1
Realfinity raises $5M in debt facility
Realfinity, a Miami-based provider of a finance platform designed for the real estate and mortgage industry, raised $5 million in a warehouse facility from Bank of the Sierra. The company intends to use the funds to further enhance mortgage loans, supporting its expansion plans.
Realfinity allows agents to convert clients into borrowers, streamlining the entire loan process while generating new revenue streams. By leveraging an embedded finance model, it simplifies operations for agents and delivers cost savings to consumers, offering better rates, faster execution, and a more homebuying experience.
“We’re a mission-driven company building the largest embedded lending platform in the U.S.,” said Luca Dahlhausen, co-founder and CEO. “Delivering bare-metal rates directly to consumers through their existing real estate agents allows us to originate loans at significantly lower costs compared to traditional lenders, who face high customer acquisition and overhead costs. This warehouse facility, along with our newly obtained lending licenses, marks an important milestone in streamlining mortgage origination on residential real estate transactions.”
Since launching operations in Q3 2023, Realfinity has funded over $40 million in mortgages, initiated 274 loan applications, and successfully completed 128. Currently, the company is licensed as a lender in Florida, Californial and Texas.
READ MORE: How Realfinity is helping real estate agents thrive in a digital-first world
2
Thoma Bravo closes its 3rd credit fund at $3.6B
Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm based in Miami, announced it has closed its Thoma Bravo Credit Fund III at $3.6 billion in total available capital This represents the firm’s largest credit pool of capital to date.
Thoma Bravo is one of the largest software-focused investors in the world, with over $166 billion in assets under management. Since its inception in 2017, the Thoma Bravo Credit platform has invested over $8 billion across approximately 100 transactions.
The platform focuses on investing in senior secured debt of enterprise software companies, an extension of the firm’s bread-and-butter strategy in the sector. Already, Credit Fund III has invested more than $1.0 billion across 20 investments.
“We appreciate our investors’ continued recognition and strong support of Thoma Bravo’s differentiated platform and strategy in credit, which is a testament to its growth and success,” said Orlando Bravo, a founder and Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo, in a statement. “As an early adopter of private credit, Thoma Bravo has long recognized the crucial role private credit plays in enterprise software.”
Over the past 20+ years, Thoma Bravo, which also has offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas and London, has acquired or invested in more than 500 companies.
3
Origis Energy lures $1B in private equity commitments
Miami-based Origis Energy, a renewable energy and decarbonization solution platforms, announced a new strategic investment from Brookfield Asset Management alongside new commitments from existing sponsor, Antin Infrastructure Partners, which could exceed $1 billion in the aggregate.
Brookfield is investing through its Infrastructure Structured Solutions strategy, alongside affiliated entities. This additional capital will accelerate Origis Energy’s progress as an independent power producer and advance its portfolio of solar and battery storage assets at a time of unprecedented demand for clean electricity from its customers, according to Origis.
Origis Energy develops, builds and operates large-scale renewable energy projects in the United States, a market that benefits from significant tailwinds. Today, the company operates an approximately one gigawatt solar and storage project portfolio across four states with an additional 3 GW of in-construction or construction-ready projects and a further 25 GW total development pipeline. S&P recently ranked Origis fifth on its 2024 list of the largest solar developers in the U.S. through 2028. Origis employs more than 250 employees across the country.
Origis Energy also recently announced the close of financing for the Swift Air Solar project in Ector County, Texas. The $415 million funding package includes construction, term debt and tax equity financing from Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) and Advantage Capital. Currently under construction, Swift Air Solar will enter commercial production in mid-2025.
4
Slam dunk move? BeMe Health partners with Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson
BeMe Health, a leading digital behavioral health platform for teens and young adults, has named NBA rookie Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat as a BeMe brand ambassador, marking the company’s first ever partnership with a professional athlete.
Founded in 2021, BeMe is a mobile mental health platform designed to improve the well-being of teens and young adults. BeMe turns young people’s phone habit into a health benefit, serving as their trusted companion for managing stress and anxiety. Created by clinicians and perfected by a Teen Advisory Board of nearly 200 teens and young adults, the platform brings together the best aspects of digital media, real, human support with trained professional coaches via in-app messaging, and clinical linkage.
Johnson’s passion for mental health advocacy stems from personal adversity that he faced at just 10 years old. After his older brother, Kenny, a gifted basketball player, survived a traumatic shooting that left him paralyzed, Keshad’s life changed forever. To cope and support his family he found the utmost strength and courage, and, in his brother’s honor, he decided to pursue basketball professionally .“My journey motivates me to support and inspire young people to get the support they need to preserve against all odds.” Johnson said.
Johnson will begin appearing on behalf of BeMe platforms and in-person community events in the Miami area beginning this month.
5
Beacon Council attracts 10,287 new jobs with average salary of $86K; 409 are in tech
At its annual meeting, The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s official public-private economic development partnership, announced that over the past year 45 companies, including some in technology, have expanded or relocated to the Miami-Dade county, including several technology and innovation businesses. They have committed to bring 10,287 new jobs and $806.5 million in new capital investment. This is expected to contribute $2.54 billion annually to Greater Miami’s gross regional product (GRP). The jobs carry an average salary of $86K, these projects will also generate $16.6 million in annual tax revenue for Miami-Dade County, providing critical support for public services and infrastructure.
Fifty-one percent of the total capital investment committed and 45% of the jobs are concentrated in targeted urban areas, a group of 23 underserved communities that include Overtown, Little Haiti, Liberty City and Opa-locka.
Tech was one of the three largest contributors, along with trade.logistics and financial sertices. Tech companies will bring $166 million in investment and 409 jobs, and the sector attracted innovative companies like VOLTA ion, Iron Mountain Data Center, and Pink Bot, the Beacon Council said.
