industry sectors. Cumulative impact since 2013: 400+ companies served, 2,000+ jobs created, $3.6B in capital raised and $300M+ in revenue by client companies. innosphere.org 

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Kristen Tatti
Innosphere
(970) 221-1301
kristen@innosphere.org

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