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Connecting people to drive innovation
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April 2013 v.1, n.52
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Larta helps regions and entrepreneurs around the world maximize the commercial potential of high-impact
innovations to solve pressing social issues, enhance economic opportunities and better people's lives.
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Editor: |
Larta Institute 2012 Annual Report: Impact through Innovation
2012 was an absolutely productive, rewarding and even thrilling year for Larta. Last year alone, we served 347 entrepreneurs with one-on-one mentorship, hosted 88 participants at 3 Commercialization Training Workshops in the U.S. and Kazakhstan, established 5 new global partnerships in Singapore, South Africa, Romania, Serbia, and Colombia, and saw our entrepreneurs raise over $79 million.
These are all only indicators of working for our mission of accelerating innovations to the market where they can improve the human condition. We are happy to share with you more about how we work with entrepreneurs, highlights from our programs and Larta’s future vision in our
2012 Annual Report.
Social Entrepreneurship in Serbia: Turning a Crisis into a Success
Neven Marinovic, The Guardian
Publisher's Note: As Serbia transitions to a market economy in a time when we are all still recovering from the global economic crisis, they are turning to entrepreneurship as a catalyst for both economic and social change. Recognizing the importance of capitalizing on human assets, there is a concerted push for non-financial support from international partners in the form of training & mentorship for entrepreneurs and those supporting them domestically. Larta is excited to be one of these partners, currently working with a social entrepreneur through the Serbian Innovation Fund. More on the issue below.
Marinovic (March 2013) - Now is the right moment to support the development of social enterprise in Serbia, and it is important to do it properly. Having emerged from a turbulent period of its history, Serbia is moving towards EU accession. After making significant progress in the past decade, the country and its people are now facing destitution brought on by the global economic crisis... Read more.
Ag Innovation Showcase: Profiling Tomorrow’s Ag Solutions at Global AgInvesting Conference
We’re excited to announce that The
Ag Innovation Showcase is hosting a panel to highlight novel Ag solutions and the role of investment in advancing the work of innovators, on May 2nd at the upcoming
Global AgInvesting Conference in New York. Moderated by Larta CEO, Rohit Shukla, the panel brings together two of today’s brightest innovators, Kirk Haney, CEO of SG Biofuels and Steven Hartmeier, CEO of Vestaron Corporation, in conversation with a seasoned Ag financier Jim Budzynski, Venture Partner at Open Prairie Ventures.
BASF Supports Larta Programs and the Facilitation of Open Innovation
As more and more influential industry players embrace open innovation, we are grateful to have the support of
BASF to help us achieve our mission and facilitate awareness between promising innovators and larger industry players. The commitment from each of our
sponsors is an important one, helping us accelerate the transition of innovations from the lab to the marketplace, where they can solve pressing issues and enhance economic opportunities.
Industry Partnering Salon for Materials, Cleantech and IT Entrepreneurs
Driven by the desire of industry executives to seek solutions from outside innovators, Larta continues to organize and host Industry Partnering Salons where key players across technology sectors present their company's technology sourcing needs and specific partnering opportunities. The next Salon will focus on materials, IT and cleantech technology sectors and will feature two industry speakers from Fortune 1000 companies in conversation with the emerging innovators in attendance.
Sharing Insights from Work with 1500+ SBIR Grantees at the National SBIR Conference
Over the last decade, Larta has worked hands on with over 1500 SBIR grantees and developed and managed Commercialization Programs for National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Army's TATRC, and National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST). Larta will join DOE SBIR Program Manager, Chris O'Gwin and other commercialization practitioners to examine what it takes to develop strong commercialization plans and what that means to tech-based economic development at the National SBIR Conference in May.
Using Global Experiences to Inspire Globally Impactful Innovations
Larta CEO Rohit Shukla will speak at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Dispora Forum in hopes of inspiring young immigrant innovators to engage across borders in order to generate social and economic impact. Shukla will join other first- and second-generation Americans to share their experience in knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and commercialization of high-impact innovations.