Companies in Brazil, Spain and Canada accounted for 1,213 of the new job commitments.
“By advancing global partnerships, embracing innovation, and prioritizing inclusive opportunities, we have attracted transformative investments that have yielded high-quality jobs,” Beacon Council president and CEO Rodrick Miller said.
6
Neumann’s Flow buys 15.9 acre-tract for $70.5M
Flow, a real estate-focused company headed by WeWork founder Adam Neumann, paid $70.5 million for a 15.9-acre tract of land on Miami’s Biscayne Corridor. Nuemann’s company acquired the vacant tract of land at 8500 Biscayne Boulevard, formerly known as Little Farm Trailer Park, at a receiver’s auction last week.
Flow is a South Florida-based real estate company that Neumann co-founded in August 2022 with the backing of a $350 million investment from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The company launched sales for a future 40-story high-rise condo in Miami Worldcenter called Flow House Miami in October . Flow also took control of the 639-unit Society Las Olas, which has been rebranded as Flow Fort Lauderdale, and has active projects in Atlanta, Nashville, and Riyadh.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the local community and unlock the full potential of these remarkable 16 acres in Miami,” a Flow spokeswoman told the South Florida Business Journal.
Flow’s winning bid was double the $35 million stalking horse bid offered by a subsidiary of the Melo Group in October. The parcel is located in the municipalities of Miami and El Portal and is zoned for the development of more than 2,300 multifamily residences. Flow has not yet revealed what Neumann and team plan to build on it.
7
Tech salaries up in Florida
The average tech salary last year in Florida reached $116,939, surpassing the national average of $112,521, to rank fifth for highest pay behind New York ($121,246), California ($120,942), Georgia (120,768) and Virginia ($117,073), according to a recent report by Dice.
Indeed, tech-related salaries grew by 34.8% from 2017 to 2024 and far exceeds the national average of 21.4% over that same period. Since 2023, Florida was the only state to achieve a double-digit salary increase in national growth rate at 12.1%, followed by New York (6.9%), Georgia (6.3%), Pennsylvania (5.9%) and Texas (3.3%).
“These trends suggest Florida is increasingly positioning itself as a top destination for tech professionals, driven by strong salary growth and improving opportunities,” a Dice representative told Orlando Business Journal.
Careers in artificial intelligence and machine learning have seen “the most significant technological change of the past two decades,” followed by virtualization/cloud computing and mobile technologies, based on feedback from tech professionals with over 20 years of experience. Employees working on AI initiatives are more likely to hold senior management or executive positions with responsibilities at higher organizational levels, which come with a substantial salary advantage, according to the report. Read more here.
8
Apple to open its 10th South Florida store
Apple is set to open its 10th South Florida retail store with a modern, nature-inspired theme at Miami Worldcenter today. In addition to showcasing Apple’s latest products, the store will offer services such as Apple Trade In, personalized device setup and carrier activation.
The store features a biophilic garden design inspired by Art Deco that includes a mass timber, low-carbon material structure and tree-lined pavilion. It is powered entirely by renewable energy. The store will host Today at Apple sessions, focused on product education and business development, and will also offer hands-on learning opportunities for local business owners.
Apple’s other Miami stores are in Brickell, Lincoln Road, Dadeland, Kendall, Aventura, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington, and the tech giant employs about 2,000 people in South Florida. Read more in the South Florida Business Journal.
9
Lodgerin honored at Beacon Council’s Key Ceremony
Lodgerin, a first-of-its-kind platform that simplifies international mobility for companies and universities, announced that it was honored with a Key at the Miami-Dade Beacon Council’s Annual Meeting & Key Ceremony, a recognition of its innovative business model and early contribution to the local economy. As part of its international expansion, Lodgerin recently established Miami as its first market in the United States.
Lodgerin, which was founded in Spain and now operates in multiple countries, including Europe and the Middle East, built a proprietary digital ecosystem to solve problems facing organizations with mid-term property needs, such as corporations with multinational employees and universities with study abroad programs, as well as real estate owners or property managers who wanted to manage all their properties from a single platform.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by the Beacon Council alongside so many other great companies,” said Óscar Rubio, CEO of Lodgerin. “We have long targeted Miami as our first U.S. market, and we deeply appreciate being welcomed by the business community here. We are excited about our future in South Florida and are looking forward to working with even more partners to simplify international mobility.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH: Lodgerin lands in Miami, launches hub for international expansion
10 PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- GET Champions Miami, run by Radical Partners, is an initiative that helps leaders create workplaces that attract, retain, and support diverse tech talent. This 4-month program is designed for forward-thinking tech leaders to reshape their companies’ hiring, retention, and support systems for women, trans, and nonbinary employees, and offers free virtual training, exectuve coaching and invitations to hiring events for accessing top talent.
- Endeavor Miami is accepting applications for its next ScaleUp Program. Apply for ScaleUp here.
ICYMI:
- Will Miami’s crypto scene in 2025 be a new era or just more of the same?
- From tech to turf, Miami is flexing its sportstech muscles
- Teal raises $7.5M to expand AI-powered career platform
- Olé Life lands $13M Series B led by PayPal Ventures
- With $2M in tow, AI startup CodeComply.Ai aims to accelerate construction approvals and reshape compliance checks
- Reeco raises $15M to modernize hotel procurement
- Miami area venture capital closes out 2024 looking a lot like 2023
- Bone troubles? Chile’s Arcomedlab, with a Miami branch, makes 3D-printed skull implants
Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at nancy@refreshmiami.com and follow her on X @ndahlberg. Subscribe to Refresh Miami’s free weekly newsletter here featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events. Thank you for supporting Refresh Miami.
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