5 things to know in #MiamiTech: Proptech announces Miami HQ; Heru gets Magic Leap 2 access; Pacaso now in Florida Keys – and more

1

Global real estate search engine startup to make Miami its HQ

The CEO of GlobalListings.com, a real estate search engine that  reports that it draws 3.4 million global property postings per month, announced this week that downtown Miami will become the company’s new headquarters location in Q3 of 2022.

“Given Miami’s strong ties to the global real estate industry, fast emerging tech sector and significant international markets access via Miami international airport – coupled with its great workforce, friendly low-tax business environment and high quality of life – it makes Miami an obvious choice to relocate to on the East Coast,” said company founder and CEO Michael Gerrity.

The proptech company founded in 2017 is currently in Irvine, Calif., and West Palm Beach. Global Listings plans to hire 10 to 15 additional people for the Miami HQ by the end of 2022 and another 30-plus in 2023, Gerrity said. That will include engineers, data scientists and business development specialists. Currently, the early-stage company is a team of 10, and Gerrity said he expects to have 25 to 30 in Miami by year-end with the relocations and new hires. The West Palm sales office will be consolidated in Miami.

Notably, Global Listings is the third tech company to announce a MIami HQ in a month. This week, 1NCE, a German tech company with offices in nine countries, announced it chose Miami over New York, San Francisco and Seattle for its North American headquarters. The new HQ will house the 100 to 150 employees it plans to hire over the next three years, and the company is searching for an office site. And in December, everphone, a Berlin-based one stop shop that supplies, repairs, replaces, and recycles mobile devices for enterprise customers, announced that it selected Miami for its U.S. headquarters, citing the Magic City’s proximity to talent, high-growth companies, and investors.

2

Miami-based healthtech Heru to get early access to Magic Leap 2

In a sign that Magic Leap is going full steam ahead executing its enterprise market pivot, the company announced it is giving Miami-based Heru and 3 other healthtech companies early access to its Magic Leap 2, which is expected to hit the market later this year.

Founded by researchers with University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Heru is an AI- powered platform for diagnosing vision problems As part of Magic Leap’s EAP program, Heru is working to launch an application on its re:Vive platform on Magic Leap 2 that is expected to feature several vision diagnostic modalities, along with reimbursable CPT medical billing codes, in a single wearable, diagnostic, health and wellness tool.

Magic Leap  said the Magic Leap 2 will be one of AR industry’s smallest and lightest devices built for enterprise use, with improved image quality, a larger field of view, and “Dynamic Dimming,” an innovation that enables the Magic Leap 2 to be used more effectively in brightly lit settings.

“The advancements in Magic Leap 2 significantly expand the uses of augmented reality in a healthcare setting,” explained Jennifer Esposito, VP, Managing Director: Health at Magic Leap. “What is possible with Magic Leap 2 is so much more than training, education, and planning. Magic Leap 2 will enable advanced use cases, including use in the operating room, changing not only how doctors deliver care, but how patients experience that care.”

Magic Leap is also giving early access of Magic Leap 2 toBrainlab, which makes software and hardware for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and surgical navigation;  digital health platform SentiAR  that uses holographic AR for clinical use; and SyncThink, a health platform for assessing brain health.

Magic Leap, based in Plantation, raised $500 million last October to fuel the rollout of Magic Leap 2, planned for 2022, CEO Peggy Johnson said at the time.  

3

Pacaso, now in Miami, expands second-home co-ownership to Florida Keys

Want to co-own a Keys getaway? Pacaso, the leading real estate platform that helps people buy and co-own a luxury second home, has expanded its service to the Florida Keys. Pacaso’s first listing in the Keys is a five-bedroom coastal-inspired home nestled along a canal in White Marlin Beach.

Pacaso expanded to Miami last fall on the heels of its $125 million fund raise Series C round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Founded by former Zillow executives Austin Allison and Spencer Rascoff, Pacaso’s platform makes second-home co-ownership turnkey. Pacaso buys luxury homes – either the entire home or shares in a home – and renovates and furnishes them. Then it partners with real estate agents to find up to eight owners to buy ownership shares in each property. Pacaso manages the properties and the co-ownership process between the owners, who may not even know each other.

4

Eight Sleep expands executive team

Following the company’s $86 million Series C in August, Eight Sleep, the Miami-based sleep fitness startup, has launched in Canada, the UK and throughout Europe, executed key partnerships with global fitness brands including Barrys, and now, has extended senior leadership through new hires.

To that end, Eight Sleep recently announced the expansion of their leadership team with slew of new hires including David He, Vice President of R&D, Rudwan Azmeh, Director of Clinical Strategy, Brian Schiffer, R&D Electrical Engineer, Evan Witty, Senior Sensor Engineer, Ryan Groffie, Director of Brand Marketing and Jay Muller, Global Director of Hospitality.

“At Eight Sleep we are committed to hiring top talent to drive us forward in innovation, engineering,  marketing and growth. Our strong leadership team allows us to pioneer superior technology and the impact it has on our most critical concern — the health of our customers,” says Matteo Franceschetti, CEO and co-founder.

5

Opportunity knocks: Accelerators, scholarships, jobs

  •  Seaworthy Collective (SC), a Miami-based BlueTech startup community and venture studio empowering current and aspiring entrepreneurs in the regenerative ocean and climate impact, is now accepting applications for its second Sea Change Maker Cohort launching in April 2022. The application deadline is January 30, 2022, and entrepreneurs can find out more and apply here:  www.seaworthycollective.com/seachange
  • Founder Institute (FI.co), the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator, is currently accepting applications for their upcoming Florida cohort launching in February. Deadline to enroll is Feb 6th. The Spring 2022 cohort will be held virtually. Any aspiring entrepreneur or team interested in building a technology business is invited to apply to the Florida Virtual Spring 2022 Founder Institute at http://fi.co/apply/miami, or attend a free online startup event in Miami at http://fi.co/event.s/miami
  • Applications are open for the Black Girl Ventures Change Agent Fellowship, a 9 month leadership skills development program for Black and Brown women entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders. Selected applicants, who must be based in Los Angeles,  New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston or Detroit, will each receive a $10,000 stipend. The time commitment is about 8 hours/month. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2022, and decisions will be made by mid-February. Learn more and apply at https://www.blackgirlventures.org/fellowship.
  • Ingram Micro Cloud, a global cloud computing division of global tech leader Ingram Micro that plans to hire 200 positions in South Florida, including sales, customer service marketing and engineering, is holding a hiring fair 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at Topgolf Doral, 11850 NW 22nd St. More info about open positions here.
  • BrainStation Miami is offering full scholarships,  valued at $15,000, to South Floridians who want to pursue technology careers or upskill. Scholarships are applicable for its Full Stack Web Development and UX/UI Immersive Design bootcamps. Find out more here.

Got #MiamiTech news? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ndahlberg.

Nancy Dahlberg