Blueflite chooses to find in Lafayette, La., advancing medical logistics within the state – sUAS Information

Lafayette, LA – The Lafayette Financial Growth Authority (LEDA) is proud to announce that drone
logistics chief Blueflite has chosen to broaden into Lafayetteadditional solidifying Lafayette’s rising
fame as a hub for know-how and healthcare innovation. The corporate’s choice is backed by a
strategic, $250,000 funding from Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund (OLIF), a $10 million fund
established by Ochsner Well being, in partnership with Louisiana Financial Growth (LED) through the State
Small Enterprise Credit score Initiative (SSBCI), to assist early-stage well being corporations in Louisiana. The
funding showcases how Lafayette’s collaborative enterprise atmosphere helps modern corporations
thrive.

Blueflite will develop revolutionary drone know-how for medical logistics and emergency response. The
firm’s alternative of Lafayette demonstrates the group’s distinctive skill to leverage a number of trade
strengthshealthcare, aviation and aerospace, and know-how. Additional, healthcare innovation is a significant
driver of financial progress within the state and Blueflite’s know-how aligns with statewide and nationwide
priorities for enhancing medical logistics. This newest announcement is a part of a broader progress trajectory
of Blueflite’s, and native leaders foresee extra and more and more stronger partnerships on the horizon as
Blueflite scales from its base of assist in Louisiana.

“We’re enthusiastic about this funding, which positions Blueflite to remodel medical logistics,” mentioned Frank
Noppel, CEO of Blueflite. “Our drone know-how delivers important provides like blood and drugs with
unmatched velocity, precision, and reliability, enhancing healthcare supply and saving lives.”
As a part of the enlargement, Blueflite will open a brand new workplace on the Alternative Machine (OM) in Downtown
Lafayette, turning into a part of the area’s healthcare and know-how ecosystem. By finding on the OM,
Blueflite will probably be finest positioned to reap the benefits of the complete breadth of assets supplied whereas
leveraging LEDA’s enterprise growth companies and constructing connections with native tech and aerospace
know-how consultants.

“Blueflite’s superior logistics know-how will strengthen and contribute to the continuing progress of our native innovation ecosystem,” mentioned Mandi Mitchell, LEDA’s president and CEO. “We totally embrace pioneering know-how corporations in Lafayette, and we’re particularly enthusiastic about Blueflite as their enterprise mannequin crosses a number of of our goal trade sectors–logistics, aviation and aerospace, know-how, and healthcare.”

“By integrating cutting-edge drone know-how with important healthcare logistics, Blueflite’s choice to develop in Lafayette represents precisely the sort of innovation-driven financial growth we try to assist throughout Louisiana,” mentioned Josh Fleig, LED Chief Innovation Officer. “This enlargement reveals that our whole-of-Louisiana technique goes far past conventional tasks and is driving innovation and accelerating impression statewide. We’re proud to assist this daring imaginative and prescient by the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund and stay up for the transformative outcomes it’ll convey to native communities.”

Following an preliminary assembly with Blueflite at an autonomous methods and robotics commerce present, LEDA’s
enterprise recruitment workforce reengaged with the corporate together with Ochsner Ventures, an funding and
partnership group inside Ochsner Well being which acknowledged the potential of Blueflite’s know-how to drive
healthcare innovation.

“At Ochsner, we hunt down transformative options that enhance healthcare accessibility, effectivity, and
outcomes,” mentioned Aimee Quirk, Senior Vice President & Chief Company Growth Officer, Ochsner
Well being; and CEO, Ochsner Ventures. “Our funding in Blueflite by the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund not solely guarantees to revolutionize medical logistics—delivering life-saving provides quicker and extra effectively—but additionally stimulates financial growth and new jobs in Louisiana. We’re proud to assist Blueflite’s enlargement into Lafayette and the optimistic impression it’ll have on affected person care and the economic system.”

Ochsner Lafayette Basic’s Stage II Trauma Middle and community of rural hospitals will straight profit
from the innovation Blueflite is bringing to the area.

