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6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: Fuego raises $2.5M, Jobox.ai acquired, and more news to note

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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Fuego raises $2.5M from New World Angels, others

Miami-based startup Fuego, a tech-enabled dance-inspired athleisure and lifestyle brand, has raised $2.5 million in new funding, including a $700,000 investment via a convertible note from New World Angels.

The additional funding provides capital for Fuego to continue its new product development efforts and global expansion. NWA is a structured angel investment group with over 100 members around Florida that has invested over $30 million in startups.

Led by CEO Kevin Weschler, Fuego provides patented sneakers worn by dancers in 120 countries around the world. Its sole technology is engineered for dancing and spinning on any surface as well. It serves a large and growing market of people of all ages enjoying dancing across all formats, including Hip-Hop, Ballroom, Salsa, Dance fitness, Swing, Ballet and Jazz. 

“Consumer products and services are quickly evolving with changes in tastes and preferences, providing abundant opportunities for new products and businesses. Speed to market is accelerating, adoption of new technologies is disrupting established Go-To-Market approaches and providing great efficiencies, and innovation is rampant. Niche and ‘small’ are good, getting personal is important, and providing for interconnectivity is value-added. Fuego is a great example,” said Ken Wilkes, who leads the Consumer Products team at NWA and will join Fuego’s board as an observer.

One of Fueugo’s recent collaboration launched last year in partnership with Jade Chynoweth, a world-class hip-hop and contemporary dancer best known for her roles in movies like Step Up and the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The shoe, dubbed the Jade x Fuego, is a low-top dance sneaker made with recycled plastic water bottles. 

This item has been updated

READ MORE: Miami-based Fuego partners with actress/dancer Jade Chynoweth on high-tech shoe collection

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Miami’s Jobox.ai acquired by payment processing company Talus Pay

Jobox.ai, a fintech company serving the home services industry that had been expanding in Miami, was acquired by Dallas based Talus Pay, a technology-driven provider of payment processing solutions for small and mid-sized merchants. Talus Pay also announced it acquired Clarus Merchant Services, a leading provider of integrated B2B payment solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Jobox is a terrific tool for underserved home and facility services professionals to help them efficiently run their businesses and increase their bottom lines. By joining forces with Talus Pay, we can accelerate our market share in the home services end market while having the opportunity to accelerate entry into new market verticals,” said Shay Bloch, co-founder and CEO of Jobox, who is based in MIami.

Jobox puts business into the hands of home services professionals across the country through job matching, scheduling and payments, plus customer communications and inventory can be managed all from one mobile app.  Despite being founded in Palo Alto in 2017, Jobox’s roots are 100% Miamian because the inspiration for Jobox came from a call Bloch received from a Miami locksmith and the company’s  first 200 customers were based in Miami, Refresh Miami reported last year. During the pandemic, Bloch relocated the venture-backed company to Miami, and its new home grew to have far more employees than in Palo Alto.

Jobox has helped more than 5000 professionals across the US and processed more than $2 billion in transaction volume. Talus Pay plans to scale its technology across core industry verticals beyond home services through Talus Pay direct and reseller channels including ISV partners.

 In combination with Jobox and Clarus, Talus Pay now processes more than $9 billion in annual payments volume for over 22,000 merchant customers across the United States.

READ MORE: Palo Alto-born Jobox returns to its Miami roots with local HQ

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SF company acquires Miami-based Saving For College

Backer, a San Francisco -based fintech company focused on tax-advantaged 529 Savings Plans, acquired Saving For College, a Miami-based provider of a 529-related media property and education savings resource for American families. Terms were not disclosed.

Saving For College provides an education savings destination for parents and financial professionals, providing them with information and tools to understand the benefits of 529 Savings Plans and how to meet the challenge of rising college costs. Saving for College was owned by Miami entrepreneur Marcos Cordero’s VentureKite, and Cordero was the CEO of Saving For College until about 2 years ago.

