Boot64 Ventures

At Boot64 we are in search of Louisiana's most #innovative new companies and inventors. Are you a founder of a scalable new #startup or do you know somebody who is? We're accepting applications for early stage equity investments on our website, boot64.com. We hope to hear from you soon! #venturecapital #investing #Louisiana #disruptive #economicdevelopment #seedfunding #incubator #mentoring

You can't go to any city on the planet without finding elements of New Orleans culture that we've exported - especially in food and beverage. Think about it - every city has Chinese food, and every city has Cajun food. That's not an accident. Louisiana has turned culture into billion-dollar businesses: ? Popeyes: 4,000+ locations worldwide, $1.5B in annual revenue ? Raising Cane's: From a single Baton Rouge location to 700+ restaurants globally ? Tabasco: 700,000 bottles produced DAILY and sold in 195 countries ? Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: 154 locations globally with half a billion in annual revenue Coming off the throes of Mardi Gras season. There's a sweet treat called King Cake that we eat from January 6th (All Kings Day) until Mardi Gras day. The community exports HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of king cakes in those 60-90 days. Some local bakeries ship 50,000+ cakes per season to destinations worldwide. It's insane. But it shows you the power of what we've built here. And this isn't just about food... Louisiana is where massive companies emerge from unexpected places. We're seeing this same pattern repeat in our startup ecosystem. For example, Kern Studios builds nearly 1,000 Mardi Gras floats each year. Now they need more room! At Boot64, we're betting on founders who understand how to harness Louisiana's creative energy and export it to the world - just like these CPG giants did. And when you put capital behind that, magic happens.

"Investors invest in lines, not dots." - Mark Suster This quote is over a decade old, but really rings true with me today… It's important for founders to know! A founder reached out last week with a simple update… "Remember when you passed on us 7 months ago? We've hit every milestone we discussed." This email was brilliant for three reasons: 1. It showed persistence and accountability 2. It demonstrated execution against the specific concerns we had 3. It created a narrative arc we could follow which was a line, not a dot. Some of our best investments came from founders we initially passed on... But they kept us in the loop. One of our current portfolio companies spent 8-9 months in regular conversation with us before we invested. More than metrics - they also showed character, adaptability, and commitment. Sometimes investors write checks after a single meeting… But more often we're looking for patterns that emerge over time. Your update emails or posts create those patterns. They show: ? How you respond to feedback ? Whether you hit the goals you set ? How you think about challenges ? Your ability to adapt when things don't go as planned ? The founder who updates investors who passed is playing a smarter game than the one who disappears after a "no." Even if we don't invest today, we might refer you to other investors or reconsider in another round. SEND THOSE UPDATES! They're not just for investors who said yes - they're for everyone who showed interest in your journey. Investors aren’t saying ‘not yet’ as a softer way of saying no, they mean not yet… hold them accountable!

From a podcast last week… "The venturification of Middle America will change the industry and have more people feel venture capital in a tangible way." - Jeremy Giffon (GP at Tiny) What this really means is that venture capital will flow into businesses that touch everyday lives more tangibly, outside of the techno-enabled classes. Traditional businesses are being reimagined with venture backing, process optimization, and technological infrastructure. At Boot64, we positioned ourselves as a regional investor a bit ahead of this trend. We've seen how venture approaches can transform industries that have operated the same way for decades. When a consolidated traditional business can deliver both growth and cash flow, the old binary of "lifestyle business vs. startup" breaks down. And that's exciting for founders and investors alike. ? Remote work is enabling founders to build anywhere ? Coastal investors are realizing they've been missing opportunities ? Regionally positioned funds are provingventure returns outside traditional hubs ? State-level initiatives (like Louisiana's new $50M matching fund) are creating funding continuity Beyond coastal VCs discovering Middle America - it’s Middle America discovering how venture approaches can accelerate businesses that already have deep roots in their communities. It’s worth watching!

