Happy New Year! We hope your 2026 is off to a purposeful start.
At Larta Institute, we’re beginning the year by opening doors. There is still time to apply for our Community Labs Programs, Venture Fellows and Heal.LA. If you’re building a venture that prioritizes sustainability and health for the people of Los Angeles, we want to help you lead the way.
Read on to learn more about opportunities, and receive a first look at the breakthroughs and stories driving the sustainability movement this month.
— Events & Opportunities —
Do you have an innovative solution to enhance community resilience and adaptability to weather challenges in Los Angeles County? The Venture Fellows is an eight-month immersive, no-cost program that supports innovators addressing key challenges of our time: unpredictable and variable weather events, health-related concerns from dirty air, water, and energy sources, and lack of nutritious, affordable, and sustainably grown food. Apply here by February 13th.
This year, Venture Fellows will prioritize solutions that advance:
Fellow Benefits:
World-class commercialization support from Larta
Access to Larta’s ecosystem to stakeholders in your solution area/focus
Expert guidance to explore & design a Pilot for your solution
Do you have an innovation to improve the health & wellness of communities in Los Angeles County? Heal.LA, powered by Larta Institute, is an eight to twelve month, nationally acclaimed and award-winning innovation hub, advancing medical devices, digital health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology innovations that improve the health and wellness of Los Angeles communities. Apply here by February 13th.
The 2026 accelerator will continue to prioritize areas of critical need identified through community feedback and partner insight. We seek innovations that expand access, reduce preventable complications, and improve early detection and treatment across:
Fellow Benefits:
1:1 mentorship from Larta's roster of bioscience & healthcare experts
Opportunity to explore and Pilot your innovation with healthcare
Non-dilutive funding and support to apply for grants
Funding opportunities through access to our curated network of investors
Learn about two Larta Institute programs currently recruiting founders: Heal.LA & Venture Fellows
If you’re an entrepreneur working at the intersection of health, wellness, or sustainable urban innovation, these free info session will walk through both programs and answer any questions you may have.
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Industry Growth Forum (IGF) is the premier event for energy innovation and investment. IGF connects cutting-edge startups with forward-thinking investors to accelerate partnerships and drive quality deal flow across the energy innovation ecosystem. The event features energy technology startup pitch competition,1:1 networking, and insight into emerging technologies. Don't miss out on early bird registration through January 31, 2026!
Evanesc Therapeutics has developed an innovative wearable medical device that uses evanescent waves to temporarily permeate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This breakthrough addresses a significant barrier in treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and brain cancer. With the aging population in Los Angeles County, as well as worldwide incidents of neurological diseases increasing, the urgency to develop effective treatments has never been greater.
Founded by Teresa Liu and Sharon Tracy, PhD, Ouros Materials is tackling one of the toughest sustainability challenges by manufacturing low-cost, high-performance, carbon-negative composites designed for improving our built environment.
Hexas Biomass is an award-winning biomaterials company focused on the production of regenerative, plant-based raw materials that replace wood, food crops for fuel, and fossil fuel-based raw materials in multiple applications. Applications for their plant-based materials include: energy, biochemicals, packaging, textiles, composites, structural/non-structural products, bioremediation, and more. Their mission is to make the highest and best use of plant-based material.
—— Our Impact ——
and Other Resources
Larta Institute's 2024 Impact Report
For over three decades, we’ve worked to ensure that science and technology serve the public good.
We are pleased to share our 2024 Impact Report, which reflects the momentum of our mission and the measurable progress of the entrepreneurs we support.
