New Orleans, Louisiana

Backing founders with Tulane in their DNA.

A community-rooted venture capital firm based in New Orleans, investing in startups founded by Tulane University alumni, faculty, students, and its extended community.

Pre-seed
– Series A

Stage focus

Up to
$1M

Check Size

Industry-
agnostic

Sector Focus

Local Roots,
National Footprint

Why we exist

Helping innovation start, stay, or flourish in Louisiana. And Beyond.

As an SSBCI-designated fund in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development Corporation, we prioritize scalable businesses with current or future efforts to fuel innovation, retention, and talent attraction across the state. Companies from across the country are also encouraged to apply. For further details on qualifications, visit our diligence page.

Wrought-iron fence with fleur-de-lis finials, New Orleans

About the firm

Investing in founders with
“Tulane in their DNA.”

Historic stone building on the Tulane University campus

St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, New Orleans

1834 Ventures invests in startups founded by Tulane University alumni, faculty, students, and members of its extended community — including those who have benefited from university programs, partnerships, or innovation initiatives.

The 1834 Story

Named after the founding year of Tulane University, 1834 Ventures is not affiliated with the university but was created to support and invest in innovation emerging from its extended community. We are a community-rooted venture capital firm based in New Orleans.

As an SSBCI-designated fund in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development Corporation, we prioritize scalable businesses with current or future efforts to fuel innovation, retention, and talent attraction across the state. Companies from across the country are also encouraged to apply. For further details on qualifications, visit our diligence page.

The founding team possesses deep experience investing in and supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, including those from the Tulane community, which we bring to our work at 1834.

Portfolio

Companies we back.

Beken Bio

Biotech

Beken Bio develops liquid biopsies for early cancer detection that target novel extracellular vesicle (EV) biomarkers in patient blood.

beken.bio →

Cabana

Digital Health

Cabana creates private spaces for organizations to support their employees with personalized, confidential mental health support. Through its flagship product, Cabana Live, it offers professionally moderated live groups, on-demand micro-learning, and therapist-curated tools, while the Cabana Pod provides an on-site space for guided wellness breaks — helping people engage in their mental health sooner.

yourcabana.com →

Hello Gravel

Commerce & Logistics

Hello Gravel sells rocks on the internet, delivered by the dump-truck load. It’s an e-commerce marketplace for bulk aggregates — gravel, topsoil, sand, mulch and more — backed by a logistics operation spanning all 50 states, built for homeowners, landscapers, contractors, and municipalities who just want to get their project done without calling 12 suppliers.

hellogravel.com →

Informuta

Health AI

Informuta is an infectious disease intelligence company that forecasts drug-resistance trajectories to guide antibiotic selection with precision and quantify treatment-emergent resistance risk for the first time. It uses proprietary AI and novel predictive genomic biomarkers to give clinicians the confidence to choose therapies that won’t fail their most vulnerable patients — transforming antibiotic prescribing from reactive to predictive.

informuta.com →

Orion Sleep

Sleep Tech

Orion was founded in 2025 to build the world’s most advanced sleep system. The Orion Sleep System tracks millions of physiological signals a night and optimizes sleep through water-based temperature regulation.

orionsleep.com →

RentCheck

PropTech

RentCheck is the property management solution that helps property managers save time on inspections with easy self-guided inspections that anyone can do from their smartphone.

getrentcheck.com →

Thrivvy

Retail Intelligence

Retail intelligence platform empowering CPG brands and retailers with unparalleled, real-time product data from every store.

thrivvy.io →

Trak

Automotive SaaS

Trak is the all-in-one intelligence platform purpose-built for ADAS calibration and electrical diagnostic workflows. Built by calibrators who understand the industry’s challenges firsthand, Trak unifies fragmented tools into a single solution that unlocks revenue, streamlines operations, and scales with your shop.

adastrak.com →

Team

Meet the team.

Evan Nicoll

Managing Partner

Evan is a venture investor and entrepreneur dedicated to growing Louisiana’s startup ecosystem. A triple Tulane graduate, he has led multiple early-stage investments in alumni-founded companies and now co-leads 1834 Ventures to scale that impact statewide. Evan brings experience in venture capital, startup advising, and business operations, with a focus on attracting top talent back to the region.

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Patrick Hernandez

Managing Partner

Patrick is an investment professional and entrepreneur focused on expanding Louisiana’s innovation economy. A Wharton graduate, he has launched SSBCI-backed funds, led capital access programs, and now co-leads 1834 Ventures to back promising founders and bring new companies to the state. Patrick’s background spans private equity, venture capital, and building a national consumer brand.

in

Coming soon

Nicole Davis

Analyst

Nicole is an analyst at 1834 Ventures, where she evaluates pre-seed to Series A startups and builds automation pipelines for deal flow and fund operations. A Tulane graduate in Finance and Computer Science, she previously worked with the Tulane Venture Fund and Gulf South Angels, and interned at Hunt Oil Company integrating generative AI into financial applications.

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Advisors

Experienced operators, investors, and community leaders who advise 1834 Ventures and the founders we back.

Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD

David & Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer

Tulane University Innovation Institute

John Elstrott

Fmr. Board Chair

Whole Foods

Emeritus Director

Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship

A. B. Freeman School of Business

Matt Candler

General Partner

Batteries Included Fund

Andrew Pritzker

Partner

Tawani Ventures

Diligence

Criteria and process.

