Week of March 17 - 23, 2003 ~  v.5, n.11


The Investment Landscape
Although certain tech sectors have fared better in the struggle to seek venture capital funding, what investors are really looking for is not promise but proven ability in a company. This is not just changing the landscape of the technology, but the venture capital industry as well.
full article >


Upcoming Larta Events
(these events are produced or endorsed by Larta)

April 3: Venture Forum 2003
Want to get an inside track on the next big opportunities in technology? Come to the Venture Forum. Get a preview of the soon-to-be-hot new companies. Hear the experts on key trends. Join the cream of the investment and entrepreneurial community. Over its 9-year history, The Venture Forum has been the launching pad for new tech companies and has generated over $500 million in funding. Something big is about to hatch. Don't miss it.

Keynote speakers:

Shaygan Kheradpir
Chief Information Officer, Verizon Communications

Albert Myers
Corporate Vice President and Treasurer, Northrop Grumman

Luncheon Speaker:
Randy Brinkley
President (Outgoing), Boeing Satellite Systems

Welcome Remarks:
Andy Chase
Managing Director, Citigroup Alternative Investments

more information >


Larta University :
March-April 2003

March 18 & 26: PwC Expert Access #2: Accounting Issues for Emerging Technology Companies
Stock Compensation, Revenue Recognition, Equity Transactions, and Research and Development are four areas of fundamental importance to emerging technology companies, and four areas that have unique and often complex accounting issues. The goal of the course is to highlight key accounting and reporting matters and to give you a working understanding of what impact these areas have on your business and your business decisions.
Locations: West L.A. & Irvine
more information >

March 19: Hong Kong, The Springboard to China, produced by Larta and Invest Hong Kong
Come and explore alternate revenue sources from Asia Pacific using Hong Kong as a springboard. Learn how Hong Kong's new technology infrastructure can jump start your entry into China. Featuring Mike Rowse, Director-General of Investment Promotion, HKSAR Government; C.D. Tam, CEO, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP); and Betty Fung, Coordinator, Cyberport.
more information >

April 10 : Economic Research Briefing: Venture Capital Industry- Special Sand Dollar Report Release
Southern California is one of the most diverse economies in the country, and not surprisingly has the most diverse venture capital investments of any comparable region in the country. And while venture investors in the region have been on a recent roller coaster of rapid growth and even more rapid decline, many of them remain optimistic, yet realistic, about the opportunities ahead. This report on the venture capital industry of Southern California features comprehensive new information and data (including regions of San Diego and Santa Barbara), with interviews from leading investors in the region. The Sand Dollar Report features data from the PwC MoneyTree survey.
more information >

April 16 & 30: PwC Expert Access #3: Stock Based Compensation and Equity
Issuing preferred stock, stock options and warrants are a few of the equity related areas that give rise to complex accounting issues. To avoid surprises in your reported results and understand the “cost to your company” for issuing such instruments, an understanding of the financial statement impact for these items is necessary. This course will discuss the impact of the issuance of these instruments in terms understandable to emerging technology companies.
more information >

May 1 : Economic Research Briefing: Medical Device Industry
Led by Jeffrey L. Gren, Director of the Office of Microelectronics, Medical Equipment and Instrumentation (OMMI) within the International Trade Administration, this briefing will present an overview of the performance of the medical devices industry, and how the U.S. has positioned itself as the dominant global producer. There will be detailed information on such topics as regulations and reimbursement; Department of Commerce and Industry Activities in relation to regulatory and reimbursement; the Department of Commerce (DOC) medical device export program; how the DOC and industry are working together to improve the global regulatory and reimbursement environment, and more.
more information >

~ New from Larta

Beyond Accession: The Globalization of China and Its Economic Impact on the U.S. and Other Trading Partners
This new white paper from Larta Research examines China's economy, which had already been robust and progressive prior to China's 2001 accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO). With data and analysis of the nation's recent economic history, this report examines how China's accession will affect the rest of the world, which industries will witness the most transformation, and what challenges and opportunities China's accession creates for the U.S. and U.S. businesses. The paper also addresses specific opportunities and obstacles for businesses and entrepreneurs interested in conducting business in China.
more information >
purchase the full report >

