Founded in 2009 by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Opportunity Machine has provided programming for more than 1,000 entrepreneurs through its Small Business Boot Camp, Click to Startup video series and Innovate South, a cross-industry conference held annually. The agency’s current portfolio of startup enterprises, together with alumni and affiliated companies, has raised $40 million worth of investment capital, created 629 full-time jobs and generated $725 million in economic activity for the region in the past year alone.
Formerly housed at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Research Park, Opportunity Machine is now strategically located in downtown Lafayette. The 22,000-square-foot building provides community workspace, private desk space, private offices, conference rooms, training rooms and other amenities to help startup businesses get off the ground.
The organization’s success, particularly in the tech sector, sparked additional support for other industries and gave rise to Opportunity Health, an accelerator program focused on companies looking to improve care, reduce costs and create new approaches for the medical industry.
In partnership with the UL Lafayette, Louisiana Center for Health Innovation, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and Louisiana Economic Development, Opportunity Health sponsors an intensive, 12-week business development and capital acquisition program.
Read the rest of the article for Louisiana Life Sciences here.