Innovation Catalyst
Impact investorBaton Rouge · Pre-Seed–Growth
Find your way into Innovation Catalyst
Investment thesis
Innovation Catalyst aims to build a 'capital continuum' that supports Louisiana-based early-stage, high-growth, scalable companies from their earliest phases through growth, combining funding with hands-on coaching and connections. It operates several vehicles and programs, including The Catalyst Fund, the Red Stick Angel Network, the Venture Capital Apprentice Program, the Baton Rouge Entrepreneurial Week High-Stakes Pitch Competition, and serves as General Partner for the Greaux Innovation Ventures fund. The organization also assists with the management and ongoing operations of the companies it backs, seeking to strengthen the broader Baton Rouge and Louisiana economies alongside its portfolio.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
What they invest in
from 19 of 45 portfolio companiesSaaS ×8AI & Machine Learning ×4Consumer ×3Data & Infrastructure ×3Enterprise Software ×3Media & Entertainment ×3B2B Marketplaces ×2Circular Economy ×2
HQs:United States×17
Who they back
founder profiles across 13 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×82 founders×5
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 45 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12024 · 12021 · 12020 · 12016 · 12015 · 16 dated
Advano manufactures silicon-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries that improve energy density and reduce costs for electric vehicles.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechClimate TechNew Orleans, US
Shiva Adireddy(Founder/CTO)inAlexander Girau(Founder)in
Co-investorsAAF Management Ltd.Boot64 VenturesFifty YearsGlobivestNew Orleans Startup FundPartech Ventures+1 more
ARIX combines robotics and data analytics to inspect and manage critical industrial assets.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnergyIoTRoboticsJackson, US
Dianna Liu(President and CEO)in
Co-investorsAlleyCorpContour Venture PartnersDorm RoomEnergy Transition Ventureskineo financeLMNT Ventures+4 more
Glass Half Full is a glass recycling operation that collects glass through residential, commercial, drop-off, and event pickups, and runs programs such as coastal restoration (ReCoast) and Mardi Gras beads recycling.
Circular EconomyCleantechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodNew Orleans, US
Maxwell Steitz(Executive Officer, Director)Franziska Trautmann(Executive Officer, Director)inCaroline Crumley(Director)
BoardPatricia Christovich(Director)
Co-investorsBenson Capital
Iconic is a platform that partners with museums, artists, and cultural institutions to create and distribute digital and physical art collectibles to global audiences.
B2B MarketplacesCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment
Aluan Wang
Co-investorsBoot64 VenturesBuilders + BackersAF VenturesCultivation CapitalStout Street Capital
Internet-based food and logistics business operating an online farmer's market and wholesale distribution to restaurants.
JustSext is an AI platform offering adult chatbots for interactive, explicit role-play, sexting, and on-demand custom image and voice generation.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerSocial
Hair care products company creating innovative treatments preventing frizz while avoiding dangerous salon ingredients.
MasteryPrep provides standardized test prep programs and services—including professional development, practice testing, curriculum, boot camps, and online courses—for exams such as the ACT, SAT, TSIA2, WorkKeys, PSAT, and state EOC assessments.
EdTechSaaS
Craig Gehring(Founder and CEO)
Network of freestanding self-service kiosks dispensing portable battery packs for on-the-go smartphone charging.
New Orleans, US
Jason Palmer(Executive Officer, Director)Michael C. Melito(Executive Officer, Director)Sean Carrigan(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsNew Orleans Startup Fund
Omnidek offers a business portal that connects to Sage Intacct to synchronize data and provides a library of configurable workflow and process widgets.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSBaton Rouge, US
HUEY NGO(Director)inAJOY KRISHNAMOORTHY(Director)STEVEN CHRISTOPHER JORDAN(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardRICHARD BABB(Director)inWILLIAM ELLISON(Director)
Co-investorsLouisiana Funds
A mobility or transportation-focused application serving universities and organizations to manage transportation programs and operations.
Data & InfrastructureIoTMobility & TransportationSaaSBaton Rouge, US
Sam Allen(VP of Sales)in
Pass It Down operates an NFT marketplace designed for museums and cultural institutions to digitally preserve and sell cultural heritage assets and iconic moments.
