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6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: Osigu’s acquisition, Zurp’s card launch, plus news from Flow, Zigazoo, Endeavor Miami and more

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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Welcome to Miami Tech Month! With dozens of conferences, happy hours, speaker events, parties, and even an Innovation Run and the family-friendly Maker Faire Miami on the calendar, there is something for everyone — including our visiting founders and funders checking out the Magic City. See all the events on miamitechmonth.com and have fun!

1

Osigu to acquire largest EHR and healthcare software provider in Colombia

Osigu announced that an agreement has been reached with Carvajal Group for the acquisition of Servinte, one of their subsidiaries and the leading EHR and healthcare administration software provider in Colombia. Osigu plans to enhance Servinte’s capabilities by integrating top-of-the-line technologies and adding transactional capabilities.

With over 30 years of providing technology solutions to the healthcare industry in Colombia, Servinte has worked with over 50 hospital systems supporting clinical, administrative, and financial operations. Osigu plans to integrate comprehensive and real-time revenue cycle, claims processing, and healthcare payments into a single tech platform for the Colombian market.

“There is clear potential for growth and collaboration, and it was a natural fit for both companies and teams. We are committed to providing the best solutions to our clients and stakeholders,” said Fernando Botrán, CEO and founder of Osigu. “With a TAM of USD $12 Billion, and processing over 650 million claims each year, the Colombian healthcare market becomes a huge opportunity to deliver on our vision of leveraging the latest technologies and innovations to deliver affordable, accessible, and personalized healthcare to patients.”

Miami-based Osigu was founded in 2015 with the mission of improving the healthcare experience through innovative solutions. Once the acquisition process is completed, the company will have more than 65 enterprise healthcare clients and partnerships in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Central America, Spain, and Colombia. Osigu’s platform has handled over 2 million transactions, and in 2022, the company experienced a 330% increase in its annual recurring revenue, the company said,

Among its board members are Miami-based strategic investors Jose Varga, co-founder of healthcare.com, and Bobby Aitkenhead, managing director of venture capital firm IDC Ventures.

2

Fintech Zurp launches new rewards credit card aimed at Gen Z

Following the teem’s successful pre-seed round in February, Zurp, a Miami-based consumer fintech company, has launched a new rewards credit card and experience-focused banking experience built for Gen Z.

Zurp provides customers 18 and over access to the caliber of card features typically afforded to those with high credit. These include a Zurp Cash Account with 5% APY and no credit check required to sign up; generous point multipliers on purchases they’re already making; the ability to build credit while minimizing the risk of debt; and experience-focused rewards, including rideshare credits and concert/festival tickets. 

“Banking doesn’t have to be boring,” said Troy Osinoff, co-founder and CEO of Zurp who lives in Miami. “With the Zurp Card, powered by Mastercard, we’re encouraging users to adopt positive financial habits but in a way that is engaging, fun and rewarding.”

3

Adam Naumann’s Flow says Saudi Arabia might be a go

WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann’s new residential real estate startup, Flow, may expand to Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg reported. Neumann disclosed the news at a Miami event organized by a non-profit, FII Institute, backed by one of Saudi Arabia’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

At the same event, Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, said he was excited to bring Flow to the nation. He called Saudi Arabia a “startup country” and said, “Saudi has a founder; you don’t call him a founder, you call him his royal highness.” a16z led a $350 million investment round into Flow last year at a valuation of over $1 billion before the platform was even launched. 

4

With Venture Miami support, Endeavor Miami launches cohort for women-led startups

Endeavor Miami announced that Venture Miami will be supporting its 10th cohort of EndeavorLAB, an initiative to support underrepresented founders in Florida, with a $50,000 grant. The upcoming cohort will support rapidly growing women-led companies based in Miami who are ready to begin scaling up.

The partnership with the City of Miami is a full circle moment for Endeavor Miami, which has been a key player in the Miami entrepreneurial ecosystem since its opening in 2013. In 2019, the City of Miami offered a grant to Endeavor Miami to launch EndeavorLAB and the first cohort was also in support of women. EndeavorLAB has gone on to support 74 companies led by 90 founders.

“The City of Miami is committed to supporting women entrepreneurs and helping them succeed,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “EndeavorLAB provides an unparalleled opportunity for women-led companies in Florida to gain access to the resources and support they need to scale their businesses and make a meaningful impact in our community.” 

