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 increase into Lafayetteadditional solidifying Lafayette’s rising
fame as a hub for expertise and healthcare innovation. The corporate’s resolution 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) by way of 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 surroundings helps progressive corporations
thrive.

Blueflite will develop revolutionary drone expertise for medical logistics and emergency response. The
firm’s selection of Lafayette demonstrates the group’s distinctive capability to leverage a number of trade
strengthshealthcare, aviation and aerospace, and expertise. Additional, healthcare innovation is a serious
driver of financial progress within the state and Blueflite’s expertise aligns with statewide and nationwide
priorities for bettering medical logistics. This newest announcement is a part of a broader progress trajectory
of Blueflite’s, and native leaders foresee further 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 rework medical logistics,” mentioned Frank
Noppel, CEO of Blueflite. “Our drone expertise delivers important provides like blood and medicines with
unmatched pace, precision, and reliability, bettering 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 expertise ecosystem. By finding on the OM,
Blueflite will likely be finest positioned to benefit from the total breadth of assets supplied whereas
leveraging LEDA’s enterprise improvement companies and constructing connections with native tech and aerospace
expertise specialists.

“Blueflite’s superior logistics expertise will strengthen and contribute to the continued progress of our native innovation ecosystem,” mentioned Mandi Mitchell, LEDA’s president and CEO. “We absolutely embrace pioneering expertise 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, expertise, and healthcare.”

“By integrating cutting-edge drone expertise with important healthcare logistics, Blueflite’s resolution to develop in Lafayette represents precisely the sort of innovation-driven financial improvement we try to assist throughout Louisiana,” mentioned Josh Fleig, LED Chief Innovation Officer. “This enlargement exhibits that our whole-of-Louisiana technique goes far past conventional initiatives and is driving innovation and accelerating impression statewide. We’re proud to assist this daring imaginative and prescient by means of the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund and look ahead to the transformative outcomes it can carry to native communities.”

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

“At Ochsner, we search out 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 means of the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund not solely guarantees to revolutionize medical logistics—delivering life-saving provides sooner and extra effectively—but in addition stimulates financial improvement and new jobs in Louisiana. We’re proud to assist Blueflite’s enlargement into Lafayette and the optimistic impression it can have on affected person care and the financial system.”

Ochsner Lafayette Normal’s Degree II Trauma Middle and community of rural hospitals will immediately profit
from the innovation Blueflite is bringing to the area.

“Making certain fast entry to important medical provides is significant for our trauma heart and rural hospitals
all through our area,” mentioned Patrick Gandy, CEO of Ochsner Lafayette Normal. “This funding in drone
expertise strengthens our capability to ship life-saving care when and the place it’s wanted most—whether or not
it’s blood merchandise for emergency surgical procedure, medicines for rural communities, expediting lab samples or
important provides in catastrophe response conditions. We’re excited to see this expertise 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 fast 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 numerous
companies span well being, security, safety, training, 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, Govt Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Acadian Ambulance.

With this funding from Ochsner Ventures, the continued partnership with Acadian, and enterprise
improvement and technical help assist from LEDA and the OM, Blueflite is poised to advance the
way forward for medical logistics, leveraging autonomous drone expertise 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 are shaping the way forward for healthcare,
expertise, and aviation and aerospace.

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

Blueflite’s superior expertise supplies 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, increase or relocate to Lafayette, Louisiana. By means of strategic collaborations with enterprise and trade, state and native authorities, and training companions, LEDA drives financial progress and diversification for Lafayette Parish. The Alternative Machine supplies assist for early-stage expertise, research-driven, and progressive startups. The OM’s focus lies in nurturing tech and tech-enabled ventures by means of specialised enterprise training, focused mentorship, strategic networking alternatives, and a workspace surroundings 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 professional 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 Kids’s has been acknowledged because the No. 1 hospital for youths in Louisiana for 4
consecutive years. Ochsner evokes more healthy lives and stronger communities by means of a mixture of
standard-setting experience, high quality and digital connectivity not discovered anyplace else within the area. In 2024,
Ochsner Well being cared for greater than 1.6 million individuals from each state within the nation and 63 international locations.
Ochsner’s workforce consists of greater than 40,000 devoted group members and over 4,900 employed and
affiliated physicians.

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

About Acadian Ambulance: Acadian Ambulance is the biggest 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 Companies, and its sister division, Acadian Air Med, is accredited by the Fee on Accreditation of Medical Transport Programs.

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