The Thought Village, the Gulf South’s main startup accelerator, has introduced its 2026 VILLAGEx cohort, highlighting a brand new wave of growth-stage firms poised to scale in technology-driven sectors together with well being care, AI, logistics, media, and shopper merchandise.

The eight firms have been chosen from greater than 60 candidates by means of a aggressive analysis course of assessing market potential, scalability, staff readiness, and product maturity. The accelerator program runs 16 weeks and is designed to assist startups put together for elevating $1 million or extra in outdoors capital whereas offering mentorship, investor entry, and strategic steerage.

“Some of the thrilling components of welcoming a brand new VILLAGEx cohort is seeing the sign take form,” stated Andrew Albert, packages director at The Thought Village. “Louisiana has a definite set of belongings that make it fertile floor for innovation, and this group displays that clearly.”

The 2026 cohort contains:

• Harbor Lynx + Marine OT: A marine expertise ecosystem offering real-time fleet administration for inland waterway operators.
• Vetavize: An AI platform guiding veterans by means of advantages and well being care sources at no private value.
• Dreamland Koffucha: The primary glowing probiotic espresso combining alertness with out conventional espresso unwanted side effects.
• Gophr: AI-powered logistics platform connecting suppliers and industrial firms with verified drivers for same-day deliveries.
• CultureBot: A Slack-integrated instrument serving to organizations embed recognition and shared values into each day workflows.
• WhosLive: A live-stream discovery hub aggregating content material throughout Twitch, YouTube Stay, TikTok, Rumble, and extra.
• Informuta: A techbio firm utilizing AI and predictive biomarkers to forecast antibiotic resistance for improved remedy choices.
• !nService: A browser-based regulation enforcement platform providing real-time entry to RMS techniques with AI and drone integration.

All through this system, every firm will work with devoted Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, curated advisory boards, and mentors from The Thought Village ecosystem to refine operations and put together for capital raises.

The VILLAGEx accelerator, alongside initiatives such because the Momentum Fund and the third Coast Enterprise Summit, underscores The Thought Village’s mission to strengthen the Gulf South’s innovation financial system. Since its founding in 2000, the nonprofit has supported greater than 23,700 entrepreneurs, contributing over $2 billion in regional financial influence.

For extra data on VILLAGEx and The Thought Village, go to www.ideavillage.org/villagex.