U News | Tulane University unveils results of its seventh Greater New Orleans Start-up Report
The Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program is returning for its second year to continue empowering early-stage founders across the Emory community.
From Tulane University:
Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business unveiled the results of its seventh Greater New Orleans Start-up Report while announcing plans to significantly expand its annual survey of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem next year.
Freeman’s Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will partner with Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO) to extend the survey statewide in 2026, creating Louisiana’s first comprehensive view of start-up activity.
“What began as a local effort to understand our startup landscape will now serve our entire state,” said Freeman School Dean Paulo Goes. “Louisiana Innovation’s decision to adopt our approach as the foundation for statewide innovation measurement validates the comprehensive system we’ve built – one that captures not just data, but the full story of entrepreneurial growth.”
The latest report finds that area entrepreneurs are going all in on artificial intelligence (AI) as they keep a closer eye on hiring and office costs. The annual report, a benchmark for tracking entrepreneurial activity, is based on a survey of more than 120 start-ups across a 10-parish region.
This year’s survey shows that 67 percent of businesses see AI as their biggest opportunity and 77 percent say it will have the biggest long-term impact. Among respondents, 35 percent said generative AI, such as ChatGPT, will be most consequential, and 32 percent chose AI/machine learning. Of companies already using AI, 85 percent report a favorable impact, citing productivity gains (70 percent), expanded markets (33 percent), and lower costs (25 percent).
From Emory University:
The Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst Program, a collaboration between Techstars and Emory University, is returning for its second year to continue empowering early-stage founders across the Emory community.
Supported by The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, the program builds on the strong foundation of its inaugural 2025 cohort, which received a record-breaking 56 applications and supported 19 ventures spanning healthcare, artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and social impact. Over 10 weeks, participating teams will receive world-class mentorship, hands-on start-up education, and access to the global Techstars network to help transform their ideas into investable ventures.
The deadline to apply is December 5 at this link.
From the University of Georgia:
Innovation Gateway, the University of Georgia’s (UGA) technology commercialization and start-up arm, has named Dan Geller as its new Director of the Innovation Gateway Start-up Program. Geller assumed the role after serving as Assistant Director since 2020.
“I’m excited to welcome Dr. Geller as director of the Innovation Gateway Startup Program,” said Derek Eberhart, Associate Vice President for Research and Executive Director of Innovation Gateway, a unit of the Office of Research. “With his deep UGA experience and proven commitment to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship, Dan is well-positioned to enhance our efforts to translate research discoveries into impactful new ventures. I look forward to working with Dan to accelerate the impact of university-based start-ups.”
In his new role, Geller will oversee the ever-growing number of start-ups formed around UGA intellectual property, guiding faculty, staff, and students through the formation process and helping them to secure early-stage funding.
From New Mexico State University:
New Mexico State University (NMSU) President Valerio Ferme and Naoki Shinjo, Fujitsu’s Head of Advanced Technology Development, signed an agreement recently enabling the creation of a testing ground for the Japanese company’s latest technologies at the university.
Fujitsu describes itself as the biggest digital services company by market share in Japan and a leading innovator in artificial intelligence and supercomputer technologies. The company also works on so-called “edge” computing tech, which is commonly used in autonomous vehicles to enable split-second computations within each car.
All of those cutting-edge technologies will be battle-tested at NMSU beginning early next year, thanks to a memorandum of understanding that the two officials signed earlier this month. In the document, NMSU agrees to establish an “innovation hub with reliable power and cooling infrastructure,” as well as procure servers with “diverse computational needs.” Fujitsu agrees to deploy its tech and hardware and provide ongoing support.
From Arizona State University:
Applied Materials and Arizona State University (ASU) recently marked the official opening of the Materials-to-Fab Center, a shared world-class $270 million research, development, and prototyping facility inside the university’s MacroTechnology Works at the ASU Research Park in Tempe.
The event was held in parallel to the SEMICON West conference in nearby Phoenix, which drew semiconductor industry leaders from around the globe.
Applied Materials executives, including Prabu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group, and ASU President Michael Crow, were joined at the ribbon cutting by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Sandra Watson, Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority, along with other government and city leaders, to highlight the benefits that the Materials-to-Fab Center will bring to Arizona and the entire semiconductor industry.
“The work of advancing discovery and, with it, the American semiconductor manufacturing industry is of vital importance to the nation from both an economic competitiveness and a national security perspective,” Crow said.
State University of New York:
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the launch of the SUNY – NY Creates Technology Innovation Institute (TII), which was included in the 2025 State of the University Policy Agenda, to bolster future semiconductor research and workforce development. The new institute will support New York State’s leadership in next-generation semiconductor innovation by leveraging the world-class infrastructure at NY Creates’ Albany NanoTech Complex, so leading faculty researchers across SUNY’s four university centers can connect directly with experts from the industry consortia partners on site.
Specifically, the SUNY – NY Creates TII will work to:
- Establish a TII SUNY Corridor, which includes SUNY’s university centers and aligns with New York State’s growing semiconductor corridor;
- Create a TII Postdoctoral Fellowship Program; and
- Establish sustainable technology offerings, like access to semiconductor wafer services that include access to unique prototyping facilities at NY Creates and opportunities for students to experiment and learn, and start-up businesses to establish proof-of-concept initiatives in microelectronics design infrastructure in NYS.
“Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York State is a national and global leader in semiconductor innovation and research,” said Chancellor King. “The SUNY – NY Creates Technology Innovation Institute will bring the best in higher education and industry together to help inspire the next generation of researchers and professionals. The Institute will benefit industry leaders who make New York their home as well as our extraordinary faculty who are leading groundbreaking research and preparing the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs.”
From Syracuse University:
PULSE 2.0 reports that Syracuse University has announced the establishment of the Center for the Creator Economy, marking the first academic center in the United States dedicated to studying and advancing the creator-driven economic landscape.
Formed through a collaboration between the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the initiative places the University at the forefront of preparing students for the evolving world of digital entrepreneurship, media, and commerce.
The creator economy—a sector driven by influencers, streamers, podcasters, and digital artists—continues to transform the intersection of creativity, technology, and business. Global estimates suggest the industry could reach nearly $500 billion by 2027, with a rapidly expanding community of creators shaping new models of income generation and career autonomy. Almost half of U.S. teenagers already earn revenue through digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and Substack, signaling a profound shift in how the next generation approaches work and innovation.
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