Innovation Catalyst
Impact investorBaton Rouge · Pre-Seed–Growth · 7 people tracked
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.
Team · 7 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 14 of 49 portfolio companiesSaaS ×5AI & Machine Learning ×4B2B Marketplaces ×2Cleantech ×2Climate Tech ×2Consumer ×2Data & Infrastructure ×2EdTech ×2
HQs:United States×15
Investments · 49 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
ARIX combines robotics and data analytics to inspect and manage critical industrial assets.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnergyIoTRoboticsJackson, US
Dianna Liu(President and CEO)
Digital Out of Home advertising via display monitors secured to vehicle tops.
Platform connecting companies with training providers for CPR, ethics, workplace harassment, background checks, and drug testing.
Music industry platform providing compatibility between Digital Audio Workstations to enable musician collaboration.
Membership-based social dining experience in New Orleans connecting undiscovered chefs and nontraditional venues with adventurous diners.
New Orleans, US
Francisco Robert(Chief Operating Officer)John Elstrott(Director)Byrson Aust(Chief Financial Officer)Zachary Kupperman(Chief Business Officer; General Counsel)Thomas Adamek(Director)Jorge Barrett(Director)
Developing EMB-001, a medication treating addiction by targeting the stress activity and response system in the patient's body.
BiotechSudbury, US
Ross Barrett(Director)Franz Hefti(Director)John Beaird(Director)Robert B. Linke(Executive Officer, Director)Joseph Lovett(Director)
Calendar platform enabling seamless planning of personal, professional, and social events by integrating multiple calendar sources.
Glass collection and recycling company processing glass at its Material Recovery Facility and selling end-product.
Glass Half Full recycles glass waste into sand and gravel used for coastal restoration, new glass, and other applications, offering residential doorstep pickup, commercial collection, event services, and free drop-off hubs.
Circular EconomyCleantechClimate Tech
NFT marketplace for historical and cultural heritage institutions preserving culture and history on blockchain.
Internet-based food and logistics business operating an online farmer's market and wholesale distribution to restaurants.
Mobile platform for sexual wellness providing expert information and community while enabling sexual health companies to reach audiences.
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
Musculoskeletal risk management company offering health technology software for prevention and prediction of musculoskeletal risk.
Hair care products company creating innovative treatments preventing frizz while avoiding dangerous salon ingredients.
Developer and marketer of proprietary ACT test preparation curriculum for public and private schools.
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
Sean Carrigan(Executive Officer, Director)Jason Palmer(Executive Officer, Director)Michael C. Melito(Executive Officer, Director)
Intranet/extranet portal platform eliminating paper processes and replacing them with electronic forms and real-time data sharing.
Baton Rouge, US
HUEY NGO(Director)RICHARD BABB(Director)WILLIAM ELLISON(Director)AJOY KRISHNAMOORTHY(Director)STEVEN CHRISTOPHER JORDAN(Executive Officer, Director)
Mobile application providing real-time parking availability data and analytics to help users locate parking and organizations optimize operations.
ParkZen provides real-time parking availability and guidance using a crowdsourcing technology that works through smartphone apps, without requiring hardware installation.
IoTMobility & TransportationSaaS
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)
Web-based interface using game and semantic learning to streamline patent application drafting and educate users on the patent process.
Woman-owned financial services company helping businesses analyze and improve credit card payment system efficiency.
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)
Quarrio provides deterministic AI for business intelligence queries across enterprise data systems (CRM, ERP, data warehouses), delivering 100% accuracy and auditability without hallucinations.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
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)Lydia Winkler(Co-founder)John Kuolt(Executive Officer, Director)
Secure platform protecting research industry ecosystem by eliminating fraudulent traffic and click farms.
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
School bus transportation company providing services to charter schools in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans markets.
Platform combining proprietary software, location services, mobile advertising, and data analytics for consumer retail and advertising.
Baton Rouge, US
David Facey(Executive Officer, Director)
Revolutionizing beverage packaging by combining koozie functionality with 4 and 6-pack carrying cases to keep beverages cooler and reduce breakage.
New Orleans, US
Pike Barkerding(Executive Officer, Director)Ralph Senner(Director)Dann Schwartz(Executive Officer, Director)Mike Eckert(Director)
Lafayette, US
Harold Callais(Director)Lauren Bercier(Executive Officer, Director)Beth Ann Catalano(Director)Joseph Stough(Director)Laken Swan(Director)
On-demand mobile application connecting laundry and dry cleaning providers with residential and commercial clients.
Suds Laundry Services offers laundry and dry cleaning with pickup and next-day delivery, scheduled through a mobile app.
ConsumerLogistics & Supply ChainMarketplacesBaton Rouge, US
Animation studio combining computer-generated animation, stop-motion, and puppetry techniques to create films with faster timelines and reduced costs.
New Orleans, US
Theresa Andersson(Executive Officer, Director)Ben Yip(Director)Chris Wedge(Director)Arthur Mintz(Executive Officer, Director)Jaime Winkelman(Executive Officer)David R. Smith(Director)
Athletic training application enabling coaches and athletes to create tailored training programs and track performance metrics.
Mobile order management cloud platform connecting restaurants to customers via ordering, promotions, and CRM with analytics insights.
Frequently asked questions
- 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.
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