New Orleans angel investment group expands regional footprint, rebrands

A local angel investment group has a new name and a broader outreach.

NO/LA Angel Network is now Gulf South Angels (GSA), and as part of the rebrand, the GSA footprint extends across the Gulf South region from eastern Texas to the Florida Panhandle to southern Arkansas to Tennessee and west of Atlanta. The headquarters remains in New Orleans.

“The new brand name more accurately reflects what the NO/LA Angel Network has grown to become: an investing organization with a regional member-base that invests locally, regionally, and nationally, supported by a sophisticated investment vetting process, a strong back-office, member education, and post-investment stewardship and tracking,” said Mike Eckert, Board Chairman of GSA.

Over the past decade, the angel investment network’s 120 members have collectively invested nearly $20 million in 102 investing rounds in 51 early-stage companies. These companies are in 18 states, with an average investment size of $400,000 per company. In 2023, GSA was recognized in the top 10% of active angel groups in North America by the Angel Capital Association. In addition, membership has grown across nine states.

GSA specializes in evaluating, funding, and nurturing early-stage companies, leveraging a network model that empowers members to make individual investment decisions. GSA members primarily focus on Seed or Series A financing rounds, but also on Series B and C rounds, of companies in dynamic growth markets. GSA’s syndication partnerships with angel groups around the country allow it to bring capital from out of the region to help fill out funding rounds. Additionally, the organization boasts two sidecar funds. Past investments have spanned diverse sectors, from software to biotech to fashion to hospitality, among others.

“NO/LAAN has supported us since day one, not only in our capital raise but also through the inevitable challenges that come with starting a business,” said Josh Johnston, CEO & Co-Founder of TrayAway, a GSA portfolio company. “They have been pivotal in our success, and ability to grow from a local company to a global player supporting luxury hotels in 30+ countries.”