This Month's Latest Tech News in Fort Collins, CO - Saturday May 31st 2025 Edition

Fort Collins is emerging as a tech and AI innovation hub in 2025, balancing disruption with new opportunities fueled by a mix of thriving startups, fresh public investments, and robust support programs.

Local companies like TurboTenant, BillGO, and TiLT stand out as top-funded ventures, collectively raising over $409 million and ranking Fort Collins' ecosystem #65 in the nation for startup activity.

The city's momentum is furthered by recent state grants totaling $7.3 million awarded to advanced AI and sustainability startups including PHAXTEC and Pricing Service, boosting both commercialization and job creation.

Growth is sustained by industry-focused accelerators such as Innosphere Ventures, which offers $100,000+ investments and a six-month B2B tech program, maintaining an 82% success rate according to the latest accelerator rankings.

As Michelle Hadwiger, Colorado's Global Business Development Director, notes,

“These pioneering companies and researchers are not only advancing technology, they are creating jobs, attracting investment, and positioning Colorado at the forefront of global competitiveness.”

Discover more about Fort Collins' top-funded startups and their impact at StartupBlink's regional startup ranking.

Colorado's groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Act - set to take effect February 1, 2026 - seeks to protect consumers from algorithmic discrimination in crucial sectors like employment, housing, finance, education, and essential government services.

Modeled as a first-in-the-nation effort, the law mandates transparency, risk assessments, and disclosure to individuals when high-risk AI systems influence consequential decisions.

Recent attempts to amend the law with Senate Bill 318, which sought to delay implementation, clarify definitions, and expand exemptions, failed due to a lack of consensus among lawmakers, industry leaders, and consumer advocates as detailed in The Colorado Sun's analysis of the legislative standoff.

Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser have voiced concerns about the law's complexity, its potential to hamper innovation, and risks for businesses struggling to comply without clear federal standards; as summarized by a legal update, Polis urged consideration of “a complex compliance regime” that “could hinder innovation and deter competition” according to HireRight's comprehensive overview.

The law's strict rules, such as requiring deployers to notify consumers and the Attorney General of any discovered algorithmic discrimination within 90 days, come with specific compliance avenues - including an affirmative defense for organizations following recognized risk management frameworks.

The Colorado Attorney General's Office is currently seeking broad stakeholder input to guide formal rulemaking, emphasizing that balanced, fair AI governance is essential for both consumer protection and technological growth as outlined in the state's ADAI rulemaking process.

The table below summarizes SB24-205's key compliance requirements for developers and deployers of high-risk AI systems:

Requirement	Developers	Deployers
Risk Management & Impact Assessment	Provide documentation, disclose risks, summary statements	Maintain policies, complete annual reviews, document impact assessments
Consumer Disclosure	Inform deployers about high-risk AI capabilities	Notify consumers about AI influence and offer appeals via human review
Reporting Discrimination	Disclose to Attorney General/deployers within 90 days of discovery	Disclose discrimination and corrective actions to Attorney General
Public Transparency	Publish statement on high-risk AI and risk practices	Publicly summarize systems and data uses

The Fort Collins-Boulder corridor has quietly become a powerhouse in the booming slot machine software industry, now ranked as the nation's second-largest hub for casino gaming technology development outside Nevada.

Over 20 firms - including local standouts GamingSoft Solutions and Reel Code Technologies - supply critical backend systems that power thousands of slot machines on casino floors nationwide.

These companies specialize in everything from random number generation and robust regulatory compliance to advanced algorithmic payout structures, offering cost-effective expertise to major manufacturers in Nevada and beyond.

This dynamic sector, which employs more than 600 engineers and generates $120 million annually, is thriving thanks to both proximity to local universities and the region's lower operational costs according to North Forty News.

The software lifecycle begins in Colorado, undergoes rigorous independent testing, and ultimately integrates into high-traffic machines on casino floors - all within a typical 12–18 month project span.

Innovation is at the core, with AI, mobile-connected features, and cloud-based gaming set to transform the player experience in coming years as detailed by Tech Support Alert.

