Build in Louisiana
90 active organizations that support tech and business growth in Louisiana, grouped by type.
The Build in Louisiana directory lists the public agencies, regional and parish economic development organizations, accelerators, funds, universities and task forces that shape tech and business development in the state. Each entry was checked as of Oct. 4, 2026, with official LinkedIn pages where we could find them. "Parent org" means the program has no page of its own, so we link the agency or organization that runs it. Our weekly Who Are the Players? series profiles one organization at a time.
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State agencies & programs
Louisiana Economic Development (LED)
Lead state EDO: recruitment, incentives, site work; funds the 8 REDOs and runs LA.IO
Renamed back to 'Louisiana Economic Development' in 2024 reorg; also created the LED Partnership advisory committee
Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO), a division of LED
LED's startup/innovation division (launched 2025): Louisiana Growth Fund, AI institute, Innovation Labs
Louisiana Growth Fund (LA.IO / SSBCI)
$250K to $1M equity co-investments in LA seed to Series A startups; managed by Yellow Ventures
Federal SSBCI money; ~$50M initial
Louisiana SSBCI / Louisiana Opportunity Capital (Seed Capital Program)
SSBCI capital routed through partner funds (Boot64, Propeller, NO Startup Fund, Ochsner, Idea Village, Greaux, Tulane, Innovation Catalyst)
Unconfirmed details Louisiana Institute for Artificial Intelligence (LA.IO)
Planned 501(c)(3) anchor for state AI strategy; first project: AI tools for 5,000 small businesses
Announced 2025; check operating status
Louisiana Innovation Labs (LA.IO; Louisiana's NIST MEP center)
Helps small/mid manufacturers adopt AI, robotics, automation; ~$15M NIST-backed
Took over MEP role; old MEPOL transitioned to LAMA (Oct 2025)
LED FastStart
Free customized workforce recruiting/training for new and expanding employers, incl. tech/software
Digital Interactive Media & Software Program (tax credit)
25% payroll / 18% production-expense credit for software, games, apps
Kept in 2024 tax reform; statute R.S. 47:6022 amended by Acts 2025 No. 432 (one subsection repealed). Confirm current terms with LED
Louisiana Technology Transfer Office (LTTO) / SBIR-STTR & FAST
Free SBIR/STTR proposal help, Phase 0 grants ($3K/$5K), FAST program; LED office at NASA Michoud
LED Small Business Programs (LED Growth Network, Small & Emerging Business Development)
Small business programs: Growth Network (CEO roundtables, research), SEBD, procurement help
Growth Network is the successor to Economic Gardening
Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network (LSBDC)
Free advising, market research, SBIR help; funded by SBA + LED
Old lsbdc.org domain no longer resolves
Office of Technology Services (OTS), Division of Administration
State CIO shop; govtech buyer; issues state AI-use rules for agencies
LED exempted from OTS procurement oversight in 2024 reorg
ConnectLA (Office of Broadband Development & Connectivity)
Runs broadband expansion (GUMBO/BEAD grants); reports to legislature's tech committee
Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions (OFI)
Licenses virtual currency businesses under the Virtual Currency Businesses Act; fintech regulator
Louisiana Department of Treasury
Treasurer sits on SCR 68 blockchain task force; state funds/investment policy
Louisiana Board of Regents (LA EPSCoR, Board of Regents Support Fund, LINK)
Funds university research capacity, industry/lab partnerships that seed commercialization
Louisiana Community & Technical College System (LCTCS)
Tech workforce training partner for LED FastStart and employers
Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LA BEOC)
Maintains a directory of LED regions and local EDOs; business continuity after disasters
Regional economic development orgs (REDOs) & planning districts
Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO Inc.)
