NM FAST and Larta Institute have graduated the inaugural NM FAST Commercialization Cohort, a five-part commercialization program designed to help New Mexico startups and deep-tech companies strengthen their commercialization strategies and prepare for federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding opportunities. 

Eighteen companies from across New Mexico completed the no-cost program, which combined expert-led workshops with individualized commercialization advising from Larta Institute Principal Advisors. The cohort ran from May through July and supported founders developing technologies in advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy, aerospace and other innovation-driven sectors. 

Throughout the program, participants completed workshops covering SBIR/STTR fundamentals and the recently enacted SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (S.3971), commercialization strategy, customer discovery and market validation, technical proposal development, intellectual property planning, and funding pathways for Phase I and Phase II opportunities. In addition to the workshops, participating companies received individualized guidance from experienced commercialization advisors to strengthen their technology commercialization strategies and federal funding readiness. 

"The Larta Institute cohort helped us build a disciplined plan for development and commercialization around our strong technical concept. The combination of expert instruction, direct mentorship, and hands-on SBIR proposal support was invaluable in our preparation of a Phase I NIH SBIR proposal to advance Lenirion's medical device technology towards clinical impact," said Adam Jones, founder of Lenirion. 

"New Mexico has a deep base of research, innovation and entrepreneurial talent," said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. "Successfully bringing new technologies to market requires more than great ideas – it requires commercialization expertise, customer validation and a clear strategy for accessing federal innovation funding. Through our partnership with Larta Institute, New Mexico founders gained access to world-class commercialization guidance that will help position them for long-term growth and future SBIR/STTR opportunities." 

Larta Institute, a nationally recognized commercialization organization with more than three decades of experience supporting science and technology startups, designed and delivered the cohort curriculum. Since 1993, companies supported by Larta have secured more than $23.7 billion in non-dilutive funding, making the organization one of the nation's leading commercialization partners for federally funded innovation. 

The inaugural cohort aligns with the four priority sectors identified through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant: advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy and aerospace. Participating companies represented communities across New Mexico, reflecting NM FAST's statewide commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in both urban and rural regions. 

"Participating in the Larta Cohort has provided R B Designs LLC with the necessary ongoing direction, tools, resources, and mentorship that are leading us to an SBIR application and other sources of federal government funds. These resources are exactly what we need, given TrueSpine's current place on the journey to market, scalability, and ultimate success," said Robin Benson-Egan of R B Designs LLC. 

Although the inaugural cohort has concluded, NM FAST will continue supporting participating companies through one-on-one advising, proposal development assistance, microgrants, workshops, and advanced commercialization programming as they pursue federal SBIR/STTR funding opportunities. Information about upcoming workshops and resources is available at nmsbirsupport.com. 

NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide. For more than a decade, the program has supported more than 470 New Mexico startups and helped companies secure nearly $28 million in federal SBIR awards. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran, and minority entrepreneurs. 

The program is sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department's Technology and Innovation Office through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant, which supports statewide programming for SBIR/STTR-eligible companies in New Mexico's priority technology sectors.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nm-fast--larta-institute-graduate-first-commercialization-cohort/s/3d325c5c-d59b-4ebf-996c-b3d6f24becb8