Get to know our featured speaker for next week's upcoming online event, ‘Ask a Louisiana Startup Entrepreneur’ featuring Chris Meaux, at 6:00 PM Central US Time on March 12, 2025! Chris M. Meaux is the Founder and CEO of QiMana Inc., an AI company bridging the gap between human and artificial intelligence. Chris is also Chairman of the Board at MallardBay Outdoors, Inc., and a seasoned entrepreneur, executive, and investor with a proven track record of founding and scaling high-growth companies. Chris has a wealth of expertise earned from over two decades in technology and hospitality ventures. Most notably, Chris founded Waitr Holdings, Inc. and led it from inception to a $308 million exit and ultimately a valuation exceeding $1 billion, showcasing his skill in identifying market opportunities, steering viral growth, and driving consumer-focused innovation. An active angel investor, Chris remains deeply engaged in the entrepreneurial ecosystem along the Gulf Coast, advising and investing in the next generation of disruptive companies. His contributions to business have earned him numerous accolades, including Ernst & Young’s Gulf Coast Entrepreneur of the Year, ACG Dealmaker of the Year, and a place on the Silicon Bayou 100. Chris’s repeated success and recognition underscores his reputation as a visionary leader transforming ideas into thriving, large-scale enterprises. Tap into his expertise and ask your own questions at this online Zoom Webinar and Q&A session. Register to claim your spot: https://fi.co/e/367349 #StartupSuccess #Entrepreneurship #LouisianaStartups #FounderAMA #AskAnEntrepreneur #FIWorldwide #FounderInstitute #LouisianaStartUps #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurEvent #FILouisiana #FounderInstituteLouisiana #Louisiana #BizNewOrleans #NewOrleansCityBusiness #NOLAChamber #redstickangels #NOLA #GoldmanSachs10000 #ProsperJefferson #GNOinc #gulfsouthangels #Entrepreneurship #StartUPNorthshore #StartupNOIRNOLA #StartupNOLA

This will be fantastic!

Something big is happening in Louisiana's venture scene right now! The new LA.IO Growth Fund is the latest sign that our ecosystem is reaching critical mass. Founders with decades of experience tackling massive markets, and compelling venture math. More below:

It can be hard for limited partners to meet the best emerging managers, so we decided to do something about it on March 6th... ??

The strongest obligation a founder has isn't to their investors, their metrics, or even their vision. It's to their team. Imagine… You're the founder. You're traveling. There's a 7am team meeting, but you're two time zones behind. Nothing would happen if you skip it - you're the boss, right? But that decision sends a message… Your convenience matters more than your team's time. Leadership is about what message you send when you always show up. I've seen this play out hundreds of times: ? Teams that know their founder will always be available… vs ? Teams that only hear from their founder when something's needed. ? Teams that can count on their leader showing up, no matter what… vs ? Teams that never know if their founder will be there. The difference in performance? Night and day! Because your team's obligation to you should never be stronger than your obligation to them.

We’re lucky to see so many student founders, and be part of some great university ecosystems. When a student founder walks into our office, I'm not just evaluating their current idea. I'm looking at something deeper. Take maturity: ? Their ability to navigate conversations with mentors twice their age ? How they handle feedback ? Whether they can build real relationships ? The way they think through problems As an early-stage student founder, showing these traits matters more than having the perfect business model. Mickal & I mentor across Louisiana's universities - Tulane, Loyola, LSU, UNO. These schools have strong research capabilities and entrepreneurship programs. But what gets me excited is when students take real shots at building something while they're still in school. Students are in the perfect position to fail: ? No mortgages ? No employees depending on them ? Can take bigger swings without the same downside That freedom to fail is invaluable And when they do fail? If it happens in two months instead of two years, even better! Because that means they're learning fast and can move on to the next thing quickly. Sure, stats show the average successful founder is 45. But what those numbers don't show is how many attempts, pivots, and failures happened before that successful venture. We track promising student founders even if their first idea isn't quite there. Because while they might not have a fundable startup today, who knows what they could become tomorrow.