For iGaming operators and casino developers, turnkey solutions further lower barriers to entry and enable rapid deployment of secure, scalable, player-friendly casinos, cementing Northern Colorado's status as a key player in the future of gaming as outlined by The Collegian.

Platte River Power Authority, which supplies electricity to Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, and Longmont, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with NextEra Energy Resources to build Northern Colorado's first large-scale battery energy storage system adjacent to the Black Hollow Solar project in Severance.

Scheduled for construction in early 2026 and operation by late 2026, the Weld Energy Storage project will boast a 100 MW lithium iron phosphate battery capable of storing and discharging 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) over four hours, helping Platte River shift toward a 100% noncarbon energy mix while maintaining grid reliability.

As Jason Frisbie, Platte River's CEO, emphasizes,

"This is one part of our solution to maintain reliability as we transition to 100% noncarbon energy. NextEra has been a trusted partner since 2020 with the Roundhouse Wind Energy Center, and we're proud to expand our work together."

This project is part of a broader energy strategy that includes 5 MW community-level storage in each owner city and the development of a virtual power plant, aiming to ensure resiliency during peak demand or variable renewable supply.

The battery will be owned and operated by Weld Energy Storage, with Platte River securing long-term energy storage through a service agreement. See project details in the table below:

Feature	Specification
Battery Capacity	100 MW / 400 MWh (4-hour duration)
Location	Next to Black Hollow Solar, Severance, CO
Operational Date	Late 2026
Owner/Operator	Weld Energy Storage (NextEra subsidiary)
Planned Use	Grid reliability, renewable integration

For more on this renewable energy milestone, read the official announcement from the Platte River Power Authority's large-scale battery energy storage system project, explore detailed project analysis at the American Public Power Association's coverage of Platte River's battery storage plans, and see local impact coverage via North Forty News on Northern Colorado's largest battery storage project.

Fort Collins is pioneering democratic innovation with the launch of its first lottery-powered Civic Assembly, aiming to set a new national standard for citizen participation in local governance.

Selected via a civic lottery, 20 diverse city residents will collaboratively shape decisions about the future of the former Hughes Stadium site, ensuring community voices guide complex land-use policy.

As described in Healthy Democracy's analysis of Fort Collins' Civic Assembly, this transparent approach draws inspiration from global practices, championing authentic representation and informed deliberation:

“Lottery-selected democracy is no panacea, but it counters many threats facing democracy today. It guarantees representation of many identities rather than relying on those with time, confidence, and resources. It fosters collaboration more concretely than one-directional community engagement.”

Fort Collins joins a growing movement that includes recent assemblies tackling tough issues in Oregon and beyond - part of what the National Civic League highlights as ‘promising practices' in civic engagement.

The City's lottery selection event drew local excitement and spotlights how civic assemblies can restore trust in democracy at a time when public faith is wavering.

Find more details on Fort Collins' initiative at the official City of Fort Collins announcement of the Civic Assembly lottery event.

Douglas County, Colorado, is leading the way in wildfire response by deploying a suite of cutting-edge technologies and public-private partnerships that set a new regional standard for safety and preparedness in 2025.

This month, the county demonstrated its year-round dedicated helitack team and a $1.5 million Type 2 helicopter - capable of delivering 300 gallons of water per drop - giving Douglas County the quickest aerial response in the state.

Central to the system is Pano AI's artificial intelligence-powered wildfire detection, which utilizes a network of real-time cameras to rapidly scan for smoke and fire and alert emergency crews with precise coordinates and imagery.

This proactive approach enabled the county to contain the 2024 Bear Creek Fire to just three acres, protecting a watershed that supplies drinking water to over a million people.

As Commissioner Abe Laydon put it,

"Today, we are leading Colorado in wildfire defense - and are the only county in the state with a dedicated firefighting helicopter and Helitack team on standby 365 days a year."

The collaborative effort - bringing together local government, utility partners Xcel Energy and CORE Electric Cooperative, and Pano AI - ensures that "early intelligence is shared across agencies and jurisdictions, strengthening the entire region's ability to respond before small ignitions become major disasters." For more on the deployment of the AI detection system and dedicated helicopter, see The Denver Post's coverage of Douglas County's fire response showcase and Colorado Community Media's breakdown of Pano AI's local impact.