Regional EDO; runs StartupNOLA, NOLA Entrepreneurship Council, innovation internships, tech recruitment
Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership (formerly BRAC)
Regional EDO and chamber; recruitment, talent, startup/innovation advocacy
Rebranded from Baton Rouge Area Chamber Oct 2025; brac.org redirects
One Acadiana
Regional EDO and chamber for Acadiana
Site blocks automated checks (403); org confirmed via LED/LA BEOC
North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP)
Regional EDO for NW Louisiana; cyber/defense corridor recruitment
Grow NELA (formerly Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance)
Regional EDO for NE Louisiana; site selection, retention and expansion
Restructured 2023
Louisiana Central (Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, CLEDA)
Regional EDO for Cenla; entrepreneur skill-building, recruitment
Old cenla.org domain now redirects to an unrelated site; don't link it
Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (SWLA Alliance)
Regional EDO; runs Business Incubator of SWLA at the Henning SEED Center (Lake Charles)
Also at chooseswlouisiana.com
COLAB (formerly South Louisiana Economic Council, SLEC)
Bayou Region EDO based at Nicholls State
Rebranded from SLEC; slec.org blocks automated checks
South Central Planning & Development Commission (SCPDC)
Listed by LED as the Bayou-region REDO; EDA CEDS, grants, infrastructure
Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC)
Planning/EDA technical assistance for Baton Rouge-area parishes
Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts
Umbrella for regional planning districts that handle federal EDA economic-development planning
Parish & local economic development
Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO)
Parish EDO; business financing, tech-business attraction, Churchill Technology & Business Park
St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation (St. Tammany Corp)
Parish EDO; runs STartUP Northshore entrepreneurship programs
Old sttammanycorp.org redirects here
Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA)
Parish EDO; tech/software recruitment, funds Opportunity Machine and Accelerate Northside
Ascension Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)
Parish EDO in the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridor
Livingston Economic Development Council (LEDC)
Parish EDO; local incentive help
Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation (TEDF)
Parish EDO
St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF)
Parish EDO public-private partnership
St. Charles Parish Economic Development & Tourism
Parish EDO office
St. John the Baptist Parish Economic Development
Parish EDO office
St. James Parish Economic Development
Parish EDO office
Lafourche Parish Grants & Economic Development
Parish EDO office and Industrial Development Board
Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (TEDA)
Parish EDO in Houma
Iberia Industrial Development Foundation (IIDF)
Parish EDO
St. Martin Economic Development Authority
Parish EDO
St. Landry Parish Economic Development
Parish EDO
Unconfirmed details Vermilion Economic Development District / Alliance
Parish EDO
Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development
Chamber that runs parish economic development
Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation (GBEDF)
Parish EDO; markets the Bossier cyber community (CIC, Barksdale AFB)
City of Shreveport Economic Development
City economic development office
Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce
Business advocacy and recruitment partner
Rapides Parish Office of Economic & Workforce Development
Parish EDO office
City of Alexandria Mayor's Office of Economic Development
City EDO office
Natchitoches Economic Development Alliance (NEDA)
Parish EDO run through the Natchitoches Chamber
City of Ruston Economic Development / Ruston-Lincoln Chamber
Local EDO next to Louisiana Tech; big projects go through NLEP
Unconfirmed details Washington Parish Economic Development Foundation
Parish EDO
No website found; mentioned in parish documents
Dissolved New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA)
Former city EDO; dissolved early 2025, programs moved to the City, GNO Inc., and partners
Dissolved in early 2025; its programs moved to the City of New Orleans, GNO Inc. and partners. Listed for reference only.
Innovation, startup support, capital & nonprofits
Unconfirmed details Louisiana Business Incubation Association (LBIA)
Network of incubators across the state
Louisiana Additive Manufacturing Association (LAMA; formerly MEP of Louisiana)
Advanced/additive manufacturing industry group
Transition announced Oct 2025
StartupNOLA (GNO Inc.)
