WRITER: Alejandro Najera-Acosta, a_najera@nmsu.edu
SOURCE: Carlos Murguia, cmurguia@nmsu.edu
NM FAST at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center will host the NM SBIR Summit 2026 on Thursday, Dec. 10, at Q Station, 3225 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque. The free, daylong event will bring together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and innovation partners for presentations, hands-on workshops, a startup showcase and networking. Registration and coffee begin at 8:30 a.m., with the formal program running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
The annual statewide summit is hosted in partnership with Larta Institute. It is designed for New Mexico small businesses pursuing Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding, university and national laboratory researchers, and ecosystem partners working in advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy and aerospace.
Technology executives and commercialization specialists will share perspectives on turning federally funded research into scalable businesses, including building customer relationships and planning for growth beyond non-dilutive funding.
The program will also explore tax considerations for research-driven companies, including R&D tax credits and managing a company’s financial runway, alongside investor perspectives on the commercial milestones that can help prepare a business for additional capital.
The planned agenda includes Larta Institute working sessions on commercialization, a discussion of federal funding and New Mexico resources, an investor panel and a lunchtime startup showcase. Participants will have opportunities to exchange ideas with founders and innovation partners from across the state. Final session details and the schedule will be available on the event registration page.
“The SBIR Summit brings together the people who build, fund and support deep-tech companies across New Mexico,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. “Securing research funding is an important milestone, but founders also need a path to customers, partners and sustainable growth. This summit will connect entrepreneurs with practical guidance and resources to help turn a federal award into a growing company.”
Larta Institute has supported startups that have collectively raised more than $23.7 billion since 1993 and serves as NM FAST’s commercialization partner for statewide cohort and workshop programming.
NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide, serving founders in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, and rural communities across New Mexico. Over more than a decade of programming, NM FAST 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 summit is sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Technology and Innovation Office through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant, which supports continued statewide programming for SBIR/STTR-eligible companies in the four priority sectors.
The summit is free to attend, and registration is required. Interested participants can register and view event updates at https://luma.com/zkdo93lo. For questions, contact Alejandro Najera-Acosta at a_najera@nmsu.edu.