Capitol Hill Gets Realistic with Water Research
By Lee Bruno, Innovation Pipeline

It didn’t command headlines but an important piece of legislation passed recently that involves water research.

The House of Representatives on April 23 passed H.R. 1145, the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009. It’s designed to coordinate national research-and-development efforts regarding water use, supply and demand. Read more ...

SBA Announces Emergency Funding For Small Businesses
Jon Cook - Reuters

The U.S. Small Business Association announced a new emergency bridge-lending program geared toward helping struggling small businesses ride out the current recession.

Calling it another "tool to our toolbox" SBA head Karen Mills said the new American Recovery Capital (ARC) program will offer "viable" small businesses temporary six-month loans of up to $35,000.

"We expect these loans to be in high demand," said Mills, who made the announcement as part of her keynote address at the National Small Business Week conference. Read more ...

Town Hall Forum - Post Stimulus Response at the Life Sciences Forum

David Gollaher, CEO of the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), will moderate a roundtable of panelists in "unpacking" the Stimulus Package for companies seeking new pockets of funding.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AKA the Stimulus Package) calls for an additional $10B in funding for NIH alone, with quick turn-around times for "solutions" that are close to being deployed.

What programs and what resources are being put in place, and what are their parameters? Is this a brand-new mission-oriented funding program or are these supplemental funds to augment current priorities? How can companies position themselves to benefit from this and similar near-term opportunities in a time of economic uncertainty? Find out at the Forum!

Sounds like something you would like to attend? Use code VOXVF09 for a 30% discount.

Cleantech Briefing @ The Langham in Pasadena

Morrison & Foerster LLP and Larta Institute invite you to a FREE breakfast briefing panel of Cleantech industry experts and legal practitioners. Together these leaders in the field will address the top ten legal issues related to Cleantech and Sustainability that every company should know.

Tuesday June 2, 2009
The Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa
1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue
Pasadena, California

Register

Capital and Innovation Met at the Country's Leading Ag Business
and Investment Event - and it was a great success!!

In one of the country’s premier research institutions - the Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center in St. Louis - the 2009 Ag Innovation Showcase made its debut. It featured an intimate crowd of 180 people, drawn from the investment community, large agribusiness, experts in agriculture and biosciences, and top-notch innovators eagerly engaged in conversation and exploration. The Showcase saw and heard from emerging and established companies who are plumbing the depths of, and developing innovative approaches to problems in biofuels and biomass, software and tracking solutions, animal health, food and nutrition, bio- and naturally-derived materials for environmental cleanup. These areas are at the forefront of local, national and global attention and interest.

The Showcase took place at the Danforth Plant Science Center where 170 scientists and 95 PhDs are situated at the nationally- and internationally-renowned center of plant and life sciences. - www.agshowcase.com

OECD and Larta: Study on IP Management

As reported in VOX before, Larta Institute has been retained as a consultant by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to help conduct a study on Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Innovation and Intellectual Asset Management, focused on creative and selected manufacturing sectors. Rohit Shukla, Larta CEO, has developed the project plan which will be discussed and is expected to be approved at an upcoming meeting of the Working Party on SME’s and Entrepreneurship (WPSMEE) in Warsaw, Poland on June 3rd, 2009. The project, which Shukla will lead, will coordinate 3 teams working in the U.S., Australia and France who will study regulations and laws affecting intellectual property rights affecting small companies, and conduct case studies and surveys of entrepreneurs in the selected sectors.

Malaysia Engages Larta Institute

Larta Institute cemented its emerging relationship with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (Biotechcorp), a subsidiary of the Malaysian Government, at a signing ceremony at BIO 2009 in Atlanta on May 20th, 2009. Rohit Shukla, Larta CEO, participated with Biotechcorp CEO Iskandar Mizal Mahmood in media interviews and at a media forum with other international partners in a media forum where the proposed engagement was discussed. Larta will refer to Biotechcorp entrepreneurs interested in availing themselves of clinical facilities and funding opportunities in Malaysia, and in establishing in-country operations at a proposed incubator in Johore Bahru. Larta will also execute an agreement with Biotechcorp to assist Malaysian entrepreneurs in the life sciences and agbio sectors in commercializing their innovations and establishing partnerships and operations in the U.S. market. Larta will also design and manage a program to expose technology transfer professionals from Malaysian universities and research institutions to best practices and operations in the U.S.

Shukla to speak at NIH SBIR/STTR Conference in Omaha, NE

NIH’s semi-annual SBIR/STTR Conference will be held in Omaha, Nebraska on June 30 and July 1. Larta CEO Rohit Shukla will keynote the Commercialization Strategies session at the conference. The Conference attracts small business SBIR grantees, university researchers and representatives from NIH

Shukla to moderate ASME’s annual “I-Show”

Rohit Shukla, CEO at Larta Institute will be moderating the presentation sessions at this years ASME's Innovation Showcase on June 14 in Palm Desert, CA. The showcase provides full experience of technology product commercialization, bridging the gap between engineering school practicum to business school theories.

