Earlier today, IBM Senior Vice President Colleen Arnold and Governor Bobby Jindal announced a plan for the IBM Services Center: Baton Rouge, a software development project that will create 800 tech jobs. The Center is the latest in the series of investments IBM has made in high-tech science and innovation. It will provide software development [...]
By: Mark Graffagnini, Graffagnini + Associates, LLC, www.graffagninilaw.com. Mark and his law firm focus on legal and business issues for entrepreneurs and investors. mg@graffagninilaw.com In the last few days, at least 10 entrepreneurs have asked me what I think about doing a convertible note round before they raise a larger financing round in Spring or [...]
Medical foods company Pamlab is being sold to Nestlé Health Science, a subsidiary of Nestlé. The sale is currently pending regulatory approval. Nestlé Health Science said that they found a strategic fit with Pamlab because the company is working on building up its Brain Health and Metabolic Health portfolio. “The acquisition of the Pamlab business [...]
It’s every entrepreneur’s dream: come up with a great product idea, make a pledge on Kickstarter, and then raise 3.5 times your goal. Sounds awesome, right? Most of the time, I’m sure it is. But it wasn’t that awesome for Seth Quest when Neil Singh sued over the failure to deliver a $70 iPad mount. [...]
The city of New Orleans, its residents, and the Idea Village are in the midst of preparing for the biggest New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) in history. The fifth annual NOEW will take place March 16-22, 2013 at Gallier Hall downtown. So far, more than 780 local entrepreneurs have registered for the 2013 Season’s educational, consulting, [...]
The first ever BioFund loan took place last week at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. With $2.55 million in loans to give out before February of 2014, the BioFund has started out by investing capital into Be Well Nutrition, the brand behind the new drink called Iconic. The BioFund will loan out in increments between $50,000 [...]
As we know, Chris Schultz is involved in many ventures in New Orleans and beyond. So how does he know when do say no and pass up an opportunity to work with an individual or company? He uses an opportunity lens. Chris said, “In the same way that VC’s have an investment thesis, we all need a framework to evaluate [...]
Just like New Orleans and other cities across the globe, Baton Rouge also has an entrepreneur week and it’s fast approaching. The Baton Rouge Entrepreneur Week (BREW) will kick off on November 11th, 2012 and feature a “shark tank” pitch competition. Companies will compete in front of investors prepared to fork over a minimum of [...]
Tulane graduate and entrepreneur Brian Isern co-founder Sibling Capital less than a year ago with sister Dr. Sandra Coufal. The private equity firm based in Rancho Santa Fe, CA is now moving its home base to New Orleans into the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Sibling Capital participated in Relypsa’s $80 million Series C funding transaction [...]
Pixomondo, the international visual effects studio, will open a new studio in Baton Rouge that will create 75 new direct jobs in film, TV and commercial production work. The company’s work won an Oscar at Sunday’s 84th Annual Academy Awards for visual effects, or VFX, in Hugo. Pixomondo will occupy more than 6,000 square feet [...]
