Kyle Monti
Founder and CEO | Haptech Inc.
When Kyle Monti watched his friends leave Louisiana for technology careers on the coasts, he made a different choice. Inspired by his father’s work cleaning up the New Orleans Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina, Monti decided to stay and build something meaningful.
“I wanted to help grow Louisiana and make it better,” he says. “I realized early on that there weren’t many avenues for technology that could entice young people and keep them here.”
Monti spent three years at a New Orleans technology incubator before launching his own company, Haptech, in 2014. His background in physics from the University of New Orleans, where he researched magnetic materials for computing applications, gave him the idea that haptic technology could be used in gaming devices and visual simulators.
A big breakthrough came when a fellow entrepreneur suggested that Haptech’s linear motor technology could create realistic recoil for military training weapons.
“Remember, Haptech is a technology company, not a gun company, so this was a novel approach, but one that paved the way for the company we are today,” Monti explained.
The company’s name combines the words “haptic” and “technology.” Haptics relates to feedback that simulates touch — like the buzz you feel texting on your phone. The company’s training weapons use this principle to replicate the recoil of real firearms without bullets, making training safer while collecting valuable performance data.
The path to military contracts wasn’t easy, however. In the early days, Haptech pivoted to survive, developing blasters for VR gaming and entertainment venues. At Universal Studios today, visitors can experience Haptech’s technology at the Minion Blast attraction.
Meanwhile, Monti persistently pitched military decision-makers. When he couldn’t afford a booth at a convention he wanted to attend, he set up a demo in a nearby hotel suite, where he managed to secure a meeting with a crucial contact. In 2018, the company secured its first major military contract with the Naval Surface Warfare Division, working on virtual training systems. In 2023, Haptech landed contracts with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps totaling more than $11 million.
In recognition of Haptech’s success in reshaping military training on a national scale, in 2025, Louisiana Economic Development named Haptech the state’s Innovative Company of the Year.
“Today, our technology is training U.S. troops and powering attractions at Universal Studios as well as interactions in the metaverse,” he said.
This past December, Haptech launched its next-generation M4 surrogate and Haptech Hub data platform at the world’s largest modeling and simulation conference.
“This is the only M4 surrogate on the market to achieve dynamic, repeatable recoil with battery power that fits into the product’s design without limitations,” Monti said. “That’s what the Department of Defense wants, and that’s what Haptech is delivering.”
“I wanted to help grow Louisiana and make it better. I realized early on that there weren’t many avenues for technology that could entice young people and keep them here.”
