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6+  things to know in #MiamiTech: VC firms opening offices in Miami Beach and Boca – plus more news to note

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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1

Fortuna Investments opens office in Miami Beach

Fortuna Investments, a venture capital and advisory firm based in Canada, announced its expansion to the U.S. market with the opening of an office in Miami Beach. From this strategic vantage point, the firm plans to invest in companies and entrepreneurs in both the burgeoning space industry as well as clean-tech and other emerging industries.

“With its growing culture of innovation and pro-business environment, South Florida is the perfect place for Fortuna to make our U.S. debut,” said Fortuna founder Justis Parmar.

In conjunction with the opening of its Miami office, Fortuna also announced an initial investment in Starfighters Space, a fast-growing Cape Canaveral company that targets launches of small satellites and payloads from its fleet of seven F-104 supersonic aircraft.

Fortuna has raised over $500 million for more than 125 companies since its founding in 2015. The new office will be Fortuna’s East Coast hub. It is establishing a West Coast office in Los Angeles this year.

2

RRE Ventures opening Boca office

 RRE Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in New York City and focused on investing in tech enabled ventures, has secured office space in Boca Raton.

Harvard Business School classmates Stuart Ellman and James D. Robinson IV founded RRE Ventures in 1994 with Robinson’s father, James D. Robinson III, former Chairman and CEO of American Express Company from 1977 to 1993. RRE Ventures primarily invests in seed, series A and series B rounds and focuses on companies operating in the software, internet, communications, aerospace, robotics, 3D printing and financial services sectors.

RRE Ventures has nearly $2.5 billion under management and more than 500 portfolio companies. Read more in South Florida Tech Hub here.

3

Still time to join Tech Talent Coalition event

Tomorrow (Feb. 17), Miami Dade College, in partnership with Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Refresh Miami, Florida International University, OIC of South Florida, Florida Memorial University and CareerSource South Florida, launch Miami Tech Works. This industry-led tech-sector initiative will bring together a critical mass of business leaders with education and training providers to align academic programs with industry needs with the aim of creating a sustainable and fortified local tech talent pipeline. Read more about the program here.

Miami Tech Works will officially kick off with a Tech Talent Coalition meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, from 9 – 11 a.m. at MDC’s Idea Center in downtown Miami. Speakers will include MDC President Madeline Pumariega; Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; U.S. Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration Alejandra Castillo and Fred Voccola, CEO at Kaseya.

The Tech Talent Coalition is open to decision-makers in businesses looking for talent in tech-related positions in South Florida. That includes C-level executives, academic institutions and training providers. There is no charge to join. Interested employers can sign up to attend here.

4

Global Ventures wins Community Impact award

 The Research Park at Florida Atlantic University  announced that its Global Ventures program was awarded the Community Impact Award as an emerging highly effective incubation program by the Florida Business Incubation Association (FBIA) at its Winter Conference in Davie. Global Ventures focuses on scaling-up technology companies from around the world that have achieved approximately $1 million in annual revenues and employ at least six employees. Target industries for Global Ventures include intelligent and smart systems as well as healthcare technologies – subject areas in which its partner, Florida Atlantic University, has deep expertise in. Currently, 16 companies from five  different countries are participating in the program, while  14 companies are part of the virtual program. Global Ventures anticipates graduating three companies into the Research Park at FAU during 2023. Second-stage technology companies interested in Global Ventures should contact Ryan Lilly at [email protected] or by telephone at +1 561-416-6092 Ext. 1401.

5

FAU gets $1M grant to establish center for smart technologies

Florida Atlantic University and Florida Power & Light Company, through its charitable arm the NextEra Energy Foundation, have agreed to a four-year collaboration to establish the FPL Center for Intelligent Energy Technologies, which will be housed in the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science. The $1 million gift was approved by the FAU Board of Trustees. The primary focus of the new center will be research relating to smart technologies and products relevant to the energy sector, along with workforce development.

6

Opportunity knocks

  •  Google for Startups Accelerator Latino Founders are accepting applications until March 12. The program will be based in Miami and is a three-month accelerator program for growth-stage technology startups with at least one Latino co-founder from the United States or Spanish-speaking Latin America. See here for more information.
  • The Miami Herald’s Startup Pitch Competition is accepting entries. To apply, founders) must be South Florida residents, the tech-enabled business must have launched operations no earlier than Jan. 1, 2020, and it must be generating annual revenue of $50K to $1 million. The deadline to submit applications is March 1. Apply here.
  • The 1909 Accelerator Program is taking applications for its 6 month program, which is designed to help early stage founders develop their businesses further along and simultaneously help build meaningful lifestyles. Because profitability is not the only form of success. Apply by March 17.

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Nancy Dahlberg
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