10 Tips for Applying for Government Research Funding
Ram May-Ron, FreeMind Group

FreeMind Group, Larta supporter and non-dilutive funding consultancy, has helped to ensure over $1B awarded to their clients to date. Here, they provide their top 10 tips for applying for government R&D funding:
1.) Match your interests with those of the reviewers and funding institute
2.) Define the scope of the research in terms of single projects
3.) Make sure that your project is innovative…but not risky
Read more...

SBA Delivers Entrepreneurs' Ideas to Obama
Kent Hoover, The Business Journals

The Small Business Administration today [Sept. 6] presented the White House with suggestions on how to reduce barriers to entrepreneurship, gathered from eight roundtables it held around the country as part of the Startup America initiative.

About 1,000 entrepreneurs and investors participated in these roundtables. The SBA forwarded around 200 distinct ideas, including ways to reduce regulatory burdens, to the appropriate federal agencies... Read more...

In a time of economic crisis, understanding opportunities for economic growth has become a paramount concern of policymakers, industry leaders and citizens at large. On October 21st, Larta and OECD will convene high-level personnel from the State Department, multilateral organizations, foreign governments and economic development organizations to have a discussion on fostering high-growth technology entrepreneurship. Giuseppe Gramigna, the U.S. Delegate to the OECD WPSME and Chief Economist at the SBA, will moderate an interactive discussion on regional and national approaches, concepts and assumptions for developing globally competitive companies and economies.

Based on 13 years of providing commercialization services to US and foreign government agencies, Larta will provide insight on the policies and mechanisms necessary to enhance the global competitiveness of technology-based innovations and entrepreneurs. Larta will also be introducing the soon-to-be-released OECD report “SME Innovation and Intellectual Assets Management”, on which Larta CEO Rohit Shukla was the lead consultant.

Larta to Speak at International Agriculture Innovation Seminar in Brazil

Larta will be joining a cohort of Brazilian agriculture and development officials at the International Agriculture Innovation Seminar, October 3-4 in Brazil. Larta CEO Rohit Shukla will present the US perspective on the management of publically funded agricultural research and innovation.

Larta Heads to D.C. to Kick off New Program Cycle with NSF

Larta’s Executive Management and other NSF-Commercialization Assistance Program (NSF-CAP1) team members will travel to Washington, D.C. September 28-29 to participate in the NSF Phase I SBIR Grantees Workshop and meet with NSF SBIR Program Management. Larta has scheduled meetings with each NSF SBIR funded company eligible for Larta’s NSF-CAP1 to discover how each can best leverage Larta’s vast network of subject matter experts, seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and industry players in their transition to the market.

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

Bright Outcome Uses Patient Reported Outcomes to Improve Patient Care

Bright Outcome, a 2007-2008 Larta NIH-CAP participant, looks to introduce Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) into clinical practice to improve patient care by enhancing communication between the patient and care provider while reducing costs. Since 2007, Bright Outcome has established key partnerships with the NIH PROMIS initiative, university hospitals and research centers. The company reports seeing significant benefits to patients using their PRO system in a trial performed at the Arizona Cancer Center. Bright Outcome CEO Dr. DerShung states, “We simply cannot be where we are today without the tremendous help that we received from CAP.” Read the full story here.

Eldertide Farm/Maine Medicinals Takes Off in Whole Foods

Eldertide Farm/Maine Medicinals, a 2010-2011 participant in Larta’s USDA-Commercialization Assistance Program (USDA-CATP), has been building tremendous commercial momentum over the last 2 years with CEO Edie Johnston stating, “As a young business, when we think about our key success factors, the USDA-CATP and our Larta advisor, Dr. Calcaterra are at the top of our list.” Since launching their organic elderberry syrup, a nutraceutical product called anthoimmune™, in September 2009, the product has become a local best seller and subsequently been picked up by the North Atlantic and North East regions of Whole Foods while the company has experienced growth of 250% annually. Read the full story here.

Advanced Liquid Logic Signs Exclusive Partnership with NuGEN

Advanced Liquid Logic’s digital microfluidic technology promises to dramatically change the way liquid-based testing is done today in fields like healthcare, research and food processing. Advanced Liquid Logic recently announced an exclusive partnership with NuGEN Technologies to further the commercialization of their technology. This agreement was preceded by a handful of awards and acquisitions since 2007. CEO of the 2-time Larta NIH-CAP participating company, Richard West, said, “No matter where you are in the commercialization process – there is more to learn from the experts assembled that support the CAP program.” Read the full story here.

The 2011 WilmerHale West Coast Intellectual Property Conference:
Examining the Latest Developments in Intellectual Property Law
October 13, 2011 - WilmerHale, Palo Alto, CA

WilmerHale is pleased to announce that it will once again host its West Coast Intellectual Property Conference. The conference will highlight the latest developments in IP law and their impact on your business.

Featuring panel discussions with leading practitioners, the conference will include sessions exploring current trends in patent litigation, critical aspects of the US Patent Reform Act, and privacy as intellectual property. The conference will conclude with a networking reception. View the full agenda and RSVP here.

NASVF 18^th Annual Conference
October 17-19, 2011 - Sheraton Arlington Hotel, Arlington, TX

The NASVF 18^th Annual Conference is coming soon and we are proud to partner with the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds to provide a special rate to Larta’s network.

Join your colleagues in seed and early-stage capital formation and share best strategies and tools for building and managing innovative investment programs. Network with professionals from outside your local networks and communities to discuss new methods of advancing innovation capital and coaching entrepreneurs to success.

The 2011 NASVF Conference agenda will cover entrepreneurial development, seed and early-stage capital formation, commercializing technologies and economic development investment programs. View the program with speakers and sessions.

Register today and receive a $150 discount off the current registration rate. Use the discount code: nasvf150.

Opportunity Green Conference 2011
November 10-11, 2011 - Los Angeles Center Studios, Los Angeles, CA

The 5^th Annual Opportunity Green - the premier sustainable event. The Larta Institute Community receives a special discount of 30% off regular price. When registering ENTER CODE: LARTA2011

Opportunity Green is where today's thought-leaders and innovators at the forefront of sustainable technology, design and business converge. If you are committed to accelerating the growth of profitable and sustainable companies, this is the most important event of the year!

This two-day executive event brings together change-agents from companies such as KPMG, NBC, Patagonia, Deloitte, Google, SAP, Coca-Cola, BMW, Newsweek, JP Morgan Chase, Universal Music Group, Latham & Watkins, P&G, Vans, Conde Nast, Xerox, Sony and more as we gather again in Los Angeles for OG'11.

Contact OG: opportunitygreen.com or call 310.765.2233 for group rates or to sponsor

OCTANe Medical Device & Investor Forum
November 15-16, 2011 - Hyatt Regency Irvine, CA

OCTANe’s Medical Device & Investor Forum is the leading medtech industry conference in the West. It’s where industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors come together in the nation’s most dynamic medical device environment to see the latest technologies and investment trends.

Joshua Makower, M.D., world-renowned doctor, entrepreneur and VC, will keynote the event. He is a M.D. from NYU, MBA from Columbia, Stanford professor, Pfizer executive, venture partner with New Enterprise Associates, CEO and founder of ExploraMed Development, a medical device incubator. And, he sold Acclarent Inc., an ENT firm he co-founded to treat sinusitis, to Johnson & Johnson for $785 million. Dr. Makower will discuss the changing face of the FDA and its impact on the United State's global leadership position in medical devices.

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