The 2003 Technology Innovation Index
The 2003 Technology Innovation Index builds upon 2002’s edition. Larta has refined the research methodology, updated and more closely defined the data sets, and more critically analyzed the results, allowing for a deeper examination of the infrastructure critical to technology industries. This year’s Technology Innovation Index will focus on the role of technology in education, and assesses its role in promoting achievement and facilitating innovation. Particular attention will be paid to educational systems and to data comparing Southern California’s counties with each other. In addition, the Index will include a brief introduction to issues and research related to the role of technology in education. Examining these issues will highlight the public policy considerations and reforms that will best support the sustained growth of the regional technology sector.
more information >

The 2003 Federal Technology Funding Guide
Sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Larta has published its latest edition of the most comprehensive resource on government-facilitated programs for R & D, Winning Government Money, The 2003 Federal Technology Funding Guide. The report is recognized as the nation's leading survey on technology funding by the federal government (over $90 billion per year). With interest in government funding for technology at an all time high, this publication serves a relevant need for companies seeking this kind of assistance.
more information >

~ Announcements

Larta is seeking a Marketing Assistant
Larta is widely regarded as one of the most influential forces in Southern California's technology industry. We are seeking an individual possessing strong interpersonal skills, some experience in conference and event marketing, excellent oral and written communication skills, solid organizational skills, and computer graphics and web design capabilities. We seek a highly motivated, creative individual with strong initiative.

As our Marketing Assistant, you will report to the Programs Director and will:
· Assist in program marketing efforts including conference brochures, website development and updates, promotional flyers, email marketing, and direct mail campaigns
· Develop marketing messages and write marketing copy for conferences and events
· Assist the Program Director with logistical and administrative aspects of programs
· Maintain communication with event speakers, attendees, vendors, etc.

Interested candidates please send resumes to fax (213) 744-1791 or email jjohnson@old.larta.org.

Third IEEE Conference on Nanotechnology- Call for Papers!
Following the first two successful IEEE Nano Conferences in Maui (2001) and Washington DC (2002), the emphasis of this conference will be on applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology. As the potential of nanotechnology is significant and wide ranging, the conference focus will be on engineering issues related to nanoelectronics, circuits, architectures, sensor systems, integration, reliability and manufacturing in addition to fundamental issues such as modeling, growth/synthesis, characterization, etc. The conference will feature Plenary, Invited, and Contributed papers (oral and poster sessions) thematically arranged according to various topics. Due Date: March 28
more information >

~ Other Articles

Sponsored By:

Business, Investment, and Entrepreneurship:

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part (Washington Post)
War may be good for business, but the long run-up to a potential conflict against Iraq is weighing heavily on the technology sector.
full article >

China's Dueling High-Tech Deltas (BusinessWeek Online)
Shanghai's Yangtze River Delta has lots of big corporate names. But Hong Kong's Pearl River region may have an edge in its go-go culture.
full article >

Buybacks are Bunk (CNN Money)
An excessive amount of options is causing techs to repurchase shares regardless of the cost.
full article >

Economic Forecast for Valley: 'A Long-Term World of Hurt' (Mercury News)
Silicon Valley's economy will face an uphill struggle this year, as it remains bogged down from the aftermath of the dot-com bust, according to a new forecast from the UCLA Anderson School.
full article >

Security:

Military Now Often Enlists Commercial Technology (NY Times)
If the United States invades Iraq, many of the information technologies used by the armed forces would have their origins in commercial rather than military initiatives—a shift from the way the American military traditionally developed the communications used to wage war.
full article >

Nanotech and Bioscience:

Molecular Electronics Meets Physics Reality (Nanotech Planet)
It's simply too early to commercialize molecular memory technology at this point, according to Chris Gintz of Molecular Electronics Corp. But the fact that Gintz has come to such a realization speaks volumes about what busineses have learned in the past three years.
full article >

Starlight Express (Wired)
Nanotech's promise is out of this world. Just ask Brad Edwards, who's planning to build a carbon-nanotube elevator that goes 62,000 miles straight up.
full article >



*********** Events Calendar ***********

This events calendar is provided as a service by Larta about events vetted and endorsed by Larta.