Ecosystem platform/directory linking founders, investors, support orgs
STartUP Northshore
IDEAinstitute accelerator, NSpire Startup Slam, LaunchPad pitch series
The Idea Village
Startup accelerator; runs 3rd Coast Venture Summit; SSBCI partner
Rate-limited automated check (429); org active
Propeller
Social-impact startup incubator/accelerator; SSBCI partner
Blocks bots (406); org active
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW)
Annual founder and investor festival (March); now produced by Loyola
Unconfirmed details New Orleans Startup Fund
Seed investments in GNO-region startups; SSBCI partner
Official site not verified; LinkedIn used
Unconfirmed details Boot64 Ventures
Early-stage VC; SSBCI partner
Official site not verified; LinkedIn used
Unconfirmed details Greaux Innovative Ventures (Greaux Innovation)
SSBCI seed-capital partner fund
Official site not verified
Gulf South Angels (formerly NO/LA Angel Network)
Angel investment, due diligence, syndication
Innovation Catalyst / Red Stick Angel Network
Startup support plus angel network; SSBCI partner
Nexus Louisiana (Louisiana Technology Park incubator)
Tech incubator/accelerator; moved from Louisiana Technology Park to downtown BR (440 Third St) July 2026
Old Tech Park site (Bon Carre) being redeveloped for data centers
Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund (Ochsner Ventures)
$10M fund for LA health/health-tech startups; SSBCI partner
Opportunity Machine
Startup incubator/accelerator backed by LEDA and UL Lafayette
BRF (Biomedical Research Foundation): InterTech Science Park, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, New Louisiana Angel Funds
Accelerator, science park, angel funds for biotech, IT, digital media
Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) / National Cyber Research Park
Anchor of the cyber research park; cyber workforce and education
Rate-limited check (429); org active
Business Incubator of Southwest Louisiana (Henning SEED Center)
Startup incubator run by SWLA Alliance
The Water Institute
Applied coastal/water research; Water Campus anchor
Formerly 'Water Institute of the Gulf'
Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF)
Community foundation; grants for economic opportunity (tech only indirectly)
Light tech focus
Universities, tech transfer & research parks
Louisiana Tech Research Institute (LTRI)
Applied cyber/defense/energy R&D with CIC and Louisiana Tech
LSU Innovation & Ecosystem Development / LSU Innovation Park / Louisiana Business & Technology Center
Tech transfer, research park, incubator, statewide SBIR help
Tulane University Innovation Institute (+ Office of IP Management)
Commercialization, startup funding, IP licensing; SSBCI partner
Loyola University New Orleans Center for Entrepreneurship & Community Development
Wolf Pack LaunchU accelerator; produces NOEW
LSU New Orleans (formerly UNO): The Beach Research & Technology Park
Research park with office/lab space and university links
UNO now branded LSU New Orleans (uno.edu redirects)
Xavier University of Louisiana Entrepreneurship Institute
HBCU founder programs (The Gateway)
UL Lafayette LEED Center (Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development)
Accelerate Northside and founder programs with LEDA
UL Lafayette LITE (Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise)
Visualization, HPC, and immersive-tech center for industry
UL Lafayette Louisiana Accelerator Center
Materials, microfabrication, and ion-beam research center. Not a startup accelerator
Useful only as an R&D source
Louisiana Tech University Research & Innovation Enterprise (Enterprise Campus, IP & Commercialization)
Tech transfer, licensing, Enterprise Campus tenant space
Unconfirmed details Southern University and A&M College
Eligible SBIR/STTR research partner
No dedicated tech-transfer page verified; site blocks bots
LA NASA EPSCoR (LSU-administered)
NASA research awards and industry partnerships
State task forces, commissions & policy
Task Force on Blockchain and Digital Innovation (SCR 68, 2026)
Studies blockchain/digital assets/crypto regulation and gov use; convene by Oct 1 2026, report by May 1 2027
Sen. Fesi; 15 members incl. AG, Treasurer, SoS, 6 industry seats
Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity
Reviews state tech/cyber budgets and procurement; receives ConnectLA reports
Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission
Governor's advisory body on cyber; coordinated via Louisiana National Guard/GOHSEP
No standalone website found
Governor's AI executive orders (JML 25-103 / 25-109)
Set rules for state agencies' AI use and procurement, bar certain foreign AI tools
Not a commission; no statewide AI task force found. BESE has a K-12 AI committee