U.S. National Institutes of Health Awards More Than 12,000 Research Grants Totaling $5 Billion
Conrad Clyburn, MedTech-IQ

As reported by the various local Business Journals... Since Sept. 1, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than 12,000 research grants totaling $5 billion, the largest infusion into biomedical research ever, as a result of an increase in federal budgets as part of the "Stimulus" funding... Read more ...

Getting a Charge Out of Algae
Lee Bruno, Innovation Pipeline

For all the unpleasant characteristics green algae possesses, it is beloved in cleantech circles because it can manufacture biofuels.

Now, scientists at the Angstrom Laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden have discovered green algae’s distinctive cellulose nanostructure can also provide an effective coating substrate for batteries. It provides two advantages: it’s lighter in weight and much more environmentally friendly when battery components are recycled. Read more ...

USDA Commercialization Assistance Program is 3 Years Old

Larta institute is preparing to launch the 3rd year of the USDA Commercialization Assistance Training Program (USDA-CATP). The 12 month program will provide 33 companies (that received USDA Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] grants) with mentoring of commercialization activities that all early stage companies undergo under Larta managed programs. Entrepreneurs will receive help with their business plans, commercialization roadmaps, market research, intellectual property, financing strategy and other hurdles they face on their road to success.

The program was founded in hopes to ease the troublesome transition researchers encounter when moving away from the government funded (grants), research-only project, to a commercially viable, market-ready company.

USDA-CATP starts on October 29-30 with a Commercialization Training Workshop (Washington, DC) that will host the 33 entrepreneurs, their mentors and a number of agriculture industry experts. The Workshop will be followed by a year of mentoring and web-based seminars.

A periodic look at Larta Institute's Global Bridge™ programs and activities with innovators and governments around the world.

Global Bridge™ Malaysia CAP Launched Successfully

Larta Institute, in partnership with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government of Malaysia, launched the much-anticipated Global Bridge Malaysia Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last week. Joining Larta CEO Rohit Shukla in Malaysia for the 2-day event were Constanza Pachon, Larta Institute COO and Carlos Gutierrez, Larta Institute Chief Strategy Officer. Larta also invited four senior Principal Advisors (PAs) involved in Larta's NIH CAP and USDA CATP programs to participate. Read More...

Our picks of Larta-alumni companies that are making the news and already on their way to making it big!

2009-2010 NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) participant Boston Micromachines Corporation, based in Cambridge, MA is the leading provider of advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based mirror products used in commercial adaptive optics systems. By applying wavefront correction to produce high resolution images, BMC devices can be used for imaging biological tissue and the human retina and to enhance images blurred by the earth's atmosphere. The company's suite of award-winning compact DM products is the most cost-effective, highest performance mirrors in the market. They are widely used to drive scientific discovery in microscopy, astronomy, and vision science. Customers include NASA, UC Berkeley, Lockheed Martin and Boston University. BMC also offers custom-designed manufacturing services.

Registration for the 2009 National Small Business Innovation Research Conference Now Open. National technology-transfer conference brings venture capitalists, angel investors, university researchers, federal agencies, businesses and technology developers together for a valuable exchange of information, ideas and innovation. Conference registration, sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities and more information are available at http://www.unr.edu/sbir-sttr2009.

12th Annual Corporate Venturing & Innovation Partnering Conference
February 23-25, 2010 - The Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach, CA

This annual event provides corporate investors with strategies to gain a competitive advantage through corporate venturing and innovation initiatives. Over two days, attendees will have an opportunity to share B2B alliance models, investment approaches, strategies to capture technology innovation from external sources, and insights on ways to enhance their corporate venturing initiatives.

LARTA members are welcome to register at the reduced rate of $1,195. To receive this special discount, please use the code CVLARTA and contact IBF at Cathy@ibfconferences.com

Visit our Events Calendar for a list of Larta's partners events.