According to the just-released eMerge Americas Insights Report, teams with at least one woman founder only received 11% of the venture capital pie in South Florida. All-women teams received just over ½ percent. Both findings trail even the dismal national averages – all while research shows that companies with more gender-diverse leadership teams outperform those without. Although founders do not receive funding directly from EndeavorLAB, the cohort aims to equip women-led companies with the right tools and skills to grow their ventures and to be successful in the fundraising process if they so choose.

The EndeavorLAB cohort for women-led companies powered by Venture Miami is now accepting applications until May 21. Preference will be given to companies based in the Miami area, though other startups throughout Florida are welcome to apply. The companies selected must have product-market fit and be generating between $50K and $500K in annual revenue. Because of the City’s support, there is no cost to the participants. Applications may be submitted here.

5

Zigazoo Kids names new president

 Zigazoo, the world’s largest social network for “Gen Zalpha,” announced a president for Zigazoo Kids: Ashley Mady, who previously was the startup’s President of Consumer Products, will assume the new role.

Mady will create and drive brand strategy and brand building initiatives and will work in partnership with departments across the organization to meet all revenue goals, business objectives, user growth plans and engagement targets, and is ultimately responsible for the success of the Zigazoo Kids platform.

Zigazoo Kids, a safe and fun social media platform, has consistently been a top 10 app for 9-11 year olds for iOS. The platform, which has more than 3 million installs, has seen 100% growth since 2023, the company said. The platform, launched during the Pandemic, has involved major celebrities like Dolly Parton as well as entertainment and sports brands like Nickelodeon, WWE, and the NBA.  Zigazoo also recently launched a Gen Z platform, which they are calling Zigazoo with the Generation Alpha app changing their name from Zigazoo to Zigazoo Kids.

6

Opportunity knocks

  • The Black Innovation Technology and Entertainment Conference (BITE-CON) is a two-day event April 13-14 focused curating education and awareness around Web 3.0, NFTs, the Metaverse, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and eSports to the Black and Brown community. The event will feature 40 speakers from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Dell and more. Get a free ticket here.
  • The Venture Miami Scholarship Fund provides tuition support to provide gap funding for at-need City of Miami residents who have been accepted into STEM or defined-demand occupation programs at participating colleges and universities, including Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College, and the University of Miami. How to apply: Students who meet the program requirements and are interested in applying to the Venture Miami scholarship are encourage to complete this survey to begin the application process.
  • Black Ambition has opened applications for the third annual Black Ambition Prize competition. The grand prize winner will receive $1 million, and at least 15 additional teams will receive prize awards of $15,000 to $250,000. Founded by Pharrell Williams and run by Miami’s Felecia Hatcher, Black Ambition has awarded funding and resources to 65 prize winners — totaling $6 million. Learn more and apply here.The deadline is May 8. 
  • Entrepreneur Ready received a $2 million grant from JPMorgan Chase to deploy its How to Start Something Acceleration program in Miami-Dade County and New York City from March to August 2023. The program will fund 300 entrepreneurs in each city who want to start a new business or pivot their business, with a focus on helping small businesses founded by minorities and women residents of Miami-Dade. the immersive learning accelerator and online platform offer a a step-by-step learning framework, personalized feedback from entrepreneur coaches, and access to weekly live workshops, online office hours, and a community forum. Find more information and apply here.
  • Applications are now open for the 12th cohort of FAU Tech Runway’s Venture Program. The Venture Program is a year-long program for startups that offers resources from FAU’s Innovation and Business Development pipeline, entrepreneurial instruction, structured team-based mentoring, networking, marketing and capital-raising assistance, co-working space, events, intern support, and other vital programs. To apply, go here. Applications close April 16.
  •  Levan Center of Innovation’s IDEATE Cohort is a four-week program that assists pre-seed stage entrepreneurs with development of an idea that is tech enabled through design thinking and prototyping. The deadline is April 10. Apply here.
  • Techstars Miami Powered by J.P. Morgan focuses on accelerating founders’ efforts in finding product-market fit, fundraising, and recruiting. The accelerator is accepting applications for its in-person Miami accelerator program beginning Sept. 11 and ending with a Demo Day on Dec. 7. Apply here by June 7.

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Nancy Dahlberg
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