Inspiring students to be product innovators and entrepreneurs, ASME's Innovation Showcase (IShow) provides a platform for top collegiate student teams to compete for seed money to commercialize their idea. While demonstrating their technological creativity and business acumen, winners must provide the commercial feasibility of their products to a judging panel and audience of successful innovators, industry experts, venture capitalists, and intellectual property specialists for the ultimate reward: Industry recognition and access to over $20K in seed funds.

Thomas Bourne, president of Terrenew, following his presentation at the Ag Innovation Showcase was interviewed by Brownfield, an Ag news agency.

Mr. Bourne elaborated on how their new product based on lignin extracted from cow manure effectively and efficiently absorbs many environmental contaminants that are otherwise costly to clean up. You can find the interview here.

Terrenew is a participant in the United States Department of Agriculture’s Commercialization Assistance Training Program (CATP), which Larta Institute has designed and manages for the USDA.

Ag Innovation Showcase was produced by Larta Institute, BRDG Park, Nidus, MOBIO, MTC and RCGA.

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

2008-2009 NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) participant iVisit has recently received the 2009 E-tech Award for Healthcare Solutions for it's iVisit RX technology.

iVisit Rx is a platform for enabling healthcare organizations to deploy scalable telehealth and assisted living solutions. The technology combines audio-video conferencing, instant photo sharing, push-to-talk, instant messaging, remote patient monitoring, session recording for medical records and GPS location-based-services into a powerful unified communications tool. It works across IP and 3G+ networks and allows connectivity between mobile phones, computers, and mobile diagnostic devices.

The technology enables face-to-face communication between medical practitioners and patients, allowing for remote patient treatment and monitoring. It also can be used for monitoring drug therapy and compliance, reinforcing nutritional guidelines, and ensuring patients stick to a treatment program.

2008-2009 NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) participant, Fairway Medical Technologies received Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, 2009 Excellence in Medical Technologies & Life Sciences Award

Fairway is a fully integrated medical device developer and manufacturer with experience to bring ideas to the market place. Out NIH sponsored technology is the optoacoustic tomography, a fusion of optical and ultrasound imaging that provides two- and three-dimensional images of tissues based mainly on distribution of blood. Applications of this platform technology are numerous and include cancer detection and diagnostics, characterization of tissue blood concentration and its oxygen saturation, differentiation of vulnerable arterial plaque and others.

The Israel Conference
Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles
June 4, 2009

The Israel Conference™ is an interactive forum to bring Israel-facing companies together to increase business and investment opportunities between Israel and California with session topics on high tech, clean tech, medical solutions, and entertainment media technology. The Israel Conference™ features leaders of significant businesses that were founded in Israel, have R&D operations in Israel, do business in Israel, or represent investors in Israeli companies. Speakers represent the spirit of the inventiveness of the Israel market. Attendees will gain an insider’s understanding of the growth of both public and privately-held Israel-facing companies. See the full day at www.TheIsraelConference.org

BioExec Institute

In a volatile economy, it is more important than ever to understand core business decisions in BioPharma. The BioExec Institute focuses on management decision-making in a complex R&D, operational, regulatory and market environment. Join other managers at BioExec Institute 2009 to debate and discuss the business, issues and trends facing BioPharma.

This Institute is the only Executive Education series specifically designed to discuss business strategies with key leaders who have provided unique value to the industry.

Co-produced by UC Berkeley, Deloitte and Prescience Intl, the BioExec Institute brings together director and VP-level management for this six-day interactive program [3 modules of 2 days each]. For more information or to register, visit http://www.prescienceintl.com/bioexec.html.

5th Germany California Solar Day
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
PG&E Auditorium, 245 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

The German American Chamber of Commerce Inc., California Branch (GACC), will hold its “5th Germany California Solar Day,” a highly successful bilateral platform for U.S. and German businesses to exchange the latest knowledge, thoughts and trends in the solar power industry with the goal of fostering successful transatlantic business partnerships. German and American expert speakers will discuss the newest solar power industry developments during the first half of the conference. In the afternoon, the German companies will have a chance to present their products and services to the audience. The day will conclude with a Networking Reception and a B2B Meeting Forum. Please visit www.gaccsanfrancisco.com for more information.

Going Green West
September 14-16, 2009 – Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA

GoingGreen is where cutting-edge greentech CEOs meet the movers and shakers from the biggest industries on earth. Green technology innovators are transforming trillion dollar industries - and the solutions they are delivering not only promise to clean up pollution and restore ecosystems, but also to bring abundance and prosperity to everyone on earth. In fundamental areas, water, energy and land, resource abundance is just around the corner, through the power of technology and free markets. This two-and-a-half-day executive event features CEO presentations and high-level debates on the most promising emerging green technologies and new entrepreneurial opportunities. At GoingGreen, our editors will also honor the GoingGreen 100 Top Private Companies. Fifty of the top CEOs from the GoingGreen 100 will pitch their market strategies to a panel of industry experts in our "CEO Showcase." For more information please visit alwayson.goingon.com

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