Innovation Resources

MESH supports USC researchers and entrepreneurs by providing referrals to various innovation resources at USC and throughout the LA region, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Entrepreneurs interested in starting a company based on USC intellectual property, and/or learning more about the USC commercialization process, should contact the USC Stevens Center for Innovation.
  • The Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering (AMI-USC) is a technology development center that partners with researchers at USC to accelerate the development and commercialization of select medical technologies from USC.
  • The USC Office for Research has compiled an extensive list of resources for USC innovators and entrepreneurs.
  • Incubate USC is a portal to all resources supporting innovation and entrepreneurship at USC.
  • Funding options available to the USC startup community can be found.
  • USC pitch competitions and exhibitions are accessible via the respective hyperlinks.
  • The LongLA Tech Investor List includes Tech investors (firms and individuals) whose investment focus includes Southern California. It also includes Accelerators, Corporate VCs, Family Offices, Hedge Funds, Seed Funds, and Traditional VCs.  Greg Bettinelli from Upfront Ventures creates and maintains the list. More information about the list including the criteria utilized and how often it is updated can be found Explore now. (Disclaimer: This list was created and maintained by third parties. The USC MESH Academy provides this information as a courtesy to the USC Innovation community and is not responsible for the accuracy of their content.)
  • The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation has information about Venture Capital firms, Accelerators, Incubators, Co-Working Spaces, and Universities that are located within the Los Angeles. (Disclaimer: This list was created and maintained by third parties. The USC MESH Academy provides this information as a courtesy to the USC Innovation community and is not responsible for the accuracy of their content.)
  • The Academic Drug Discovery Consortium (ADDC) provides a series of events on bioentrepreneurship.
  • For a brief explanation of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs, Get it now.
  • A list of regional bioscience incubators is below. (List is as of July 2019.)

University Lab Partners has created a list of the best wet lab incubators in Southern California. Visit their site here : https://www.universitylabpartners.org/blog/best-wet-lab-incubators-in-southern-california 

BioLA

  • BioLA is a public-private partnership whose sole mission is to coordinate efforts across the LA regional ecosystem. It is supported financially by its founding sponsors representing government, industry, and philanthropic sectors, all of whom endorse the potential of Los Angeles to become a major west coast life sciences innovation hub.
  • https://www.biolac.org

Biocom

  • Biocom is California’s largest and most experienced advocate and leader for the state’s life science industry, advancing policies and programs that accelerate success for its +1,000 members.
  • biocom.org

SoCalBio

  • Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio) is a nonprofit, member-supported trade association that serves the biotech, med tech, IVD and digital health communities. SoCalBio convenes programs and events to help local firms gain access to capital, potential partners, and other business services.
  • socalbio.org 

Larta Institute

  • Larta Institute is a nonprofit organization that helps guide entrepreneurs, including SBIR recipients, through the commercialization process. The Larta Institute focuses on agriculture, life sciences, and tech industries.
  • larta.org

Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA)

  • LAVA is a professional organization for investors and entrepreneurs. LAVA hosts various events in LA, including an annual Meet the VC conference, First Look LA, and LAVA Awards Dinner.
  • www.lava.org

Biotech Connection Los Angeles (BCLA)

  • BCLA is a nonprofit organization run by academics and biotech professionals across Los Angeles. Its mission is to inspire, educate, and connect emerging scientists and entrepreneurs to grow and diversify biotech in LA.
  • bc-la.org

LA Bioscience Hub

  • LA Bioscience Hub is an advocacy organization for East Los Angeles biotech corridor that promotes economic and workforce development within the bioscience industry in Los Angeles County.
  • http://labiosciencehub.org/

For more information, contact:
Vasiliki Anest, PhD, Senior Director
vasiliki.anest@med.usc.edu

Melissa Rodgers, PhD, Associate Director of Business Development and Industry Relations
rodgersm@usc.edu

Camilo Ansarah-Sobrinho, PhD, Associate Director of Business Development and Industry Relations
camilo.ansarah@med.usc.edu

Let’s Connect and Collaborate!