Further detail on how this public-private partnership is shaping the future of wildfire mitigation can be found at Hoodline's report on the county's tech-driven strategy.

Bloomberg's ambitious rollout of AI-generated article summaries in 2025 sparked a wave of industry debate when the outlet was forced to issue more than three dozen corrections for factual inaccuracies, despite claiming a 99% success rate.

These missteps, such as incorrect timing on major policy announcements and editorial errors in politically sensitive stories, have spotlighted the challenges AI faces in nuanced journalistic contexts.

Although Bloomberg insists that

“journalists have full control over whether a summary appears - both before and after publication - and can remove any that don't meet our standards,”

internal sources indicate human oversight can lag behind the technology's speed.

Other media giants like Gannett and The Washington Post have adopted similar tools, all wrestling with a growing need for editorial vigilance and public transparency.

As AI accelerates news delivery, experts warn that a single factual slip can quickly erode public trust, fueling calls for oversight and ethical guardrails. As summarized by The New York Times' detailed analysis of Bloomberg's AI article summaries, the friction point is clear:

“Balancing AI efficiency and safeguarding against misinformation is crucial to maintaining journalistic integrity.”

For more background, explore how Bloomberg's AI journalism gamble presents both significant payoffs and accuracy lapses, and read about newsroom pushback in Status's inside report on Bloomberg's use of AI in the newsroom.

The resulting media debate could shape the standards for AI-driven reporting nationwide.

A wave of new research signals a striking shift in how Generation Z views intimacy and relationships in Colorado and beyond, with artificial intelligence now entering the dating scene.

According to a recent survey, one in three Gen-Z men in Colorado are open to dating AI, and one in ten have already experimented with AI companion apps, reflecting a broader trend where 80% of Gen Z would consider marrying an AI partner if legal.

Nationally, this openness is supported by findings from AI platform Joi AI, where 83% of Gen Z respondents believe they can form a deep emotional bond with a chatbot, and 75% think AI could fully replace human companionship (Forbes: 80% of Gen Zers Would Marry an AI).

Motivations include the ease and accessibility of digital relationships, but experts raise red flags about emotional dependency and potential mental health risks.

The Institute of Family Studies highlights that while many young adults find it easier to connect with AI than people, this reliance can increase feelings of isolation and depression.

Relationship expert Jaime Bronstein notes,

“Gen Z has grown up with technology as a constant in their lives, so it makes sense that they'd be more open to new ways of connecting. It reflects a monumental shift in how young people define intimacy today.”

Still, she urges balance to ensure AI does not override real human connections.

To visualize the generational shift, see recent data:

Survey Finding	Gen Z Response
Open to marrying AI	80%
Believe AI can fully replace companionship	75%
Forming deep bond with AI	83%
Gen-Z CO men open to dating AI	33%

For a closer look at how AI is impacting relationships locally, including the launch of chatbots like Tinder's “The Game Game” to help users improve their social skills, check out this Colorado-specific analysis on AI dating.

Northern Colorado's tech scene is rapidly redefining casino gaming as artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and fresh funding energize the industry.

Local startups and established studios alike - such as those featured among the top Colorado gaming companies - are converging on the AI era, integrating machine learning for everything from dynamic game personalization to fraud prevention and responsive customer support.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) recently granted over $7.3 million to 35 tech innovators, including AI-centric firms advancing software platforms and gaming infrastructure, reinforcing the region's national leadership in digital entertainment and job creation (OEDIT advanced industries grants).

Venture capital is following closely - AI startups captured 57.9% of all global VC funding in Q1 2025, with North America seeing an even more pronounced shift, signaling strong investor confidence in gaming's AI-powered future (AI VC funding surge 2025).

As casinos and game developers adopt machine learning for predictive analytics, real-time game balancing, and personalized rewards, the region's blend of talent and capital ensures that the Fort Collins-Boulder corridor will remain at the forefront of next-generation casino innovation.

New Belgium Brewing is moving the Fort Collins tech and sustainability needle with its adoption of AtmosZero's state-of-the-art electric Boiler 2.0, making it the first U.S. brewery to trial a fully electrified, heat pump-based steam system.

