Key Takeaways
- • The inaugural 2026 Louisiana Startup Report, produced by Tulane University's Albert Lepage Center and Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO), a division of Louisiana Economic Development, finds about 66% of surveyed startups expect to add employees in the next 12 months, with fewer than 1% anticipating job cuts.
- • Limited access to financing was the most frequently cited barrier to growth, with only 15% of respondents reporting they had obtained venture capital.
- • Ninety-two percent of respondents said they will definitely or probably keep their businesses in Louisiana.
- • Louisiana venture activity totaled 38 deals worth $83.9 million in 2025, and 23 deals in the first half of 2026, tying the state's highest first-half deal count since 2016, according to industry data cited in the report.
- • The survey covers 143 startups and small businesses across 27 parishes, and the report introduces an interactive, AI-queryable data platform at louisianastartup.report.
Summary
Louisiana's startup businesses are optimistic about the year ahead, with two-thirds planning to hire in the coming year, according to the 2026 Louisiana Startup Report, released October 30, 2026. The report was produced by the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane University's A. B. Freeman School of Business together with Louisiana Innovation, a division of Louisiana Economic Development. It is described as the first comprehensive survey of startup activity in the state and extends more than seven years of research the Lepage Center originally conducted in the Greater New Orleans region.
The survey draws on responses from 143 startups and small businesses across 27 Louisiana parishes, including the New Orleans, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Shreveport-Bossier City and Monroe areas. Eligible businesses were for-profit startups or small businesses with annual revenue below $60 million, or that were less than five years old, or that self-identified as participating in the state's entrepreneurship ecosystem. Approximately 86% of companies identifying as high-growth startups expect to add staff, and 35% of high-growth firms expect to move to larger space or expand their current footprint within 12 months.
Access to capital remains the main constraint. More than half of respondents financed operations through business revenue, 38% relied on personal savings and 36% received support from friends and family, while only 15% reported obtaining venture capital. Workforce shortages were also identified as a significant obstacle. On technology, about 76% said AI has improved productivity and 48% reported a favorable impact on sales, and two-thirds named some form of AI as the technology most likely to have the greatest long-term impact on their industries. Software was the largest primary industry group at 23.1% of respondents, followed by manufacturing at 12.6% and healthcare at 11.2%. Manufacturing and software respondents reported the highest estimated average gross revenue, at $8.25 million and $3.18 million respectively.
The report also cites industry data on venture activity: 38 deals totaling $83.9 million in 2025 and 23 deals in the first half of 2026. Freeman School Dean Paulo Goes and Rob Lalka, professor of practice and executive director of the Lepage Center, framed the report as a basis for programs such as the Lepage Entrepreneurial Assistance Program. Josh Fleig, chief innovation officer at Louisiana Economic Development, said the statewide scope provides a common baseline for identifying gaps and directing investment decisions. The full report and an interactive data platform, which allows AI-assisted queries and downloadable charts and anonymized data, are available at louisianastartup.report.
The survey draws on responses from 143 startups and small businesses across 27 Louisiana parishes, including the New Orleans, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Shreveport-Bossier City and Monroe areas. Eligible businesses were for-profit startups or small businesses with annual revenue below $60 million, or that were less than five years old, or that self-identified as participating in the state's entrepreneurship ecosystem. Approximately 86% of companies identifying as high-growth startups expect to add staff, and 35% of high-growth firms expect to move to larger space or expand their current footprint within 12 months.
Access to capital remains the main constraint. More than half of respondents financed operations through business revenue, 38% relied on personal savings and 36% received support from friends and family, while only 15% reported obtaining venture capital. Workforce shortages were also identified as a significant obstacle. On technology, about 76% said AI has improved productivity and 48% reported a favorable impact on sales, and two-thirds named some form of AI as the technology most likely to have the greatest long-term impact on their industries. Software was the largest primary industry group at 23.1% of respondents, followed by manufacturing at 12.6% and healthcare at 11.2%. Manufacturing and software respondents reported the highest estimated average gross revenue, at $8.25 million and $3.18 million respectively.
The report also cites industry data on venture activity: 38 deals totaling $83.9 million in 2025 and 23 deals in the first half of 2026. Freeman School Dean Paulo Goes and Rob Lalka, professor of practice and executive director of the Lepage Center, framed the report as a basis for programs such as the Lepage Entrepreneurial Assistance Program. Josh Fleig, chief innovation officer at Louisiana Economic Development, said the statewide scope provides a common baseline for identifying gaps and directing investment decisions. The full report and an interactive data platform, which allows AI-assisted queries and downloadable charts and anonymized data, are available at louisianastartup.report.
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