News
Welcome to the Innovation News page. This is where all the top and recent news articles will be displayed, as well as all the news from 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Top News
You might say Chckvet, software tools that make veterinary practices more efficient, was born of frustration. Colin Hebert, Matthew Ieyoub and George Villaume had previously launched a web and app development company, Breach Software, which served as the web development team for Mallard Bay, the VRBO of hunting and fishing. "They really liked it, but Breach's growth opportunities were limited. They were just salaried employees, basically working full time for Mallard Bay," said Chckvet Business Lead Elliott Greenwood. "They wanted to do more."
For years, the partners in MPT Homes followed the same formula as everyone else elevating homes along the flood-prone coasts of Louisiana and Florida, jacking up the houses and placing them on stacks of concrete blocks. But Tony Monk, James Packer and Robert Turner wanted a stronger support system, one made of steel, that could withstand the increasingly severe flooding and hurricanes. "There wasn't much, if any, steel foundation construction taking place. The materials, labor and equipment can cost more. Then James figured out a better way: a design that interlocks the steel without fasteners. No nuts, bolts or screws," said Tony Monk Jr., MPT senior executive partner.
Early on the morning of Aug. 29, 2005, the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina cascaded into the Murphy Oil Refinery in Chalmette. An above-ground storage tank holding 65,000 barrels of oil stood in the water's path. The oil alone weighed 19.5 million pounds, but the flood surge easily shrugged aside the tank. It ruptured, and oil poured into the surrounding neighborhood. More than 1,700 homes were damaged. Cleanup and damages cost Murphy Oil around $500 million. Sabarethinam Kameshwar, an assistant professor in LSU's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, wants to make sure these kinds of spills never happen again. He is working on software to create a tank anchoring system, and his 2023 I-Corps IdeaLaunch training is helping him turn his idea into a business.
Recent News
U.S. Clinical Trials Begin for COVID-19 Oral Therapeutics Discovered Using LSU-Developed Artificial Intelligence
First patient study in North America to investigate a new combination of two previously FDA-approved drugs identified as effective against COVID-19 by DeepDrug, an artificial intelligence platform developed by Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers.
LSU Innovation Park Tenant Tigeraire Becomes First Louisiana Startup to Raise Seed Funding from Global Top 50 Venture Capital Firm
Tigeraire, a tech startup at LSU Innovation Park, recently announced that General Catalyst, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm behind Venmo, Stripe, Airbnb, and TikTok, has signed as their lead investor. This makes Tigeraire the first company in the history of the state of Louisiana to attract seed funding from a global top 50 venture capital firm, according to Preqin and Crunchbase.
LSU Launches Office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development
LSU announced August 23, that five of LSU's entities that support innovation and business development have joined forces under the new Office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development.
SBIR-STTR Funding Opportunities
A list of recently opened SBIR-STTR Funding Opportunities:
LSBDC at LSU Ribbon Cutting
On March 8, LSU Innovation Park hosted the Louisiana SBDC at LSU Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
LSU DeepDrug Team Uses Artificial Intelligence to Discover New Treatments for Coronavirus
The LSU DeepDrug team, a current semifinalist for the IBM Watson AI X-PRIZE, is using artificial intelligence, or AI, to discover new drugs. Although their work so far has focused mainly on antibiotics and antimicrobials, they are now working as quickly as they can to find new antivirals effective against coronavirus. The team is in the process of retraining their AI by feeding it large datasets of information and asking it questions—some with known answers—to see how well it is learning. Within days, they hope to have their AI begin suggesting new drugs, or drug combinations, to help save lives.
Tenant Spotlight: Tigeraire
Spotlighting one of our newest tenants, Tigeraire.
Ten Minutes with Rainmaker Michal Brylinski
Michal Brylinski, associate professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences with a joint appointment at the Center for Computation & Technology, uses artificial intelligence and complex algorithms on large biological datasets to design and discover new drugs. As a member of LSU’s Deep Drug team, he’s a current semifinalist for the $5M IBM Watson AI XPRIZE. His career path, however, has been a bit kręci się, as you’d say in his native Polish, meaning squiggly.
Louisiana Technology Transfer Office wins 2020 Tibbets Award
The Tibbetts Award 2020 chooses outstanding small businesses and individuals who participate in the SBA'S Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to honor.
Non-destructive testing technology developed by Advanced Microwave Imaging
Robert Stakenborghs gives a demonstration of his microwave imaging testing.
LSU Researchers Enter Semifinals for the $5M IBM Watson AI XPRIZE
People and pharmaceutical companies around the world are increasingly challenged by antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as new and rapidly evolving pathogens. The discovery of new drugs, meanwhile, can be a slow and costly process as companies must make sure their drugs are both effective and safe. It currently takes on average 10 years and over $2 billion to create a new drug and get it approved. Now, an interdisciplinary LSU team led by Supratik Mukhopadhyay, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, and Michal Brylinski, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences with a joint appointment in the Center for Computation & Technology, suggests using artificial intelligence, or AI, to try to solve this growing problem.
Innovation Park graduates and clients make the LSU 100 list.
LSU has released its 10th annual LSU 100 list of fastest-growing businesses owned or led by LSU graduates.
All About the Fans: New Helmet Tech Developed with LSU Tigers to Help Protect Players from Coronavirus
LSU, in partnership with a Louisiana sports technology startup, has developed new helmet cooling technologies to make customizable air circulation devices for athletic helmets with the goal of helping to protect the players from coronavirus. The new devices, literally driven by fans, are being tested by LSU players. The improvements will help them stay cooler and more comfortable on the field, allowing the athletes to keep their helmets and additional COVID-19 safety gear on longer.
GPS Business Brokers Partners with Dallas Based Liberty Business Exchange
Innovation Park tenant, GPS Business Brokers, partners with Liberty Business Exchange to expand their consulting services to the Baton Rouge area.