Larta Institute Announces Inaugural Cohort of Venture Fellows

—Funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, Venture Fellows is supported by the County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office, Miami-Dade County, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Include Ventures—

LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2023 /3BL Media/ — Larta Institute (Larta), a non-profit organization accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship to feed, fuel and heal the world, today announced the inaugural cohort of startups that have been selected for its Venture Fellows program. The cohort of 14 startups, drawn from applicants based in Los Angeles and Miami, will receive support for their innovative concepts to enhance urban climate resilience. The Venture Fellows program is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and is supported by the County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office, Miami-Dade County, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Include Ventures and others.

The Venture Fellows program underscores Larta’s commitment to advancing innovative approaches to combating the effects of climate change in underserved communities. The nine-month program is designed to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 13: Climate Action.

Supporting organizations will provide Venture Fellows with guidance and technical assistance for their projects, connections to potential sources of capital, insights related to business strategy and operations and opportunities to grow their networks. Representatives from supporting organizations constitute the Venture Fellows Steering Committee. As part of the program, the startups will pilot their innovation in targeted communities. 

“Every member of the first cohort of our Venture Fellows program has an engaging story to tell about their cities and how their innovations are working to address the impacts of climate change in their communities,” said Rohit Shukla, founder and CEO of Larta Institute. “Ninety-three percent of the cohort are women- and minority-led businesses. We are honored and privileged to help these inspiring and innovative founders advance their ventures and make a positive impact on their communities.”

The 2023 Venture Fellows initiative supports a wide range of innovations, such as sourcing clean water, transforming urban land for community access, eliminating food deserts, countering urban heat islands, facilitating fresh produce consumption in communities, enhancing coastal resilience, providing clean energy to underserved neighborhoods, developing vertical gardens and harnessing symbiotic ecosystems for urban farming.

“Los Angeles and Miami are two cities where climate change will continue to have a major impact on underserved communities,” said Jenny Flores, head of small business growth philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “The Venture Fellows selected for this inaugural cohort are entrepreneurs who are ready to address some of the challenges these communities face, such as accessing clean water, reducing the impact of sea-level rise and improving the livability of urban spaces.”

The Venture Fellows program is being piloted in Los Angeles and Miami and plans to expand to additional cities. To learn more about the 2023 Venture Fellows, visit: larta.org/venture-fellows-2023-cohort

To learn more about the Venture Fellows program, visit: Larta.org/Venture-Fellows

For more information about the reach and aspirations of Larta’s Venture Fellows program, including plans to expand to additional cities in the years ahead, please contact:

Christina Lila Wilson
Senior Manager
Larta Venture Fellows Program
cwilson@larta.org

About Larta Ventures

Larta Ventures, a subsidiary of the non-profit organization Larta Institute, invests in promising founders and startups who are working to feed, fuel and heal the world. Through our Venture Fellows program, we invest in diverse innovators to pilot good ideas that help communities become more resilient in response to the impacts of climate change. Our co-creation studio model invests resources and expertise in sustainability-focused ventures to prepare them for seed or Series A funding. We invest capital into impact-driven startups alongside our active funding network. For more information visit: Larta.Ventures

About Larta Institute

Larta Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to foster science and technology innovation for a sustainable planet.

Our planet is experiencing significant global problems created by human behavior and policies affecting the environment, food, education, energy and healthcare systems. New science and technology play a critical role in transforming how we sustainably feed, fuel and heal the world.

LARTA was founded in 1993 and funded by the State of California as a Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance to stimulate the economic development of technology-based enterprises. Now known as Larta Institute, the organization has become a national partner for numerous federal government agencies — including DARPA, NIH, DOE, NSF, NIST, NOAA and USDA — to commercialize novel research and innovation.

Today, Larta Institute’s innovation platform and ecosystem accelerate new science and technology from idea to sustainable enterprise by providing a unique combination of connections, resources and funding. 

We have helped over 4,500 startups, and our alumni have raised more than $7 billion in funds.Together, let's feed, fuel and heal the world. To learn more, visit: Larta.org