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6+ things to know in MiamiTech: Teal acquires OwnTrail; building a medtech hub; plus news from Büro, Joby, Sintavia, Zigazoo and more

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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1

Teal acquires OwnTrail, giving job seekers a visualization tool for growth

South Miami-based Teal is a platform that aims to remove some of the pain out of searching for job by offering a suite of helpful tech-enabled products. “Think of it as your job search co-pilot,” founder and CEO David Fano told Refresh Miami. Teal announced this week it is acquiring OwnTrail, a platform that lets you visualize your path through life and make that vision a reality. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

OwnTrail and Teal have a long history of collaboration, co-hosting journey mapping workshops, engaged in meaningful career conversations through Trail Talks, and shared insights on Teal’s Nonlinear podcast. Through these experiences, Teal saw firsthand the power of OwnTrail’s mission to inspire and empower individuals in their personal and professional growth.

 “As part of this integration, OwnTrail’s features will be completely free so that we can empower even more job seekers to visualize their career histories and navigate their futures with confidence,” Teal founder and CEO said in a LinkedIn post. Rebekah Bastian, OwnTrail’s CEO and founder, will join Teal as an advisor.

Read more about Teal in a recent Refresh Miami spotlight.

2

Community effort underway to establish a medtech hub

Venture Miami, in collaboration with regional stakeholders, is working to establish a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub  spanning across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Preliminary data analysis reveals “medical tech” as a leading category for the planning grant and/or designation to form this Tech Hub.
 
Venture Miami is calling on the help of partners in academia, the private sector, government, federal labs, unions, or any other organization driven by a passion for regional collaboration and the growth of the medical tech industry in South Florida. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country. As per the program guidelines, eligible consortia can apply to the EDA.

If your company or organization aligns with the “medical tech” category and you’re interested in joining the consortium, please fill out a survey by Friday, July 14, 2023. Find the survey here.

3

Büro to open co-working center near MiamiCentral station

Büro will open its eighth location, which will be called Büro Central, in August in a recently built commercial building near Brightline’s MiamiCentral station complex in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. The 28,000-square-foot center will be at 101 N.W. 8th Street and will cater to companies with five to 20 people, Michael Feinstein, the founder and CEO of the South Florida-based company, told South Florida Business Journal.

Büro has seven coworking office locations, in South Beach, Midtown Miami, Miami’s Upper Eastside, Coconut Grove, South Miami, and Hollywood.

4

Will Joby be the first to bring flying taxis to Miami?

Joby Aviation, a California-based company focused on creating a next-generation aerial taxi service, received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. The new permit allows Joby to launch flight testing programs for its first production prototype. Joby has signaled its interest in in making Miami one of their initial launch markets.

Joby has spent over a decade developing its eVTOL, which is designed to carry one pilot and four passengers. It can fly at a top speed of 200 mph with a single-charge range of 150 miles, along with zero operating emissions, the company says. Joby envisions creating an aerial ride-sharing network that transports passengers quickly without having to worry about urban congestion or indirect routes; its partners include Uber, Toyota and Delta Airlines, according to Fast Company.Joby hopes to launch commercial operations in 2025, which would make it one of the first in the air. Read more in Fast Company.

There are at least five other companies also wanting to make Miami an initial market, with plans to launch service in the next five years:  Eve Air Mobility, a spinoff of Embraer,  Supernal, an eVTOL service planned by Hyundai Motor Group;  Archer Aviation, one of the first to announce Miami would be one of its two launch cities, along with LA; and Lilium, a German company that plans rides up to 180 miles in Florida.

5

Lockheed invests $20M in Hollywood tech company

Hollywood-based Sintavia announced it received a direct equity investment from aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation for an 18% interest in Sintavia, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

Founded in 2012, Sintavia designs and produces mechanical systems for aerospace, defense, and energy platforms. Its products include multi-circuit heat exchangers, thermodynamic chassis, and monolithic cooling pumps.

6

Zigazoo launches 13+ app and new initiative to guarantee authentic profiles

Zigazoo, a Miami-based social media network that quickly attracted celebrity investors, is making a pledge to users that 100 percent of the profiles on the platform will always be authentic. Zigazoo reports that it is leveraging a robust staff of rigorously-trained human reviewers in combination with AI technology to ensure that each and every person a user interacts with on the platform is real. 

Zigazoo’s pledge comes as the platform also launched  its 13+ app following a successful invite-only beta that kicked off at the end of March. Their commitment to eradicating this issue is integral to the platform’s goal of becoming the alternative to TikTok and other platforms by providing users with a more positive, nontoxic, and authentic social media environment, Zigazoo said.

PLUS

Opportunity knocks

  • Venture Atlanta 2023, Sept. 27-28, is accepting applications for pitching opportunities. For 16 years, the annual Venture Atlanta conference has been selecting the most promising tech companies in the Southeast and bringing in top investment firms from across the country to hear them pitch; this year the prize is $500K. Over 1,300 attendees and 350 funds expected to attend.  Applications accepted here through July 28.
  • Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship launched its fourth chapter in Fort Lauderdale in partnership with the Alan B. Levan, NSU Broward Center of Innovation. Based in Tampa, the organization was founded to empower women in technology and entrepreneurship. The groups are hosting an open house at the Levan Center  July 26. 
  • Want to build a career in tech but facing financial barriers? The Ironhack x eMerge Americas Community Impact Scholarship can help you break down those barriers and launch your dream career. Apply here.
  •  Venture Miami  and The Shrimp Society have partnered up to launch the Built in Miami Startup Program, a year-long initiative designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs in Miami. The Built in Miami Startup Program, free for participants, will feature three tracts for entrepreneurs at each stage of their startup journey: the Zero to One Sprint program, the Builders Summer Series, and the Miami Startup Accelerator. Applications can be accessed via builtmiami.com 
  • 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.
  • EndeavorLAB, an 8-week cohort-based initiative that equips founders with curriculum, mentorship and resources to grow their business, is accepting applications for its Black Founders Cohort Powered by Dell For Startups that begins in October. To be eligible, Black founders must be based in Florida, have achieved product-market fit, and are generating $50K to $500K in annual revenue. The program costs are covered by the sponsors.  Apply here by Sept. 10.
  • The Alan B. Levan/NSU Broward Center of Innovation is accepting applications for the 100 Startup Project. Applicants who are accepted will receive a yearlong membership to the Levan Center of Innovation. Apply here. 

ICYMI

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

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Nancy Dahlberg
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