West Coast “Venture” vs. East Coast “Stimulation” … Time to Bridge the Gap?
Conrad Clyburn, MedTech-IQ

Is it time to think differently about the “Valley of Death” ? The gap in capital and talent that prevents so many companies from successfully translating their promising medical technology from research to mass market success? Read more ...

Water, Water Everywhere?
Lee Bruno, Innovation Pipeline

We’ve heard plenty about the developing world’s water woes but California now faces one of the worst droughts ever recorded. California’s Department of Water Resources says supplies in major reservoirs and many groundwater basins are far below average. Add to that the outdated statewide water system and the court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries. Read more ...

Mapping the Path of Stimulus Funding
Sarah Terry-Cobo - GreenBiz.com - Reuters

(GreenBiz.com) An Austin, Texas-based business helps contractors of all sizes understand where the U.S. government's stimulus funds are going and how to bid on projects tied to it.

To help track the various federal funds flowing from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, (a.k.a. "the recovery program), GreenBiz.com created an interactive map called the Stimulus Funds Locator. Read more ...

 

LARTA INSTITUTE AWARDED
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CONTRACT

Los Angeles, CA — August 11, 2009. Larta Institute has been awarded a three-year contract from the National Science Foundation to provide technical support to NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grantees. These programs reside under NSF’s division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP). Larta’s work will focus on commercialization planning for grantees seeking to apply for Phase II funding and transition their innovations to the marketplace.

"We’re proud to be selected as NSF’s partner in this effort and look forward to engaging with the entrepreneurs developing the next generation of solutions" said Rohit Shukla, Larta Institute's CEO.

The nationwide program will assist emerging companies in a wide range of sectors including Electronics, Biotechnology, Information-based Technologies, Nanomaterials/Advanced Materials, Manufacturing Innovation, and Chemical-based Technologies.

Larta Extends International Presence With Global Advisory Council

Larta Institute’s Global Advisory Council (GAC) is a platform for global leaders of innovation economy to share ideas, access Larta’s vast network, and partner with Larta in developing effective solutions for enterprise development and building competitiveness in their respective regions. “Larta’s Global Bridge programs have been a key vehicle for country partners to build a cadre of market-ready entrepreneurs... the GAC provides us with a deep and ongoing presence in those regions where we want to leverage our time and resources”, said Shezad Rokerya, Chairman of Larta's GAC and Chairman of The Interlink Group.

For more than a decade, Global Bridge™ programs have served governments and regions to build effective linkages for their innovators in a variety of technology sectors—from cleantech to life science, to advanced materials, to ICT. Country partners have included Canada, Brazil, Russia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, Israel, Australia, and others.

Other distinguished members of the GAC include Penny Low, Member of Singapore Parliament and Advisor; Founder of the Social Innovation Park, Singapore; and Masood Razaq, Managing Director, NBD Capital. More on Larta’s GAC here. Learn more about Global Bridge here.

Note: Larta Institute will launch the Global Bridge Malaysia program in October 2009, under contract with Malaysia Biotechnology Corporation. See announcement under “Larta in the News” below.

6th Year NIH-Commercialization Assistance Program to Commence

Larta Institute is preparing for the 6th year of NIH Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) to start in September followed by it's first event - Commercialization Training Workshop in Marina Del Rey, California in November.

Over 75 early-stage life sciences companies are expected to take a part in the program which will last through June 2010. Just as hundreds of entrepreneurs in the past 5 years, this year's participants will undergo expert mentoring on a one-on-one basis, attend workshops and meet industry leaders. Depending on the maturity of the company, the commercialization issues to be addressed will include: road-show presentations; IP management; executive summary; commercialization strategy roadmap and more.

NIH-CAP is open to companies that received NIH SBIR Phase II grants in the past.

New Program Manager at Larta Institute

Larta Institute is please to welcome it's new Program Manager, Vivek Bhatia. Vivek is primarily responsible for leading Larta's Global Bridge initiatives and other Commercialization Assistance Programs. Vivek is launching Larta's Global Bridge: Malaysia CAP, an accelerated commercialization program in coordinance with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BIOTECHCORP).