“Making certain speedy entry to important medical provides is significant for our trauma middle and rural hospitals
all through our area,” mentioned Patrick Gandy, CEO of Ochsner Lafayette Basic. “This funding in drone
know-how strengthens our skill to ship life-saving care when and the place it’s wanted most—whether or not
it’s blood merchandise for emergency surgical procedure, drugs for rural communities, expediting lab samples or
important provides in catastrophe response conditions. We’re excited to see this know-how take form in
Lafayette.”

In 2023, Blueflite established a strategic partnership with Acadian Ambulance, by which Blueflite’s
subsidiary, Darkflite, secured a U.S. Division of Transportation Part 1 SBIR contract for a pioneering
drone-based blood supply system to reinforce prehospital care by offering speedy and environment friendly supply
of blood merchandise and medical instruments to crash victims and emergency responders. Acadian Ambulance,
based in Lafayette in 1971, is a number one supplier of medical transportation. The corporate’s various
companies span well being, security, safety, schooling, and transportation.

“Acadian’s collaboration with Blueflite signifies our dedication to embracing technological developments and delivering distinctive worth to our sufferers and healthcare companions. This innovation can considerably improve prehospital care and emergency medical response, in the end saving extra lives,” mentioned Blaise Zuschlag, Government Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Acadian Ambulance.

With this funding from Ochsner Ventures, the continuing partnership with Acadian, and enterprise
growth and technical help assist from LEDA and the OM, Blueflite is poised to advance the
way forward for medical logistics, leveraging autonomous drone know-how to enhance affected person outcomes and
healthcare entry throughout Louisiana.

The partnership between Blueflite, LEDA, OM, Acadian and Ochsner Well being exemplifies how Lafayette
continues to draw and assist groundbreaking corporations which can be shaping the way forward for healthcare,
know-how, and aviation and aerospace.

About Blueflite: Blueflite is an modern drone logistics firm growing next-generation autonomous supply options. With a deal with medical logistics, emergency response, and industrial functions,

Blueflite’s superior know-how gives quick, dependable, and sustainable transport for time-sensitive items.

About LEDA and the OM: The Lafayette Financial Growth Authority (LEDA) works with companies as they make selections to start out, broaden or relocate to Lafayette, Louisiana. By way of strategic collaborations with enterprise and trade, state and native authorities, and schooling companions, LEDA drives financial progress and diversification for Lafayette Parish. The Alternative Machine gives assist for early-stage know-how, research-driven, and modern startups. The OM’s focus lies in nurturing tech and tech-enabled ventures by specialised enterprise schooling, focused mentorship, strategic networking alternatives, and a workspace atmosphere designed to satisfy high-growth startups’ dynamic wants.

About Ochsner Well being: Ochsner Well being is the main nonprofit healthcare supplier within the Gulf South,
delivering skilled care at its 46 hospitals and greater than 370 well being and pressing care facilities. For 13
consecutive years, U.S. Information & World Report has acknowledged Ochsner because the No. 1 hospital in Louisiana.
Moreover, Ochsner Youngsters’s has been acknowledged because the No. 1 hospital for teenagers in Louisiana for 4
consecutive years. Ochsner conjures up more healthy lives and stronger communities by a mixture of
standard-setting experience, high quality and digital connectivity not discovered wherever else within the area. In 2024,
Ochsner Well being cared for greater than 1.6 million folks from each state within the nation and 63 nations.
Ochsner’s workforce contains greater than 40,000 devoted workforce members and over 4,900 employed and
affiliated physicians.

To be taught extra about how Ochsner empowers folks to get nicely and keep nicely, go to https://www.ochsner.org/

About Acadian Ambulance: Acadian Ambulance is the most important employee-owned ambulance service within the
nation, offering transportation and medical companies to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and
Tennessee. It’s accredited by the Fee on Accreditation of Ambulance Providers, and its sister division, Acadian Air Med, is accredited by the Fee on Accreditation of Medical Transport Techniques.

Associated