Eligibility criteria

At least one founder or C-level executive has “Tulane in their DNA”

Meet SSBCI program qualifications

Scalable business with a viable pathway to exit

The process

01

Review Eligibility

Submit your information for the 1834 Ventures team to review your company’s fit with our eligible investment criteria. Pitch us here.

Having “Tulane in their DNA” means at least one of the following is true:

A founding team member is a Tulane alum, student, staff, or faculty member.
The company is a Tulane University spin-out.
The company has benefited from Tulane innovation and entrepreneurship programming (e.g. Business Model Competition, Demo Day, etc.).

02

Screening Meeting

If your company meets basic eligibility criteria and shows potential to be a good portfolio fit, the team reaches out to schedule a brief introduction and screening meeting.

03

Diligence Decision

Following the screening meeting, the team decides whether to continue into diligence and communicates that decision and next steps. Once begun, we aim to reach investment decisions within 45 days.

04

Formal Diligence

If we move forward, we request access to your data room and review all materials supplied. We may request additional information and ask the leadership team to join 1–2 follow-up meetings.

05

Investment Decision

After a thorough analysis of the opportunity, the team reaches a preliminary investment decision — subject to finalization of terms and certification from Louisiana Economic Development that the transaction is SSBCI-compliant. A full overview of the compliance certification process is available here.

06

Execution + Funding

Upon finalization of terms and SSBCI-compliance certification, we work with your company to set a timeline for executing investment documents and funding the investment. This may be subject to commitments from other investors.

State Small Business Credit Initiative

SEDI qualifications.

As a participant in the SSBCI program, 1834 Ventures evaluates and reports whether businesses are owned and controlled by Socially or Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI).

Qualifying as a SEDI

As defined by the U.S. Treasury SSBCI Guidance, a business qualifies under any one of the following:

Membership of an approved group

Business enterprises that certify they are owned and controlled by individuals who have had their access to credit on reasonable terms diminished compared to others in comparable economic circumstances, due to membership of a group that has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias; gender; veteran status; limited English proficiency; physical handicap; long-term residence in an environment isolated from the mainstream of American society; membership of a federally or state-recognized Indian tribe; long-term residence in a rural community; residence in a U.S. territory; residence in a community undergoing economic transitions (including communities impacted by the shift toward a net-zero economy or deindustrialization); or membership of another “underserved community” as defined in Executive Order 13985.

CDFI Investment Area — residence

Business enterprises that certify they are owned and controlled by individuals whose residences are in CDFI Investment Areas, as defined in 12 C.F.R. §1805.201(b)(3)(ii).

CDFI Investment Area — business

Business enterprises that certify they will operate a location in a CDFI Investment Area — or that are already located in one — as defined in 12 C.F.R. §1805.201(b)(3)(ii).

How to identify a CDFI Investment Area

01

On the CDFI Fund mapping site, click the blue “CDFI” button located under the map.

02

Under “Layers” in the top-left, make sure “2020 CDFI Tract” is selected.

03

Enter the address in the top-left and press Enter, then choose the correct address from the drop-down to load the map.

04

Select the shaded green area that appears — a box will indicate Yes or No on whether the address falls within a designated Investment Area.

Open the CDFI map →

Contact

Contact us.

To get in touch with the 1834 Ventures team — including inquiries related to investing in the fund — email us directly at info@1834.vc. For any founders seeking investment, please visit the Pitch us page.

Pitch us

Pitch 1834 Ventures.

Ready to pitch? Submit your company through the 1834 Ventures Application — tell us about your team, your business, the round you're raising, and your connection to the Tulane community.

Before you start

The application takes about 10–15 minutes. Have your company details, founder names and LinkedIn profiles, fundraising figures, and your pitch deck (PDF) ready before you begin.

Not sure you qualify? Review our criteria and process and SSBCI qualifications first.

Start your application ↓

The secure 1834 Ventures application is embedded below — hosted on Jotform.

What the application covers

Company basics

Company name, CEO, email, website, address, NAICS code, employees, year founded, legal structure, primary industry, and Louisiana registration.

Founders & story

Founder names and LinkedIn profiles, a brief description of your company, the problem you're solving, and your Tulane connection.

The raise

Equity raised to date, how much you're raising this round, and your target date to close.

Pitch deck

Upload a copy of your pitch deck (PDF only).

Application

Trouble loading the form? Open it in a new tab.

Formal diligence

What we want to see in your data room.

Team information

Founders and management, board and advisors, and current headcount (with supporting documentation), plus your hiring plans.

Latest pitch deck

Your most current investor pitch deck.

Market size & landscape

Market trends, total addressable market (TAM), market fragmentation, and your goal market share.

Product description, pricing & roadmap

A clear description of the product, your pricing, and the product roadmap.

Competition

Competitive landscape, market position, competitive advantage, competitor differentiation, and barriers to entry & defensibility.

Go-to-market

Customer information (segmentation and prioritization), customer acquisition, and current customers/contacts.

Sales & marketing strategy

Marketing strategy and channel sales, sales funnel and drivers, notable contracts and/or estimated value in the pipeline, sales cycle, and strategic partners (distribution, pilots).

Legal

Patents & trademarks.

Financials & projections

Historical financial statements and financial projections, the timing and cost of your product roadmap, and potential exit opportunities.

Financing information

Previous capital raised and your latest cap table, plus your current fundraising plan — including use of proceeds & milestones.