Agreement reached with nonprofit will help entrepreneurs bring their bright ideas into the marketplace

The USC MESH Academy at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has announced a new agreement with the nonprofit Larta Institute, a collaboration aimed at boosting the potential commercialization of world-class research at USC by offering resources that can help entrepreneurs bring their innovations into the marketplace.

The USC MESH (Medicine, Engineering, Science, Humanities) Academy will support the launch of Larta’s Commercialization Training Workshop on Oct. 24-25 in Los Angeles. The academy also will host Larta’s FeedForward Sessions on March 13-14, where cohort companies will seek feedback from experts in academia and the investment community. Through a selection process, USC entrepreneurs will have free access to these two events.

“In an increasingly interconnected world facing significant health challenges, we must keep accelerating the pace of groundbreaking discoveries and their translation into revolutionary therapies,” said Steve Kay, director of USC MESH Academy. “We are honored to collaborate with the Larta Institute, assist newly started companies that have very limited operating capital and support the thriving innovation ecosystem at USC.”

Larta’s programs have been adopted by U.S. federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and governments around the world to equip innovators, principal investigators and science-based ventures with the tools to build market relevance.

The USC MESH Academy is a joint initiative supported by the dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Office of the Provost. Its mission is to support the convergence of research in medicine, engineering, sciences and humanities through educational programs, support for innovation and entrepreneurship, and corporate relations to address challenges in human health and disease.

By Vasiliki Anest