Connecting people to drive innovation

April 2011 v.1, n.28

Announcements from Larta:

Larta Welcomes S&T Delegates from Malaysia

The Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, BiotechCorp, in collaboration with Larta Institute, has developed a comprehensive Study Visit Program for a high-level delegation of Malaysian policymakers. The delegates, headed by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), will visit Los Angeles from April 4 through April 13. Participants will learn first-hand about the technology transfer processes and practices in California's universities and research institutions and hear about the challenges and opportunities in creating and nurturing an ecosystem to support the transfer of technology from research institutions. The program will feature discussions between participants and investors, figures from industry and service providers, as well as site visits to Los Angeles area institutions championing technology transfer and the commercialization of innovation

DOE Selects Larta to Perform Commercialization Plan Reviews for 2nd Year

The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Larta Institute for the second year in a row to provide commercial market viability reviews for Commercialization Plans submitted by DOE SBIR grantees as part of their SBIR Phase II application. Larta’s commercial reviews will complement the technical reviews carried out by DOE. This program tasks Larta with a very fast turnaround, with Larta amassing a network of expert business reviewers from various sectors in the energy efficiency/energy production sectors, including: utility and distributed generation, advanced gas turbines and materials for nuclear and high temperature applications, smart grid, sensors, controls, wireless networks, commercial and industrial/manufacturing energy efficiency, etc. Larta looks forward to providing DOE with high-quality commercial reviews to enhance their Phase II SBIR application process.

Larta's Carlos Gutierrez to Moderate Commercialization Panel at SBIR Conference

Larta CSO Carlos Gutierrez will moderate the panel “Commercialization: The Long and Winding Road” at the 2011 National SBIR Conference next week in Madison, WI. The panel will address the issues surrounding the commercialization of innovation. In a complex marketplace, companies must continually re-evaluate their options, strategies, value propositions and potential. Federal agencies like NIH have programs to expose their grantees to the realities of commercialization, and will share their perspectives on their grantees’ success. A former SBIR grantee will share his success story in developing a relationship that led to acquisition. The panel will engage in interactive discussion with the audience on the various aspects of commercialization, including technology licensing, finding partners for development, distribution, marketing, pitching to investors, dressing up for acquisition, etc.

2011 Ag Showcase Announcements:

The Ag Innovation Showcase is May 23-24, 2011 at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. The Ag Showcase is a distinguished, world-class gathering of key players in the agriculture sector including industry members, innovators, investors, and ag leaders. The event is open to the public. 20% discount available. Use coupon code 20AG11 for registration.

Ag Showcase Partners:
Also check out our Industry Events for partner events!

Innovate St. Louis
The mission at Innovate St. Louis is to educate innovators, entrepreneurs and the public about how great ideas become viable business endeavors and to better collaborate and help build the entrepreneurial eco-system necessary to make the greater St. Louis region an international hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. For more information, please go to: http://www.innovatestl.org/about.html

iBIO IndEx 2011
This once-a-year event to meet and network with top executives, researchers, service providers and former colleagues has already passed, but look forward to next year's event. The IndEx Business Partnering Program allows attendees to search, contact and schedule one-on-one meetings with potential partners at the iBIO IndEx. This year's keynote speakers were: Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, R&D, Medical & Regulatory Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer, Hospira, Inc. and Mark Matlock, Senior Vice President, Food Research, Archer Daniels Midland Company. For more information on the event, please go to: http://www.ibio.org/ibioindex.html

The Vandiver Group, Inc.
The Vandiver Group, Inc. is a full service strategic communications firm offering Strategic Counsel, Public Relations, Branding, Marketing, Social Media, Sustainability, Creative, Market Research and Training. Call (314) 991-4641 or e-mail: info@vandivergroup.com for more information on their services.

Middle East Needs More Entrepreneurs: Commentary: Creating a venture-friendly climate won’t be easy
Stephanie Marrus, Larta Principal Advisor, MarketWatch.com

Another week, another headline from the tinderbox that is the Middle East. Youth activists from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya, fueled by social media’s real time information, are reshaping the region. But what will be the aftermath? The despots may be gone, speech may be freer but the underlying problem contributing to unrest remains: lack of jobs... Read more...

