NEW ORLEANS — The Idea Village is hosting the IDEAinstitute Fall 2025 Pitch Night on Nov. 19 at the historic Dew Drop Inn in New Orleans with five select founders from the Fall 2025 IDEAinstitute cohort pitching their startups to a live audience and a panel of judges.
LumaWave — Vinoin Vincely
LumaWave is developing novel imaging tools for efficient assessment and monitoring of chronic wounds. “LumaWave introduces a handheld photoacoustic imaging probe that enables real-time mapping of tissue oxygenation, a critical biomarker for wound healing,” said Vinoin Vincely of LumaWave. “Current methods like transcutaneous oximetry are slow, expensive, and impractical for high-volume clinics. Our device leverages ultrasound hardware to deliver real-time tissue oximetry, at a fraction of the cost. This innovation combines portability, speed, and functional insight, making advanced wound diagnostics accessible to community clinics, nursing homes, and remote care settings where chronic wounds are most prevalent.”
“Our initial market entry strategy focuses on local and regional health systems in Louisiana through clinical trial site conversions and key opinion leader (KOL) relationships. From there, we aim to scale nationally by targeting high-volume wound care clinics, hospitals, and home health agencies representing a total market worth $3.7B in annual recurring revenue. We also see opportunities in adjacent markets like neonatal care and veterinary surgery, which together represent an unprecedented market potential,” said Vincely.
“Pitch Night is a chance for LumaWave to attract investor interest, build strategic partnerships with clinicians and healthcare organizations, gain expert feedback on our commercialization strategy, and enhance visibility and credibility within the MedTech and wound care ecosystem,” said Vincely.
Breeze Shuttles — Tristan Sariego
Breeze Shuttles is a free to low-cost, ad-supported electric microtransit service expanding in New Orleans and other college towns. “Breeze offers free, electric late-night rides funded entirely by advertising. We combine microtransit, LED vehicle ads, and in-app promotions to solve student safety and mobility without charging riders,” said Tristan Sariego of Breeze Shuttles.
“We already impact local students and businesses, and the model scales easily to other college towns. Long-term, Breeze can grow into a national campus network,” said Sariego. “I wanted to create a free, reliable service that reduces risks and helps the community.”
Net Zero Battery Solutions — Mike Bagot
Net Zero Battery Solutions is an IP company with protections around the fastest recharging battery system in the EV space that also has large Distributed Energy capabilities. “My business delivers a new approach to electric vehicles and energy by developing a fast-charging electric battery system that also operates as grid-integrated power market asset. This dual-use capability breaks down traditional walls between transportation and energy,” said Mike Bagot of Net Zero Battery Solutions.
“I expect my business to reach national customers,” said Bagot. “I have an electric vehicle and know the struggles of charging on the road and range anxiety. I wanted to make an electric vehicle battery that could do more and go further.”
Medvient – Nicole Oliver
Medvient is an AI-driven healthcare platform designed to revolutionize medical billing, coding, and reimbursement. “Medvient replaces outdated, labor-heavy medical billing with AI-driven automation. Our platform uses a three-tier autonomous agent system that handles transcription, coding, compliance, and claim preparation with speed and precision. This reduces administrative costs, accelerates reimbursement, and gives providers a modern, reliable revenue cycle infrastructure,” said Nicole Oliver of Medvient.
“We are starting with a clear mission: support Louisiana clinics by modernizing their revenue cycle operations. From there, Medvient is built to scale regionally and nationally, particularly into rural and underserved areas that lack billing resources. Over time, our AI architecture can support global healthcare systems seeking faster reimbursement and reduced administrative burden,” said Oliver.
“Pitch Night is an opportunity to share our progress, connect with the region’s innovation ecosystem, and build relationships with partners and investors who believe healthcare deserves better technology. We aim to expand our pilot opportunities, increase visibility, and move Medvient closer to full deployment in clinical environments,” said Oliver.
“After 25 years working in revenue cycle operations, I saw how much time, money, and human energy are wasted on outdated billing systems. I built Medvient to solve the problems I’ve lived firsthand, using modern AI to create faster, more accurate, and more sustainable billing for healthcare providers,” said Oliver.
Intelligent Archives — Joseph Makkos
“Intelligent Archives converts one million pages of historic New Orleans newspapers into AI-ready datasets and story IP, creating a dual monetization engine that merges preservation with advanced machine learning and media production. It’s a new model where cultural heritage becomes high-value data infrastructure,” said Joseph Makkos of Intelligent Archives.
“We’re looking to build relationships with mentors, partners, and investors who understand both the commercial potential and cultural importance of ethical, high-quality training data and IP. Pitch Night offers visibility, validation, and strategic alignment for rapid growth,” said Makkos.
“After Katrina, I began rescuing historic New Orleans print ephemera and equipment. After acquiring the archives, I realized they weren’t just artifacts—they were powerful training data and narrative engines waiting to be activated. This work is driven by a belief that the future of AI and storytelling must be rooted in real human history,” said Makkos.
Regions Foundation Grant Announcement
The IDEAinstitute Fall 2025 Pitch Night will include the announcement of a major grant from the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank, in support of Idea Village initiatives.
“We are thrilled to support IDEAinstitute and the entrepreneurs who are shaping the next chapter of innovation. The Idea Village has empowered founders to turn promising ideas into successful, scalable businesses,” said Marta Self, Executive Director of the Regions Foundation. “That is why the Regions Foundation is providing a $200,000 grant to help ensure that more emerging leaders can access this program.”
IDEAinstitute Alumni Reflection
The program will also bring back IDEAinstitute alumni to reflect on how their ventures have advanced post-graduation, including Jrumz Audio, Zokyo, Home Tours Pro, and Renovigo Chemicals.
Many IDEAinstitute alumni have gone on to raise successful pre-seed & seed rounds of funding and be accepted into later-stage accelerator programs following their graduation from the program; just from the last Spring 2025 IDEAinstitute cohort, WhosLive, a streaming platform redefining entertainment, has gone on to successfully fundraise a pre-seed round, and Ticker, a certified platform innovating investing for Gen Z, successfully launched their app at TechCrunch Disrupt during the Startup Battlefield 200, a highly-selective pitch competition for early stage startups.
“The companies that make it to Pitch Night have gone through a competitive process to be on that stage. They’ve shown that their ventures are solving real problems and that they have a vision and a plan to scale these companies,” says Sean Mulligan, Sr. Programs Manager at The Idea Village.
Event Details
Pitch Night on Nov. 19 at 6:00 p.m. is free and open to the public at the Dew Drop Inn. A livestream link will be made available for registrants on the day of the event. Street parking is available near the Dew Drop Inn. Organizers encourage ride share as parking can fill up quickly.
To register for Pitch Night, visit here. The winner of Pitch Night will be announced live at the event.
About IDEAinstitute
IDEAinstitute is a 12-week hybrid accelerator program designed to help early-stage founders validate, test, and refine their business ideas. Through hands-on workshops, mentorship, and pitch coaching, participants gain the skills and confidence to launch sustainable, scalable ventures. Many graduates go on to raise funding, gain early traction, and enter later-stage accelerator programs.
About The Idea Village
The Idea Village champions innovation and entrepreneurship in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf South. Since its founding in 2000, The Idea Village has supported over 20,100+ entrepreneurs with mentorship, coaching, and access to capital. Alumni companies have generated more than $2 billion in regional economic impact.
