New Orleans is no longer just a city of jazz and jambalaya. As of 2025, it’s rapidly cementing its status as a rising tech hub — one that blends culture with code and innovation with equity. The so-called “Silicon Bayou” isn’t just a cute nickname anymore. With over 6,300 tech businesses, including a surge in New Orleans tech startups, a $10 billion AI data center from Meta breaking ground in Louisiana, and tech salaries now averaging around $120,000, the momentum is real — and bigger than it ever was during Mitch Landrieu’s administration.
What sets the Crescent City apart isn’t just its growth. It’s the way New Orleans does tech: with community, culture, and inclusion at the center. In fact, the city ranks 4th in the nation for inclusion of women and African Americans in tech.
These six startups exemplify that spirit — reshaping industries, solving real-world problems, and putting New Orleans on the national innovation map.
1. Lucid (Now Part of Cint) — Making Market Research Smarter
Before being acquired by Swedish tech firm Cint for $1.1 billion, Lucid grew out of New Orleans’ emerging tech scene. The company created a real-time marketplace for survey data — transforming how market research is conducted.
How they changed the game:
Lucid showed that a billion-dollar company could scale from the heart of the Gulf South. It ignited investor interest and helped New Orleans shed its reputation as a non-tech town.
2. Resilia — Empowering Nonprofits Through Tech
Founded by New Orleans native Sevetri Wilson, Resilia helps nonprofits and funders streamline compliance, grow their impact, and stay operationally efficient. The company has raised over $50 million to date, including a historic $35 million Series B round.
How they changed the game:
Resilia proved that tech from the South can be both profitable and purpose-driven. It’s become a national model for mission-based software built outside traditional startup hotspots.
3. Nest Health — Whole-Family Healthcare, Delivered
Founded by former Louisiana Secretary of Health Dr. Rebekah Gee, Nest Health offers comprehensive in-home and virtual care to families. In 2025, the company was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
How they changed the game:
By bringing high-quality healthcare directly to people’s homes — especially in underserved areas — Nest Health is tackling health inequity through tech-enabled service.
4. Align — Strategic Planning Software for Small Teams
Align helps teams and small businesses execute strategic goals using the OKR framework, performance dashboards, and internal communication tools.
How they changed the game:
Align brought enterprise-grade management tools to the small business sector, proving that companies outside Silicon Valley can build effective SaaS platforms with national reach.
5. JammAround — Where Music and Tech Collide
Built in New Orleans and shaped by its musical legacy, JammAround lets artists collaborate, record, and promote music through one connected platform. It recently won a $400,000 investment prize at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.
How they changed the game:
By combining social media with audio collaboration, JammAround gives musicians autonomy — rooted in the collaborative energy of the city that invented jazz.
6. Obatala Sciences — Diversifying Biotech from the Bayou
Obatala develops human fat tissue models to help researchers test drugs more effectively, especially for diseases like diabetes that disproportionately affect African Americans.
How they changed the game:
Obatala is breaking ground in inclusive medical research, creating biotech that better reflects real-world populations. That’s not just innovation — it’s equity in action.
A New Tech Capital, on Its Own Terms
New Orleans isn’t just riding a wave — it’s building the future. With over 20,000 tech jobs projected to be added in 2025 alone, a robust startup pipeline, and state-funded innovation programs, the city’s tech ecosystem is deeper and more diverse than ever.
From billion-dollar exits to breakthrough biotech to AI-powered healthcare delivery, these startups are proof that New Orleans isn’t trying to become the next Silicon Valley — it’s creating something entirely its own.
It’s tech with flavor. Tech with purpose. Tech with roots.
