Supporting community resilience, adaptation, and environmental innovation for communities across Los Angeles County
January 5, 2026 – 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Los Angeles, CA.—Larta Institute, announced today that applications are now open for the 2026 Venture Fellows program, an accelerator designed to help entrepreneurs develop and deploy environment-related solutions that strengthen resilience in communities across Los Angeles County.
Entering its fourth year, Venture Fellows supports founders working at the intersection of climate adaptation, environmental health, and community well-being. The program focuses on scalable innovations that address community adaptation and resilience in the face of constant and growing challenges from weather-related impacts in urban neighborhoods.
“Communities across Los Angeles continue to face recurring environmental stressors—from extreme heat to worsening air quality to water scarcity,” said Rohit Shukla, Founder & CEO of Larta Institute. “Our 2026 program is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs building practical, locally deployable solutions that improve community resilience and adaptation today and for generations to come.”
2026 Challenge Areas
This year, Venture Fellows will prioritize solutions that advance:
- Weather-Resilient Urban Infrastructure: Strengthening cities to withstand climate-driven distributions.
- Reliable & Equitable Energy Systems: Advancing clean, resilient, and accessible energy solutions.
- Clean Air, Safe Water, & Sustainable Food: Protecting essential resource and public health.
What Fellows Receive
The program is offered at no cost to participants, and provides a comprehensive package of commercialization and deployment support including:
- World-class technical assistance and one-to-one mentorship
- Strategic guidance to refine business models and scale solutions
- Interactive workshops on customer discovery, market entry, regulatory pathways, and more
- Direct connections to LA-based sustainability organizations, research institutions, utilities, investors, and community partners
- Access to potential pilot funding
- Support identifying and applying for grants and other funding opportunities
A Proven Pathway & Ecosystem for Community Impact
Since its launch in 2023, 34 Fellows have graduated from the program, advancing solutions across infrastructure, clean air, water, and climate adaptation.
2024 Venture Fellow Serena Allen, Founder & CEO of Airvitalize Innovations, shared: “Throughout the Venture Fellows program the Larta team advocated for us within the greater Los Angeles ecosystem. The team was providing relevant programming while simultaneously connecting us with mentors and decision- makers across the region. We are deeply grateful for Larta’s support and highly recommend this opportunity.”
The Venture Fellows program is supported by Wells Fargo, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Edison International, SoCalGas, and a growing consortium of public agencies, research institutions, philanthropies, and investors.
Apply Now
Entrepreneurs, innovators, and researchers across the U.S. are encouraged to apply.
About Larta Institute
Larta Institute is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit accelerating science and technology innovation for a sustainable planet. Since 1993, Larta has supported more than 6,500 innovators who have collectively raised over $7 billion in external funding. Through its mission to “feed, fuel & heal the world,” Larta cultivates entrepreneurs, builds ecosystems, and deploys solutions that create economic opportunity and community impact across the globe.
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