NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans tech entrepreneurs gathered at Operation Spark on June 25 for “Tech For Lunch,” a networking and career development event featuring Kyle Monti, CEO of Haptech, Inc.
Monti, a University of New Orleans graduate and Luling native, spoke about how he bootstrapped his military training technology idea into a successful business headquartered in downtown New Orleans.
“10 years ago, I was in a shared workspace in New Orleans, trying to build a prototype with recoil like an M4 rifle, but without a single bullet,” said Monti. “Today, that technology is training U.S. troops and powering attractions at Universal Studios and interactions in the Metaverse.”
Haptech engineers problem-solving technology, focusing on electronics & motor-driven Haptic Simulations. In one decade, Monti’s Haptech innovations and patented designs have created a new standard for hyper-realistic gaming and military training. They offer safer, smarter and easier-to-maintain equipment that has outpaced previous military training solutions.
At the Operation Spark event, Monti fielded questions from Operation Spark students and graduates on topics ranging from manufacturing to pitching to finding investors.
“Big ideas. Solutions. Creativity. That’s what Haptech is. We figure out how to make the tiniest little electronics have the biggest impact on our interactions, in our environment and for our future. Our technology strips away the boundaries of mixed reality and fits into my pocket.”
“We bootstrapped it all by pivoting when we needed to, pitching to the right person in the right room, and finding the right investors. This is the game plan I am here to share with you today.”
Monti’s presentation highlighted the company’s growth and its commitment to developing Louisiana’s tech talent. They actively foster Louisiana-born innovation and opportunity.
“I’m in it for the long haul. And I’m not alone. Louisiana is proving to be fertile ground for scalable technology. This is what’s possible when innovation meets persistence – breakthrough technology, billion-dollar exits, and national defense solutions, all happening in Louisiana.”
Haptech Defense Systems was honored as Louisiana Economic Development’s 2025 Innovative Company of the Year during the Spotlight Louisiana awards ceremony on May 29.
“Whether you’re just starting out or scaling fast, Louisiana has the right mix of innovation and collaboration to build something extraordinary. I encourage you to protect your vision. Stay flexible. Find the right customer. And don’t wait to be invited into the right room, build your own.”
As Louisiana’s only non-profit software bootcamp, Operation Spark used the event and Monti’s presentation to encourage local students to pursue a career in technology, particularly software development. The intention is to address the issue of 80% of low-income students dropping out of college strapped with debt and the thousands of young adults, ages 16 to 24, who are not in school, are unemployed or are underemployed.
Operation Spark does this by providing practical learning tools and programs teaching students how to write software using industrial tools so that they are ready to launch their careers as fully autonomous, full-stack developers in the high-wage software industry.