Cleantech Patents: When is Trade Secret the Right Protection?
Jeffrey Peterson, RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Many new start-up companies in the cleantech space have been founded primarily to developed a new technology. The success of these companies, as well as more established renewable energy innovators, often strongly depends on their ability to protect the intellectual property around their innovations... Read more...

Main Street And High-Growth Startups: Legislators Must Make A Distinction
Greg Becker, The Huffington Post

All small businesses are not the same. Until this is registered and embraced by our legislators, this country will not succeed in its efforts to promote economic growth through innovation or unleash our full capacity to compete globally...Read more...

Top Ten Signs Silicon Valley is on Tilt Again
Ken Rutkowski, KenRutkowski.com

10. Conferences are selling out
9. Venture capitalists are launching blogs
8. Everyone you know has a startup
7. Harvard MBAs are trekking to “hot” events, like SXSW
6. Harvard MBAs are fundable as CEOs
5. Private valuations are approaching public valuations
4. CNBC is fawning over the Valley
3. Hot upcoming tech IPOs are headlines
2. Hot VC-backed companies showing up in Wall Street Journal lists

And the number one sign the Valley is on tilt again …

1. Journalists are quitting journalism for startups.
And then it was 2001 again............

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

ECI Biotech Awarded Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Accelerator Loan

Current NIH-CAP Company ECI Biotech (ECI), an innovative developer and manufacturer of the patented ExpressDetect® rapid infection sensors that will ultimately transform the way pathogens are detected in professional and OTC markets, has been selected as a 2011 Accelerator Program Awardee from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, a quasi-public agency tasked with implementing the State’s $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative.

Larta was pleased to interview Dr. Mitchell Sanders, CEO and founder of ECI Biotech. Dr. Sanders stated the following about the Larta NIH-CAP's impact on ECI Biotech's commercialization outcomes, "Larta Principal Advisor Vivian Dullien helped refine our roadshow presentation during our first time participating in the CAP program. With Vivian’s assistance we were able to clearly communicate our vision and commercialization strategy to potential investors. Our subsequent PA Ken Ripley assisted us in filling the gaps in our regulatory strategy. Ken helped us put together our application package for the pre-IDE (Investigation Device Exemption) and 510(k) approval processes for the FDA. Both Vivian and Ken helped us craft our go-to-market strategy and regulatory pathway.”

Dr. Sanders also remarked, “Most significantly, the NIH-CAP has allowed us to commercialize on a global scale. We plan to use the funding we’ve received to hire about 15 more employees to help with our R&D and manufacturing activities in Worcester. With the accelerator loan, we plan to build 2 production suites, and are excited to manufacture millions of our sensors within the next few years for domestic and international markets. The NIH Phase II SBIR grant we received and Larta’s commercialization assistance program preparation really showcased our company out of the other 45 competing companies for the accelerator loan."...Read more...

SIOGEN Biotech Nominated for "Best Innovative Company in Asia" Award

SIOGEN Biotech, a current Malaysia-CAP participant, has been nominated for this year’s “Best Innovative Company in Asia”- a prestigious award ceremony organised by BioPharma Asia. Nominations had been solicited from more than 200,000 individuals from the industry and we have been shortlisted as one of the top 5 finalists. Brian Taylor is SIOGEN Biotech's Larta PA...Read more...

Talking Lights LLC Patents Sold to Philips

2005-06 Larta NIH-CAP alumnus Talking Lights LLC of Boston, MA announced that its patents for optical location and communication have been sold to Philips of the Netherlands in February. Talking Lights LLC is a leader in optical communication and indoor locating through the flicker-free modulation of existing building lights and light fixtures. The technology has been demonstrated in areas that include monitoring and guiding patients with traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, providing assistive technology for persons who are blind, enabling smart security badges, and tracking systems for personnel and equipment...Read more...

Affectiva Interviewed on Public Radio's Marketplace

Marketplace's Steve Henn interviewed Rosalind Picard, co-founder and chief scientist at Affectiva and professor of media arts and sciences at MIT, about a new app helps computers track human emotions through a webcam. Affectiva is a current NSF-CAP1 company mentored by Larta PA Stephanie Keller-Bottom. The company is teaching computers to recognize human emotions. The idea is to give online marketers a sense of how shoppers are responding to their products or pitches...Listen to the interview...