Backer is a fintech company focused on 529 plans, which makes saving for education simple, helping families tap into tax-free investing with support from family and friends.

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Medtech’s digital pediatric solutions pass FDA hurdle

Gabi SmartCare, a Belgian and Miami-based medtechstartup, announced it achieved FDA certification of its digital pediatric solutions and will launch the marketing of its connected bracelet specially designed for children in the 2nd quarter of 2024 in the United States. Gabi SmartCare has recently signed collaborations with more than 30 US hospitals.

Gabi SmartCare offers out-of-hospital medical monitoring of newborns and children up to age 12. Founded in 2017, the company said its FDA medical certification authorizes Gabi SmartCare to market its connected bracelet that monitors a child’s vitals as well as its analytical platform for doctors to track a patient’s health in real time and offer a remote diagnosis.

“FDA certification of our solutions is the gateway to market our solution in the medical sector. It gives us access to our first high value-added market, the ‘hospital at home’, where we already have strong traction. We are the only digital pediatric solution that enables home monitoring with remote follow-up, and we want to become the leader in this field,” said CEO Jonathan Baut. 

The medtech startup raised more than €3 million in 2021 from Analis, a market leader in scientific instruments, and Belgian investors.

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More #MiamiTech news to note

  • Papa announced that Shaila Parikh has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In her role overseeing Growth Marketplace and, more recently, the Care Team, Shaila has improved the quality of the r Pal network and is embedding a consumer experience mindset into the fabric of the work, the company said on LinkedIn, calling her a culture champion and a thoughtful, metric-driven leader. “In her expanded and elevated role, Shaila will help accelerate our efforts to build world-class operations in service of our clients, members, and Papa Pals.”
  • In addition to Brightline, the heart of #MiamiTech will soon have another connector in South Florida’s expansive tech community. South Florida’s lower-cost multi-stop Tri-Rail will soon begin its long-awaited expanded train service into MIamiCentral in downtown Miami. Previously, the service only traveled as far as Hialeah and MIA airport. The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority announced that the new service is set to begin Saturday, Jan. 13, with a soft launch, but more trains will be incrementally added up to 26 weekday trains.

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Opportunity knocks 

  • The Miami-Dade Innovation Authority is seeking applications for its second Public Innovation Challenge. The nonprofit will award $100,000 in funding to three early-to-growth stage startups that can improve Miami International Airport’s accessibility, navigation and sustainability. Apply here by Jan. 19.  
  • eMerge Americas opened applications for its 2024 Startup Accelerator and Showcase. Entrepreneurs have the chance to win a $520,000 investment for their venture. Joining forces with Florida Funders, Medina Ventures and BIP Ventures, eMerge will select 110 startups from across the world for a seven-week program that will culminate in a pitch competition next April. All selected startups will also receive 2 free Tech Passes and prime exhibit space at eMerge Americas. Find out more and apply here by Jan. 31.
  • Apply to present at the 2024 Florida Venture Capital Conference Feb. 1-2, 2024 at the JW Marriott Marquis in Downtown Miami. The conference attracts over 700 attendees, including 200+ active venture investors. The final application deadline is Jan. 8, but early submissions are strongly encouraged. Find out more and apply here.
  • The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation is looking for the next group of entrepreneurs ready to scale their startup. Accelerate 4, which will run Feb. 12 through May 3, is a free 12-week program meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30am to 11:00am in person for master class-sessions. At the end of the program, the entrepreneurs will pitch to investors and others in the South Florida business community. Find our more and apply here by Jan. 5.
  • America’s Seed Fund Week 2024 takes place January 23 – 25 and serves as the official kick-off for the 2024 SBIR Road Tours. This free online event connects entrepreneurs working on advanced technologies to America’s Seed Fund, the country’s largest source of early-stage funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Learn more and register here.

ICYMI

Have news to share? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on X @ndahlberg.

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