B2B MarketplacesCrypto & Web3EdTechMedia & EntertainmentChattanooga, US
Christopher Cummings(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsTechstarsCultivation Capital
PatentDive works to improve the quality and lower the cost of invention disclosures, aiming to make the patent process more accessible.
LegalTechSaaS
Co-investorsCatalyst Capital
Celero (Celero Commerce) provides payment processing technology and business management solutions for small to mid-sized businesses, financial institutions, and integrated software vendors (ISVs).
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Kevin Jones(CEO)in
Quarrio offers a deterministic AI system that answers plain-English business questions across enterprise data sources such as CRM, ERP, and data warehouses, aiming for verified, auditable results without hallucinations.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
KG Charles-Harris(CEO)inDr. Earl Sacerdoti(Chief Scientist)Jim Cates(Chief Product Officer)
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalNew Orleans Startup Fund
RentCheck is a property intelligence platform that uses AI-powered damage detection to enable residents to document their homes during rental inspections, helping property managers reduce disputes and streamline move-in/move-out processes.
AI & Machine LearningPropTechSaaSNew Orleans, US
Marco Nelson(Co-founder)inLydia Winkler(Co-founder)inJohn Kuolt(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsOvereasy VenturesTechstarsContext Ventures
Rep Data's Research Defender provides pre-survey fraud prevention for market research teams, scanning and scoring each survey respondent against 130+ signals to block bots, VPN users, repeat fraudsters, and hyperactive respondents before they enter a questionnaire.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureSaaS
Co-investorsNew Orleans Startup Fund
Something Borrowed Blooms rents and returns reusable wedding flowers — bouquets, centerpieces, and other floral arrangements — as a lower-cost, waste-reducing alternative to fresh flowers.
Circular EconomyConsumerE-commerceLafayette, US
Lauren Bercier(Co-founder)in
BoardHarold Callais(Director)Beth Ann Catalano(Director)Joseph Stough(Director)Laken Swan(Co-founder)
Co-investorsCallais Capital Management
Suds Laundry Services offers laundry and dry cleaning with pickup and next-day delivery, scheduled through a mobile app.
ConsumerLogistics & Supply ChainMarketplacesBaton Rouge, US
Swaybox Studios is a film production studio that creates long-form storytelling using practical puppetry techniques for the big screen.
Media & EntertainmentNew Orleans, US
Chris ArmandThomas WoodruffinTheresa Andersson(Executive Officer, Director)Ben Yip(Director)Chris Wedge(Director)Arthur Mintz(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsIAG Capital Partners
TrayAway is a technology platform for hospitality service operations, starting with room service tray retrieval and extending to in-room ordering, pool and beach service, meeting room requests, and on-demand restaurant items.
HardwareSaaSTravel & Hospitality
Josh Johnston(Founding CEO)in
Co-investorsElevate CapitalNew Orleans Startup Fund
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Aura AdvertisingBasiclivingbrCertification ConnectDAWn AudioDinner LabEmbera NeuroTherapeutics, Inc.EmberaneuroFollowMyCalIconic MomentsJuiceboxKinesicsKinesicshmsMastery PrepParkZenPrecision Payment SystemsScholar's FirstScholars1StSellSwipesite.dawn-audio.comSmartPakSUDSTeam Factor SportsWAITRWaitrapp
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Glass Half Full · goodgoodgood.co · Aug 7, 2026
TrayAway · technical.ly · Jul 23, 2026
Iconic · eu-startups.com · Dec 15, 2025
Something Borrowed Blooms · callaiscapital.com · Mar 18, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Innovation Catalyst made?
- Innovation Catalyst has 45 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Innovation Catalyst invest at?
- Innovation Catalyst invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Growth stages.
- What sectors does Innovation Catalyst focus on?
- Innovation Catalyst focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Innovation Catalyst located?
- Innovation Catalyst is headquartered in Baton Rouge, US.
- Does Innovation Catalyst lead rounds?
- Yes, Innovation Catalyst leads investment rounds.
- Who does Innovation Catalyst co-invest with?
- Innovation Catalyst most often shares deals with New Orleans Startup Fund, Boot64 Ventures, Louisiana Funds, among 23 tracked co-investors.
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