March 18: Techspotter: Funding in 60 Seconds at CBS Radford Studios
The purpose of this event is to expose as many entrepreneurs looking for funding to as many investors as possible. Each investor will sit at separate tables for individual one-minute pitches from each and every attending company at the event. Panelists score all attendee's company on their fundability. Investors & companies meet & greet. All companies can present to each investor. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Event is free to all pre-registered companies. Includes dinner, wine and beer.
more information >

March 18: CalTech/MIT Enterprise Forum Presents, Venturing in Medical Technologies
This panel discussion will focus on new ventures in medical devices: where the emerging opportunities in the medical device field are, what the medical device field landscape will look like in five years, what the pitfalls in starting and growing successful medical device companies are, and what areas to avoid.
more information >

March 18: Orange Coast Venture Group: How To Find (or be) A Fundable CEO
In today’s tough funding climate, recruiting a top-notch CEO often makes the difference in raising the capital a growing business needs to succeed. Learn what it takes to find--or become--a "fundable" CEO from a panel of leading Southern California VC's and executive recruiters, who find and develop the Superstar CEO's that lead winning companies.
more information >

March 19: The San Diego RTA, Going Global, Negotiating Risks and Opportunities Abroad
Presented by Morrison & Foerster LLP, this event will focus on legal and business issues affecting companies that are conducting or will conduct business abroad. Businesses looking for new opportunities to expand into global markets should attend this event.
more information >

March 21: Jetro: Regenerative Medicine in Japan
This seminar will bring together bio researchers & business leaders from the US & Japan to explore new business opportunities. This event will summarize and overview current topics on the biotechnology market, especially Japanese regeneration Medicine technology. This seminar will also provide insight on how to build successful business relationships with Japanese potential partners engaged in this industry. Free admission!
E-mail lagbid@jetro.go.jp.
more information >

March 26-27: 2nd Pan-Disciplinary Technology Transfer Conference: From Lab to Market in Today's Reality
Join us at this unique cross-disciplinary gathering of technology transfer
professionals, academic and industry researchers, lawyers, investors, and others interested in accelerating the transformation of technology from discovery to product. This event will he behld at The Ritz-Carlton, Pasadena.
more information >

April 2-4: National Nanotechnology Initiative, From Vision To Commercialization
From Vision to Commercialization is designed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth look at the NNI. The focus of this exciting conference is to look at what areas are being funded and why, what the results of research have been to-date, and what avenues appear to hold commercial promise.
more information >

April 9, 10, 16, 17 & 29: Frontier Associate presents, The Leader Workshop
The purpose of the Leader Workshop is to provide a technology that empowers people to lead, manage, and work powerfully with others to produce breakthrough results in their organizations. By technology we mean something reliably replicable, and not based on belief or particular personality traits. While covering principles and models, the 5-Day Leader Workshop has a real-world results orientation, with numerous demonstrations and exercises concerning how to apply the workshop technology to the participants' particular issues.
more information >

May 22: Corporate Investment and Strategic Alliance Conference
The Corporate Investment & Strategic Alliance (CISA) Conferences are the oldest, largest and most successful conferences in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to companies seeking corporate funding and/or strategic alliances from Fortune 1000, Nasdaq 100, International 200, or other large public or private corporations.

more information >

Larta's full event calendar >

***** Tech Marketplace *****
Larta University
			March 18 & 26
			Accounting Issues For Emerging Technology Companies
Hong Kong
			The Springboard to China
			March 19
smalltimes
			BIG NEWS IN SMALL TECH
			get your free subsciption
FIDELYS
			Investment Banking Services
April 3, 2003
			Regent Beverly Wilshire
			The Venture Forum 2003
PricewaterhouseCoopers
			MoneyTree Venture Capital Survey & More
			The most comprehensive survey of venture capital investment
Tech Jobs CA
			Your link to local technology jobs and talent throughout California
Rainmaker & Sun
			Integrated Marketing
			Contact: Rena Conner for free marketing consultation
			818.789.9928
National Nanotechnology Initiative
			April 2 - 4, 2003
			Washington, DC
 
***** Sponsors *****
Mission Ventures
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Verizon Foundation
 
******** About Larta ********

Larta is the think tank for technology businesses. We apply knowledge in practical ways on behalf of cutting edge companies, investors, governments, and professionals. Larta drives the technology markets through four core services: business training, market research, consulting, and capital programs.

714 W. Olympic Blvd.
Suite 750
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tel: (213) 744-1314

Fax: (213) 744-1791
www.old.larta.org

Orange County Office
16269 Laguna Canyon Road
Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92618

(949) 789-1110

 

 

Sponsorship: To sponsor VOX or other Larta events or publications, contact
Carlos Gutierrez