The collaboration is seen as pivotal in decarbonizing industrial steam, which accounts for over 7% of global energy usage and a significant slice of the brewery's own emissions footprint.

AtmosZero's modular boiler extracts heat from ambient air, essentially doubling efficiency compared to legacy electric boilers and promising steam at a cost and performance competitive with fossil-fueled systems.

The high-impact pilot - cosigned by Danfoss and Colorado State University and supported by $21 million in Series A funding - aims to cover up to 40% of the brewery's steam needs initially, with a goal of scaling to 100% carbon-free operations powered by local renewable energy.

As New Belgium's COO Joe Davis states,

“Our partnership with AtmosZero aligns with our commitment to implement the latest in sustainable technology which allows us to operate our breweries in a manner that doesn't contribute to irreversible climate change.”

For an in-depth look at the electrification roll-out and the tech's efficiency leap, see Craft Brewing Business' overview of the Boiler 2.0 launch, MIT Technology Review's deep dive on electrified steam in brewing, and AVEVA's profile of New Belgium's broader clean-tech journey.

Below is a simple table summarizing key specs and market milestones:

Feature	AtmosZero Boiler 2.0
Efficiency	2x traditional electric boilers
Pilot Size	650 kW thermal at New Belgium HQ
Planned Steam Coverage	30–40% initial, target 100% by 2030
Funding	$21M Series A; $3.2M DOE grant
Commercial Shipments	Begin 2026

Fort Collins author Vauhini Vara is sparking national conversation with her new book, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, which combines deeply personal memoir with an exploration of how technology giants like OpenAI and Meta have altered the landscape of human language and storytelling.

Vara, whose Pulitzer Prize-finalist novel The Immortal King Rao imagined a near-future molded by Big Tech, builds on her viral essay Ghosts - co-written with early AI models - and opens up about the power and peril of "corporate-owned language machines." Throughout interviews about AI and language, Vara articulates the process of integrating AI, revealing moments where AI-generated prose was both moving and unsettling:

“The AI model I used to write the essay Ghosts didn't convey my experience, but in the book I argue that the AI also produced text I found moving at times. So how do I square that with my desire for literature to be human created? What does it mean that as a reader I was moved by AI-produced text?”

The book, already garnering critical praise and predicted as a potential award contender, features experimental dialogues with ChatGPT and scrutinizes the biases and creative limits of large language models.

Vara's nuanced perspective is reflected in her call for readers to decide what makes literature meaningful, challenging assumptions about authorship and empathy in an age where algorithms shape narratives.

For a thoughtful overview of the book's narrative strategies and cultural stakes, see the full Write or Die Magazine interview with Vauhini Vara, and dive into John Caleb Grenn's review - which hails

Searches as “brilliant journalism, honest emotional memoir, and a work of art” - at the Mississippi Clarion Ledger book review.

As Fort Collins stands on the threshold of 2025, its innovation ecosystem reveals both the promise and complexity shaping Colorado's tech future. The region's startups continue to excel - TurboTenant, BillGO, and TiLT lead funding rounds with over $409 million combined, while local support from flagship programs like Innosphere Ventures and public-private grants accelerates progress across fintech, healthtech, and climate tech sectors (ranking the top startups in Fort Collins).

These advances play out amid intense legislative debate: Colorado's first-in-the-nation AI law, targeting transparency in education, banking, hiring, and healthcare, could be delayed or preempted if Congress imposes a decade-long federal moratorium - a move fiercely opposed by state leaders.

State AG Phil Weiser cautioned,

“A 10-year ban on state action just as we are beginning to grasp AI's potential benefits and harms would be a huge mistake.”

(explore legislative dynamics).

Meanwhile, Colorado's Office of Economic Development has distributed more than $7.3 million to 35 startups and research teams, backing AI-driven software, quantum hardware, and sustainable materials - demonstrating a robust commitment to local tech commercialization (full grant recipient list).

Looking forward, Fort Collins entrepreneurs and technologists can leverage this moment - supported by tech bootcamps, accelerator programs, and growing collaborative networks - to capitalize on both state and national shifts, ensuring the city remains at the forefront of navigating disruption and driving opportunity in the next era of tech innovation.