Colombian Entrepreneurs Welcome Larta to Host Commercialization Training Workshop
Early April
marked the Larta-organized Commercialization Training Workshop in Bogotá, for
Colombian entrepreneurs participating in a commercialization assistance program
delivered in partnership with Connect Bogotá Región. The 2-day seminar,
led by Larta experts & local advisors, educated entrepreneurs on common issues facing early stage innovators across the globe.
Larta Hosts Closed-Door Feedback Sessions for Life Science Entrepreneurs
Larta kicked off its 2013 Industry Feedback Sessions for Life Science Entrepreneurs mid-April in Los Angeles with over 50 mentors attending from organizations such as Bayer, City of Hope, Allergan, and Cedar-Sinai Medical Center. These Larta-organized private meetings allow NIH and TATRC funded entrepreneurs to receive feedback from licensing & partnering executives, investors, experienced entrepreneurs and other experts on their market entry strategy.
Our pick of high-tech companies that are making the news and already on their way to making it big!
Pasteuria Bioscience: The Role of Investors & Industry in Supporting Innovators
Pasteuria Bioscience, a presenter at the 2010 Ag Innovation Showcase, has achieved considerable success since, resulting in its recent $86 million acquisition by Syngenta. Pasteuria specializes in developing biological pesticides for controlling nematodes. The acquisition followed the formation of a strategic partnership with Syngenta, an Ag Innovation Showcase attendee and sponsor. The Ag Innovation Showcase team at Larta recently spoke with the CTO of Pasteuria, Kelly Smith about these developments. Read the full story
here.
ThermAvant: Making Electronics More Efficient
ThermAvant, a multiyear NSF-CAP participant, is now the leading developer of oscillating heat pipe (OHP) heat spreaders and heat sinks. Thermally sensitive electronics degrade and ultimately fail if operated above their critical temperatures. ThermAvant’s super-thermally conductive OHP solutions acquire and dissipate device-generated heat at up to 50x’s higher rates than conventional materials, and in doing so maintain acceptable temperatures even in challenging operating environments... Read more
here.
Global AgInvesting 2013
April 29-May 2, 2013 - Waldorf Astoria, New York City
Now in its fifth year, Global AgInvesting 2013 offers a comprehensive overview of agriculture investment opportunities, risks and return profiles across all major global production regions, as well as strategies for diversified Ag portfolios including regional variation, private equity, and liquid investments. Concurrent track sessions will highlight the surrounding themes of
Ag venture capital and agricultural technology, water opportunities, and protein plays in livestock and dairy, global fisheries and aquaculture. For the first time, a fourth day has been added to cover the burgeoning AgTech sector, and venture capital and private equity opportunities therein. The GAI AgTech Investment Summit will take place on Thursday, May 2. Register here.
Chief Medical Officer Summit
May 6 - 7, 2013 - Fairmont Battery Wharf, Boston, MA
The Chief Medical Officer Summit for Biotechs is the first event designed specifically to meet the unique CMO challenges of managing all R&D functions while raising capital and strategizing for appropriate exits. Heads of R&D, Clinical Operations/Development/Outsourcing, and Vice Presidents of Medical Affairs will also benefit. Learn more and register here with code LAR15 for 15% off.
VC in the OC
May 22, 2013 - Hyatt Regency, Irvine, CA
The VC in the OC is the largest venture capital conference in Southern California. With over 700 attendees, 100's of companies, and dozens of investors it is the one conference that all tech, life science, entrepreneurs, and investors must attend. From investment presentations to keynote speakers to industry discussions, this is OC’s premier venture capital conference.
Learn more and register here.
The Israel Conference
May 30 - 31, 2013 -
Los Angeles, CA
The Israel Conference is a business conference co-chaired by Yossi Vardi and Sharona Justman that brings together technology innovators and investors in High Tech, Media and Entertainment, Advertising, Mobile, Content, Gaming, Clean Tech, Medical Tech and Consumer Products coming out of Israel that are market-making and in demand.
Attendees will gain an insider’s understanding of the growth of both public and privately-held Israel-facing companies. Learn more and
register here.
Visit our Events Calendar for a list of Larta's partners' events.
