Ten local companies have been named finalists in the Coolest Thing Made in Colorado contest hosted by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.
The second annual contest was open to companies across the state that manufacture the product they nominated in Colorado. The list of 100 nominations was narrowed down to 10 by an independent selection committee. More than 130 nominations were submitted last year.
“The Coolest Thing contest presents an exceptional chance for manufacturers across Colorado’s diverse regions to put their best creations on display,” Loren Furman, Colorado Chamber president and CEO, said in a release announcing this year’s contest. “Our state boasts a remarkable array of innovative manufacturing companies, and we take great pride in spotlighting the impressive products crafted right here in Colorado.”
The 10 finalists this year vary across industries such as aerospace, food, health care, home goods and music.
The winner, which will be awarded a trophy and title of 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Colorado, will be announced on October 19 at the chamber’s annual meeting.
Here’s a look at the 10 finalists and their nominated products.
Brayniacs’ Wad-Free for Bed Sheets
Denver-based Brayniacs developed a gadget to prevent bedding from tangling, balling up and twisting in washing and drying machines. The product, called Wad-Free for Bed Sheets, was featured on Shark Tank in 2021, one year after the company’s founding. Wad-Free products are plastic injection molded, hand-assembled and kitted in Englewood. This is the second year Wad-Free has been a finalist in the Coolest Thing Made contest.
Collins Aerospace’s ACES 5 Ejection Seat
An aerospace company develops “future-focused technologies to advance sustainable and connected aviation, passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration and more,” said Donald Borchelt, associate director of Collins Aerospace. Founded in the 1930s, Collins Aerospace is an RTX Corp. business. Its 200 Colorado Springs-based employees developed the company’s ACES 5 Ejection Seat, the only ejection seat made in the U.S., according to Borchelt.
DNA Vibe’s Jazz Band
DNA Vibe’s Jazz Band wearable device helps prevent injury and accelerates a user’s recovery. The patent-pending device can be worn around any part of the body and works in harmony with the body’s “natural regenerative processes by stimulating DNA expression to help the body improve health, vitality, and recovery as it is naturally designed to do,” DNA Vibe founder and CEO Perry Kamel said. Jazz Band is used by everyday people, more than 1,600 clinical partners and hundreds of Olympic and professional athletes such as the Colorado Rockies, PGA professional Clayton Cole, the New York Yankees and some Denver Broncos players. Kamel started working on the Centennial-based company in 2017 and launched its first commercial product in early 2021.
Dobrato’s Resophonic Guitar
Dobrato is a musical instrument store in Gunnison founded in 2009. The Dobrato guitar is founder Kent Viles’ version of a Dobro guitar, one with an aluminum cone built into the body of the instrument. The Dobrato guitar, which is designed and assembled by hand at Dobrato’s store, causes the strings to vibrate the cone and make the instrument louder than the original resonator guitars built in the 1920s, Viles said. These locally made guitars also replicate Pedal Steel Guitar voicing and movement and can produce a vibrato. Viles’ guitars have been used by famous artists like Jimmy Buffett, Billy Gibbons and Tom Petty.
GelSana Therapeutics’ Cleragel
The Aurora-based company develops elastic wound dressing hydrogels to improve healing, particularly of chronic wounds. GelSana’s first commercial hydrogel, called Cleragel, will target diabetic wounds and can deliver therapeutics in a controlled manner over time. GelSana was founded in 2020 by CEO Melissa Krebs.
Icelantic Skis’ Shaman 2.0
Golden-based Icelantic Skis nominated a revamped version of its iconic ski. The Shaman 2.0 is more forgiving than its predecessor and ideal for skiers wanting to “carve deeply and dominate frontside turns while having versatility to perform all over the mountain,” according to the company. Icelantic Skis founder Ben Anderson began making skis in 2002 and founded Icelantic in 2006.
RELATED: Niche ski makers carve out market share
Lockheed Martin’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
Aerospace company Lockheed Martin submitted its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, done in partnership with NASA in the Coolest Thing Made contest. Lockheed Martin has a space headquarters in Littleton where it designed and built the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft along with 16 other spacecrafts for NASA. The spacecraft is the first U.S. mission to return samples from an asteroid to Earth, said Sandy Freund, Lockheed Martin’s OSIRIS-REx program manager.
Ocutrx Vision Technologies’ OcuLenz
Colorado Springs-based Ocutrx Vision Technologies was founded in 2015 by two-time Emmy Award-winning inventor Michael Freeman. The company develops augmented and mixed reality technology. Its OcuLenz product is a lightweight headset that uses AR and mixed reality to correct a user’s vision. OcuLenz is used by people with moderate to severe age-related macular degeneration.
Pollinator Chocolate’s Lavender Bar
Pollinator Chocolate was founded in 2019 by Mark Burrows. The company nominated its Lavender Bar, which is made with fresh lavender from Palisade and mixed with 70% dark chocolate. The company’s chocolate factory is based in Carbondale.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies’ Reveos Automated Whole Blood Processing System
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies manufactures blood bags and medical devices commonly found at blood banks and used for blood transfusions. The company’s Reveos system simplifies and automates manual steps in whole blood processing, including separating plasma and red blood cells, Chetan Makam, general manager of global blood solutions at Terumo BCT, told Colorado Inno via email. Founded in 1964 in California, Terumo BCT relocated to Colorado in 1967.