Artaic Featured in MIT's Entrepreneurship Review

Current NSF-CAP1 company Artaic was featured in MIT"s online magazine Entrepreneurship Review (MITER) this month. Artaic sells custom-made mosaics assembled by a robot. Artaic’s robot assembles custom mosaics in a tenth of the time and for a fraction of the cost required to make a handcrafted mosaic. Artaic is currently finishing a large Artaic mosaic composed of nearly 150,000 colored tiles at MIT’s Koch Institute...Read more...

CNET's Crave Blog Highlights Barobo's iMobot

NSF-CAP1 company Barobo's iMobot was highlighted in Crave, a blog about gadgets on CNET. The University of California Davis spinoff is commercializing a modular robot that will let robotics researchers study fields like robot AI, biomimetics, and robot collaboration without having to build the hardware. Barobo is mentored by Larta PA Heath Naquin...Read more...

2011 National SBIR/STTR Spring Conference
April 10-13, 2011 - Monona Terrace, Madison, WI

DON'T WAIT! Just around the corner!

TAP INTO OVER $2 BILLION in federal research grants to commercialize your new technologies and products.

EXCLUSIVE TOUR, Reception and Program at Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center.

REGISTER NOW for the first options at setting up partnering meetings with Program Managers and collaborators through SBIR CONNECT our PARTNERING SOFTWARE!

HOTELS FILLING RAPIDLY! Register now for greatest selection and pricing.

To register, please go to: https://charge.wisc.edu/extension/sbir2011.asp

Go Green Expo Los Angeles
April 15-17, 2011 - L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Learn how green alternatives can positively change the way you impact the environment at the Go Green Expo in Los Angeles. Each of our small changes make a big impact. For those interested in learning about environmentally friendly goods & services for use in modern everyday living. To register, please go to: https://ssl.businesstech.fr/gogreen/www/registration/

102nd AOCS Annual Meeting and Expo
May 1–4, 2011 - Duke Energy Center,  Cincinnati, OH

The AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo is the premier global business and scientific forum on fats, oils, surfactants, lipids, and related materials. The event features:


- 650 technical presentations in 12 interest areas
- Hot Topic Symposia covering a broad range of issues
- The Expo, featuring 85+ exhibiting companies
- Pre-Annual Meeting Short Courses
- Meeting and networking with more than 1,600 colleagues from 60 countries

For more information, please go to: http://AnnualMeeting.aocs.org

Business Growth Conference 2011
May 9, 2011 - Anaheim, CA

Join over 1,000 of Southern California's elite business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs at the 27th Annual Southern California Business Growth Conference on Thursday, May 9, 2011. Obtain practical advice, "insider" information as well as business tools and techniques that can help grow your business. Break free from survival mode. Learn how to use the improving economy to leap past your competitors. Co-hosted by the Harvard Business School Association of Orange County and the USC Marshall Alumni Association, this conference offers you rare access to the resources, energy and success of two world-class business institutions. To register, please go to: http://www.itsmyseat.com/BGC2011.html

Missouri Venture Forum: Getting $$$ from Angel Investors
May 19, 2011 - St. Louis, MO

The Missouri Venture Forum is sponsoring a very valuable event – “Getting $$$ From Angel Investors.”   The event, which will take place on May 19, 2011 from 4-7 pm at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza, St. Louis, MO, features five speakers followed by an open Q&A session.  The cost is $40 for nonmembers and $32 for members.  Please register at www.MissouriVentureForum.org or call 314-241-2683.

OCTANe VC in the OC
May 24, 2011 - Hyatt Regency, Irvine, CA

VC in the OC showcases the best of Orange County innovation. From investment presentations to keynote speakers to industry discussions, this is OC’s premier venture capital conference. VC in the OC takes place each May, and you can view this year’s conference - taking place May 24, 2011 -  here: www.vcintheoc2011.com

13th Annual C21 BioVentures
May 24-26, 2011 - Meritage Resort, Napa Valley, CA

As 2011 progresses there are both new opportunities and new challenges for biotech companies, pharmaceutical partners and investors. C21 provides a platform to network with your peers, learn from new business models and pre-schedule one-on-one meetings with the partners and investors you need to succeed.

With podium presentations, leadership sessions and two-full days of one-on-one partnering meetings C21 is an opportunity you shouldn't miss. For more information, please visit: http://www.techvision.com/c21

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