6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: What were 2023's top-read stories? Plus news from Endrock, Maker5, Bird, Venture Miami, Meet the Drapers & more

1 The most-read Refresh Miami stories in 2023

Expansion news, fund raises, special reports, we had a little of everything among the most-read stories on Refresh Miami this year. Oh, and you guys like Brightline, too.

In our quest to be the most comprehensive source of South Florida tech and startup news, we published 477 stories this year, a mix of news about fundings, expansions and relocations, accelerators other ecosystem highlights, startup spotlights, Q&As, catching up features, and longer takes on the trends. These rose to the top for readership.

No. 1 top read story: Kaseya to create 3,400 tech jobs in Miami-Dade paying an average of $107K

And here are the 15 runners-up:

Report: Amazon looking for 50,000 SF of Miami office space

All aboard! Brightline doubles down on tech-fueled offerings to improve South Florida mobility

2,000-employee Anaplan to relocate its HQ to Miami early next year

Miami-based venture studio Atomic raises $320M for its 4th fund

Flex secures $20M equity and $100M debt fundraise to build a one-stop-shop financial hub for SMBs

It’s a record-setting year for tech sector expansion, according to Beacon Council report

JPMorgan Chase is doubling down on #MiamiTech. Here’s why – and how local startups can benefit

Kind Designs raises $5M in seed funding to deploy 3D-printed seawalls

BOOM! Miami metro hauls in $5.5B in VC in 2022, a new record, Pitchbook reports

Traba raises $22M led by Founders Fund; more expansion on the way

Miami shines, ranking as a top ecosystem in the world

Chutzpah meets hustle: Israel’s ‘Startup Nation’ connects with #MiamiTech

Growing the tech talent pipeline is what Miami Tech Works is all about. Employers, here’s how to get involved

We look forward to covering the #MiamiTech news for you in 2024 and beyond and you can always find it here. This year we also began grouping our special reports here for easy access. As always, reach out at [email protected] with your news.

2 Endrock Growth and Analytics agency acquired

Endrock Growth and Analytics, a Miami-based consumer analytics, data intelligence and growth experimentation agency with offices in the United States, Medellín, Cartagena and Quito, has been acquired by Power Digital, a tech-enabled growth marketing firm based in San Diego.

Endrock’s founder, Ned MacPherson, brings more than a decade of CRO and experimentation experience to Power Digital and will step into his new role as Chief Growth Officer. Since Endrock’s founding in 2019, MacPherson scaled the company to nearly 100 employees and hundreds of clients served, including notable brands such as Blue Bottle Coffee, Calpak, True Classic Tees and more. MacPherson can’t disclose the exact purchase price but shared that it was “well into the eight figures.”

“Our teams combined are a powerhouse that will transform how clients understand data and show them where they’re leaving money on the table,” said MacPherson.

3 DealPulse makes key acquisition

DealPulse, a Maker5 Venture Studio company, announced that it intends to acquire Matterhorn Transactions, provider of deal analytics to attorneys and financial professionals across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Miami-based Maker5’s venture studio is a core component of its law firm innovation advisory and software development services business.

DealPulse applies AI-powered technology to enable firms to build structured data sets from their internal documents behind their own firewalls, eliminating concerns about sharing client data with third party cloud solutions. From customized league tables used for business development to comprehensive trend reports, DealPulse enables law firms across the AmLaw 200 to offer this value proposition to their clients.

Logan Beirne, co-founder and CEO of Matterhorn, has been named CEO of DealPulse.

4 Bird may auction its assets

Miami-based e-scooter company Bird Global could auction parts of its business as a means of paying off its debt next year, the South Florida Business Journal reported.

An auction to sell off the assets is scheduled for March 4 if needed, according to the Chapter 11 restructuring agreement. Creditors have agreed to acquire the company in about 90 days. The corporation filed for Chapter 11 Dec. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and stated it has between $100 million and $500 million in both assets and liabilities.

Bird Global, founded in 2017, rents out on-demand scooters across the U.S. In 2021, the company went public in a SPAC deal that was reportedly valued at $2.3 billion. Read more here.

5 Play to win at Pickleball – for a great cause

Ready for a day of fun and a little friendly competition? Grab your paddle and get ready to #ServeForScholars because Venture Miami is hosting The Pickle Games in mid-January. This first-ever pickleball tournament benefits the Venture Miami Scholarship Fund and you don’t have to be a seasoned player to participate.

When and where: 6 pm to 9 pm, January 13-14 at the Miami Marine Stadium. Sign up here: Sign up 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. Students who meet the program requirements are encouraged to complete this survey to begin the application process.

6 Miami represents on upcoming Meet the Drapers Season 7

Aurelia Edwards, founder and CEO of Nailstry reports that “something cool” is up with her startup and three others from the Miami area. Nailstry, Tolka AI Therapeutics, Wisedom.ai and Aegis App were selected as finalists to represent the USA in the global pitch competition for the upcoming Meet the Drapers Season 7. Meet the Drapers global tour brought them to Miami Beach as part of the BitBasel and Tech Basel celebrations.

In the reality show “Meet the Drapers,” veteran venture investor Tim Draper, some of his family and guest judges vet a series of startup companies, with the winning company getting a $1 million investment from Draper at the end of the season.

Draper was also a speaker during the Tech Basel Summit in November, where he talked about AI, robotics, Bitcoin and more.

PLUS

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.
The Synapse Innovation Awards recognizes Florida’s innovators, risk-takers and creators for daring to see an opportunity to make something better, and doing it! Top finalists present at Synapse Feb. 28. Find out more and apply here by Dec. 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.
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

Happy New Year!

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

Author
Recent Posts

Nancy Dahlberg

I am a writer and editor with extensive media experience and a passion for journalism and serving the community. Most of my career has been spent with the Miami Herald in business news, and my expertise is writing about tech and entrepreneurs. I love hosting this blog for Refresh Miami and we aim to be the go-to site for South Florida startup and tech news, features and views. Have news? Contact me at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all)