On February 6, 2025, Louisiana did something it has never done before.
For the first time at the state level, we made it clear: fostering high-growth, technology-enabled startups is the key to our economic future. We’ve spent decades talking about how to diversify and grow Louisiana’s economy—but without a real strategy to support the kind of companies that create new industries, new wealth and new high-paying jobs.
Leveraging the biggest stage in the world, Super Bowl LIX, we launched Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO), with more than a statement. We laid out a plan. A plan to ensure that Louisiana isn’t just a place where good ideas are born, but a place where they scale, succeed, and stay.
We’re doing this by:
- Creating the right policies to make Louisiana a competitive home for innovation-driven businesses;
- Helping universities commercialize research so that discoveries made here turn into companies built here;
- Supporting high-growth founders by connecting them with the capital, infrastructure, and mentorship they need to scale; and
- Becoming a national leader in applied AI to ensure our asset industries — energy, manufacturing, trade, and agriculture — aren’t disrupted from the outside but transformed from within.
And we’re backing this strategy with action. At our debut last month, we announced: - The Louisiana Growth Fund — A new $50M fund to support early-stage, high-growth startups with direct investment and funding mechanisms to ensure that Louisiana founders have access to the capital they need to scale.
- The Louisiana Institute for AI — A statewide hub to drive applied AI research and commercialization, positioning Louisiana as a leader in artificial intelligence for our legacy industries.
- A Landmark Partnership with Waymo — Teaming up with one of the world’s leading autonomous vehicle companies to bring next-generation transportation technology to Louisiana and positioning the state as a proving ground for AI-driven mobility.
The LA.IO Event Series — A year-round calendar of innovation-focused events that will convene founders, investors, and industry leaders to accelerate momentum, build networks, and strengthen Louisiana’s startup ecosystem.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t just a policy shift; it’s a cultural shift. And culture doesn’t change overnight.
Louisiana has long been a state where people build things — industries, infrastructure, ideas. But when it comes to high-growth startups, too often we’ve told ourselves that real innovation happens somewhere else. That the companies shaping the future belong in Silicon Valley, Austin, or New York — not here.
That’s the mindset we must break.
Building a strong startup ecosystem isn’t just about capital or incentives — it’s about believing in our own entrepreneurs. It’s about ensuring that when someone in Louisiana has a bold idea, their first instinct isn’t to leave, but to stay and build. And that only happens if we all buy in — universities, lawmakers, investors, business leaders, and the people of New Orleans and Louisiana.
So, here’s the call to action: We need more of Louisiana betting on more of Louisiana.
Louisiana Innovation has laid the foundation. Now, it’s up to all of us to make sure this moment isn’t just a flash of momentum — but the start of something transformational.
Josh Fleig is the chief innovation officer of Louisiana Innovation (LA.10). He may be reached at Josh.Fleig@LA.GOV.
