Week of October 20 - October 26, 2003 ~ v.5, n.42
Top Stories

The Promise of Technology Transfer
In the second of a series of articles on technology transfer, Larta VOX examines the elements entrepreneurs need to be successful in the tech transfer marketplace.

Plan Highlights Life Sciences in LA Region
Government, industry and academic representatives contributed to a strategic plan for growing the life sciences industry in the Los Angeles region.

NSF Awards $68M for New Engineering Centers
The National Science Foundation will create four new Engineering Research Centers to conduct pioneering studies in emerging technologies.

Rohit Shukla to Speak at SBIR National Conference
Larta's President and CEO will speak at
National SBIR/STTR Conference and Small Business Tech Expo, Business Partnerships for Mission Success: Assembling the Pieces, October 27-30 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Project T2
Project T2 on November 13th is Larta's national conference on technology transfer: the business of turning research into profit. See the latest research from leading university bioscience and engineering faculty. Learn about emerging trends in technology transfer. Find the latest and most revolutionary spinouts and technologies. Discover innovative ways to form research partnerships.
Register to attend the T2 conference now!

Latest White Paper from Larta Research
Nanotechnology: What to Expect

Promising breakthroughs, innovative applications, and increasing federal support and venture capital funding have raised hopes for the nanotechnology industry, which must overcome some fundamental challenges in order to realize its potential.

Full list of Larta's publications >

Send comments and submissions to James Klein, Larta VOX Editor, at voxeditor@old.larta.org

Larta University


SSTI, the State Science and Technology Institute, calls Larta University one of the "best programs in the country," having "helped hundreds of entrepreneurs, implemented innovative programs, and assisted client companies to raise hundreds-of-millions of dollars.


October 27: Successful Selling Skills and Tactics

Not all entrepreneurs are prepared for it, but the founder of a company becomes the company’s leading salesperson. They may not be selling product directly to customers, but they will be selling the business concept to investors, management team, partners, etc. This workshop will help future leaders refine their sales skills, and understand tactics that salespeople use to attract customers.
Location: Downtown Los Angeles

October 29: Mergers & Acquisitions
Most entrepreneurs dream of building a business that eventually provides a significant monetary return to the company’s shareholders through a liquidity event, usually an IPO or a partial or complete sale of the business. This session will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn about the “path to liquidity.” The course will explain what makes a successful acquisition candidate, what a business can do to maximize value before and during the sale process, and how the M&A process works.
Location: Downtown Los Angeles

October 29: PwC #2: Accounting for Stock-Back Compensation
Stock Compensation, Revenue Recognition, Equity Transactions, 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 course will highlight key accounting and reporting matters and gives attendees a working understanding of the impact these areas have on their business.
Location: Irvine

Larta University's full course schedule >

Tech Sector News
Sponsored by LATimes.com

Top Stories in Hot Technology Sectors

Semiconductors
Will the Sun Rise Again Tomorrow? (Washington Post)
How did it come to this? Sun Microsystems, pioneer of the dot-com era, is on the ropes, with analysts questioning its fundamental business strategy. CEO Scott McNealy says big research investments will pay off. Only time will tell.
more Semiconductor news

Communications
Judge: Hands off Internet Phones (Wired)
Minnesota regulators seeking to treat Vonage like a traditional phone company suffer a stinging setback at the hands of a federal judge. The ruling could boost Internet telephony nationwide.
more Communications news

Software
Researchers take debugging to the masses (CNet News)
Several open-source software packages released by university researchers let people who use the applications contribute to the bug-hunting effort.

more Software news

Internet
VeriSign Sells Domain Registrar (Wired)
Company says it wants out of the domain name registration business and will sell that part of its Network Solutions unit. But it will keep the lucrative underlying system that tracks .com Net names.
more Internet news

Investments
Nextel Posts Profit for 6th Quarter in Row (Washington Post)
Nextel Communications Inc. reported higher revenue and a significant increase in subscribers in the third quarter, resulting in its sixth consecutive profitable quarter.

more Investment news

Events Calendar

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

October 21: Ensuring the Intelligent Sales Conversation: Integrating Marketing Messaging with Sales Processes
CustomerCentric Systems offers this course in critical communication. Your company's success rests on the shoulders of your sales representatives. Can they have an intelligent business conversation with a 'C' level executive?

October 21: Building a Fundable Start-Up: What it Really Takes
Orange Coast Venture Group event features Steve Streit, CEO of Next Estate Communications, who will explain how his company was able to attract early-stage funding even in the depth of the post-bubble venture capital “bust.”

October 21: Goin' Mobile JAPAN!
Sponsored by JETRO, this initiative will promote partnerships between U.S. and Japanese companies in the mobile and wireless industries. G
oin' Mobile JAPAN! is free of charge and will feature a networking lunch to mingle with potential business partners. JETRO will also arrange individual business meetings with Japanese content publishers (if interested, please contact Christopher Baker at Christopher_Baker@jetro.go.jp or (213) 624-8855 ext. 121). All attendees must also be registered partcipants in CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2003.

October 23: Raising Money: Meet Southern California Venture Capitalists
If you're looking for venture capital, you should attend the next Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN) Forum. Local venture capitalists will give you an inside look at the process they go through in selecting companies for funding. Three prominent venture capital firms in Southern California will serve as panelists.

October 27: Successful Selling Skills and Tactics
Entrepreneurs need to be successful salespersons at every stage of their company's development. This Larta University workshop will help future leaders refine their sales skills, and understand tactics that salespeople use to attract customers.

October 27-30: National SBIR/STTR Conference
Learn how your company can get part of the more than $1.6 billion available to small businesses through government grants and contacts by attending the National SBIR/STTR Conference and Small Business Tech Expo.

October 29: Mergers & Acquisitions
This Larta University course will explain what makes a successful acquisition candidate and what a business can do to maximize value before the sale process.

October 29: PwC #2: Accounting for Stock-Back Compensation
Stock Compensation, Revenue Recognition, and Equity Transactions are among the complex accounting and reporting issues highlighted in this Larta University course.

October 29-30: Wireless Internet Data and Enterprise Applications
This Winter 2003 edition of the Wireless Internet: Data and Enterprise Application Conference (WINMEC) at UCLA features leading wireless experts from industry and academia, providing a comprehensive overview of the Wireless Internet space.

Larta's full event calendar >

***** Tech Marketplace *****
Project T2
FIDELYS
Riviera Partners
Project T2
Nanotechnology White Paper
smalltimes
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Rainmaker & Sun
******** About Larta ********

Since 1993, Larta has been the leader in convening technology companies, researchers, and investors. We help our clients access the technology industry through world-class conference and training services, industry research, and capital-raising.

Companies helped by Larta have raised over $1.5 billion in capital. Larta's conferences and seminars provide insights to thousands of businesspeople each year. Larta's weekly magazine on business innovation is read by over 20,000 people.

www.old.larta.org

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Suite 750
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tel: (213) 744-1314

Fax: (213) 744-1791

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 


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16269 Laguna Canyon Road,
Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 789-1110 


Larta VOX Brought to you By:
Staff Writer and Reporter - Wendy Hall
Larta Research Economist - Ketaki Sood
Editor - James Klein
Managing Editor - Victor Hwang
Publisher - Rohit Shukla
Technical Advisor - Stefanie Chao

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