Vivek's professional career has ranged across various disciplines, including project management, business development and strategic advisory in several science-related industries. His experiences vary from consulting with larger organizations to working as an associate at a seed stage venture fund. Prior to joining Larta, Vivek performed in an array of consulting, operational and strategic roles with startup companies across various industries.

Vivek holds Bachelor of Science and Masters in Public Health degrees from Benedictine University in Illinois and a Masters in Business Administration from Emory University, Goizueta Business School.

 

Larta Institute CEO Rohit Shukla visited Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia, August 10-12, 2009, to meet with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BIOTECHCORP) executives and keynote a conference of technology transfer officers (TTO) of research institutions from across the country. Shukla spoke about Larta’s role in commercialization across the globe, its relevance to the “Nine Malaysia Plan”, which lays the foundation for developing a knowledge economy in Malaysia, and the Larta-developed Global Bridge Malaysia program. That commercialization assistance program, intended for researcher-entrepreneurs and TTO’s, launches in October 2009 under a contract with BIOTECHCORP.

Malaysia is one of Asia’s best-kept secrets, with untapped potential, strong knowledge and research assets, great biodiversity and a multi-ethnic population capable of vaulting the country into the ranks of top performers. Long known as the world’s largest producer of palm oil, and as an IT hub in its own right, it is also home to several research facilities and institutions, and offers a cost-effective platform for the development of products in the life sciences and other fields. Larta will partner with BIOTECHCORP. in fostering the commercialization of key innovations in the life sciences, industrial biotechnology and agricultural sciences in the country, which is a key strategic ally. Stay tuned for further developments on this new program.

 

• Biomedical Research, Development, and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-SPAN) Pilot Program (RC3)
  
  • The requested budget is limited to $1 million total costs per year for a maximum of three years
    
• Small Business Catalyst Awards for Accelerating Innovative Research (R43)
  • Budget requests are limited to $200,000 total costs for a maximum project period of one year.

 

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 Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. based in Lexington, KY announced that its scientists and collaborators from the Medical College of Wisconsin have created and characterized the world's first rat model of severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID. The Transposagen rat has a nearly complete lack of the major components of the immune system. Transposagen will be marketing SCID rats to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. "Transposagen is pleased to have characterized the world's first rat model of SCID. We now have intellectual property covering the SCID phenotype in rat and will be offering the SCID rat and other rat models of the immune system in the near future," said Dr. Eric Ostertag, CEO of Transposagen.

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

CleanTech Summit
September 18, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA

On Friday, September 18, 2009, Southwestern Law School will host the "Summit on CleanTech Law and the New Energy Policy." This cutting-edge event will explore CleanTech developments at the local, state, and federal levels and examine renewable energy models from other countries such as Germany and Spain, which are leading the way in this area. This conference offers five (5) hours of CLE credit. The registration fee for the entire event is $195 ($95 for government and academic attendees), which includes all sessions, the networking lunch, and all conference materials. Members of LARTA are entitled to a $20 discount on the applicable fee. Southwestern Law School is located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in the landmark Bullocks-Wilshire building. The conference brochure and registration form are available at www.swlaw.edu/2009cleantech.

BioExec Institute
October 7-8, 2009 - Berkeley, CA

The Haas School of Business Center for Executive Education has partnered with industry to produce the internationally-renowned BioExec Institute 2009, the only BioPharma Executive Education series specifically designed to discuss business strategies with key leaders who have provided unique value to the industry. Read more...

LartaVOX subscribers are eligible for additional savings of $1,000 on individual registrations and $4,000 on corporate enrollments. Please contact Chelsea Hewitt at Chelsea@prescienceintl.com or (415) 405 6385 for complete details.

2009 National Small Business Innovation Research Conference
November 2-5, 2009 - Sparks, NV

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.

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