Professor Greg Rieker and his colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) founded LongPath Technologies, Inc. (LongPath) which grew out of federally funded research from an ARPA-E award. They are now partners with the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office in deploying a nationwide methane emissions monitoring network across major oil and gas production regions, including California, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
LongPath installs and maintains continuous laser line sensors to supply real-time emissions monitoring data and actionable insights for clients. It works with oil and gas operators across the energy landscape and provides expanded services to various markets.
Federal scientific research funding generates over 150 new technologies annually at CU Boulder — and drives one of the most prolific startup engines at any U.S. university, with 35 spinout companies in fiscal year 2024 alone. From 2018-2022, the commercialization of federally funded innovations from CU Boulder contributed $8 billion to the national economy, according to a study conducted by the Leeds School of Business.