Go behind the scenes with one of Denver’s leading high-tech conservation start-ups and their quest to revolutionize the way we think about water. Join us for a complimentary happy hour with beers provided by 14er Brewing Company and get inspired by Chris Klein and his story of leveraging the local start-up community to build one of the nation’s up and coming tech brands.

Conversation moderated by Nina Sharma, Managing Director of Project X-ITE and adjunct professor at the University of Denver.

We’ll be giving away a free Rachio 3rd Generation Controller unit to one lucky attendee! Or if you can’t wait until the party, use the code “DUStartUp” for $30 off your purchase online.

Powered by the University of Denver, Pioneering Denver takes you behind the scenes with Denver entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders and their stories of building a more inclusive, authentic and vibrant Mile High City.

In the summer of 2012, Denver was in the third year of drought and a collective groundswell was emerging around the need to reduce outdoor water use. Frustrated by the lack of smart solutions to the more than 4.5 billion gallons of daily water waste and the damage done to the state, Chris Klein set out to find a better way.

Leveraging the Denver Startup Week platform and Denver’s leading tech scene, Klein and others perfected their pitch and product offering through local innovation challenges and quickly drew investor interest and grants from big names like the Amazon Alexa Fund, ultimately securing a $10M series B funding round in 2018. With a smart irrigation industry that is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of $808M to $2.8B by 2026, Rachio is putting Denver on the map.