Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 02, 2017
Larta Institute, a leading accelerator for small businesses and startups in science-based innovation, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Larta Inc., has been awarded an exclusive contract by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to manage its national Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) for as many as 450 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and II awardees per year, beginning in September 2017. In 2016, DOE granted over $224M to their SBIR recipients.
The contract furthers the organization’s mission to transform ideas into commercialized innovations that feed, fuel and heal the world, adding to its existing CAPs with the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.
“This engagement enables us to enhance our visibility and reach in an area that is both exciting and of great consequence to the world,” says Larta Institute founder and CEO Rohit Shukla. “We will use this new vote of confidence as a calling card in expanding our footprint in this important field, at a time when energy efficiency and alternative energy are of increasing importance,” he continued. President and COO of Larta Institute Constanza Pachon added, “we are ready and eager to work with DOE’s SBIR innovators, both those whose commercialization journey is just beginning, and those who are further refining their offerings to the marketplace.”
Larta’s energy practice is led by David Berokoff, a 37-year veteran of the energy industry with key domain expertise across many areas in the sector, and functional experience covering strategic planning, financial and economic analysis, business development and project management. Berokoff will directly lead Larta’s DOE CAP effort; overseeing more than 60 energy experts and a strong program management team who will collectively work with DOE’s SBIR awardees to frame business models, build strategic networks, and lead other aspects of the transition from lab to market.
“The innovations in the DOE CAP pipeline have the potential to change the world,” said Berokoff. “We are excited for the opportunity to bring Larta’s trademarked processes to this program and provide services critical to the success of tomorrow’s innovative energy companies, including introductions to experienced domain experts and just-in-time insights provided by our industry partners like Schlumberger, 3M, BASF, Dow, NRG and many others. This has proven to be a winning combination for entrepreneurs in all our programs, and we are convinced DOE’s SBIR grantees will benefit from it as well.”
Larta Institute has had a long history of service in Los Angeles. It was founded in downtown Los Angeles in 1993. It served science-based entrepreneurs in the five-county greater L.A. region until 2003, after which it grew its presence to become a national and global force in innovation management.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti commented on news of the contract, saying, “We congratulate Larta on winning this national DOE SBIR contract! We are confident that its expertise, deployed over a long period, will successfully speed commercialization of much needed energy solutions across top tier companies throughout the globe, and right here at home.”
About Larta Institute
Larta Institute, founded in Los Angeles in 1993, is an internationally recognized and mission-driven innovation accelerator that provides a runway of success for world-changing ideas in healthcare, agriculture and energy. Larta Institute and its subsidiary, Larta Inc., have helped more than 10,000 companies transform ideas into commercialized innovations that feed, fuel and heal the world. With a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, industry leaders, research institutions, government agencies and support organizations, Larta conducts commercialization assistance programs throughout the U.S. and in more than 20 countries. Follow us on Twitter @LartaInstitute.