Air Quality Technology Crafted for Growth

About Liquen Technologies

Pronounced “ly-ken”, like the resilient organism that inspired our name.

Liquen Tech specializes in developing compact, high-precision calibration systems for gas sensors used across environmental, industrial, and research applications. Our name is inspired by lichens—organisms known for their extreme sensitivity to air quality. Like lichens, our work centers on accuracy and responsiveness to airborne contaminants, but with a modern engineering approach.

Located in the foothills of Denver, Colorado, Liquen Technologies is a team of passionate scientists and engineers with over 25 years of experience in atmospheric chemistry, analytical instrumentation, and air quality monitoring. Our team brings together deep scientific expertise and proven industry success to develop innovative, field-ready solutions for real-world environmental challenges.

Meet the Team

  • Randy Shearer, PhD

    FOUNDER CTO

    Analytical chemist and CIRES Research Scientist, CU Boulder.

    Former GE/Agilent product manager; expert in chromatography and detector design.

  • Craig Williford

    FOUNDER CEO

    22+ years developing and commercializing environmental instruments.

    Expert in embedded and optical systems.  

  • Oscar Spichiger

    FOUNDER CFO

    Entrepreneur and executive with 20+ years leading technology ventures in the U.S. and Latin America.

  • John Birks, PhD

    FOUNDER CSO

    Co-founder of 2B Technologies and Professor Emeritus, CU Boulder. 

    150+ publications and 14 patents in atmospheric and analytical chemistry.

Ease of Calibration 

Our flagship platform uses supercritical fluid cartridges to deliver controlled gas mixtures for on-site calibration—eliminating the need for bulky gas cylinders or laboratory-grade infrastructure. This innovation supports not only environmental monitoring but also mission-critical calibration in oil and gas, semiconductor fabrication, research laboratories, and industrial safety systems.

We are backed by a Phase I SBIR award from the NIEHS to advance our core technology for air pollution sensor calibration, with broader applications already underway.

At Liquen Tech, we believe that reliable data starts with reliable calibration. Our goal is to enable better decisions—from public health to process control—by making gas sensor accuracy more portable, scalable, and practical.

Liquen Tech: Precision calibration, anywhere it's needed.

Prototype

Prototype

Prototype

Our latest prototype demonstrates the compact, high-precision CO₂ delivery system that powers Liquen’s portable particle and gas calibration instruments. Built around food-grade CO₂ cartridges, the design merges laboratory-grade accuracy with field portability.

We are developing an innovative calibration system for low-cost air pollution sensors using

small CO2 cartridges, similar to those used for carbonating beverages or inflating tires.

These cartridges can be heated to create supercritical CO2, which offers a stable and portable medium

for delivering trace amounts of gases like CO, NO2, SO2, and hazardous air pollutants (BTEX). The

technology could also deliver polystyrene latex particles for calibrating particle sensors, improving data

reliability from community air monitoring. The solution includes a dynamic dilution device that ensures

accurate delivery of known pollutant concentrations across a wide range of levels, all without needing

bulky compressed gas cylinders. This low-cost, scalable system is ideal for field deployment, even in

remote or underserved regions. If successful, this method would significantly reduce costs and

logistical barriers in air quality monitoring, offering potential for widespread adoption in environmental

research, education, and public health monitoring.

Partnership

We are actively seeking partners, collaborators, and inquiries from organizations or individuals interested in advancing air quality monitoring technology. Whether you're in research, environmental policy, education, or sensor development, we welcome your engagement. To explore partnership opportunities or learn more about our supercritical CO₂ cartridge calibration system, please contact us at info@liquen.tech.