Peter Yared on building global companies from Miami, and what’s next for AI data protection

The InCountry founder and longtime Silicon Valley veteran shares how Miami’s mix of industries and international talent is fueling real businesses, not hype cycles.

Peter Yared didn’t leave San Francisco to escape the Bay Area. He came to Miami to build something that lasts.

After two decades in Silicon Valley – where he launched multiple startups and worked with some of the biggest names in enterprise tech – the founder and CEO of InCountry found himself drawn to South Florida’s unique energy. His company, which focuses on AI data protection and sovereignty, has raised $50 million to date, with offices spanning Europe, Turkey, and the U.S.

We caught up with Yared to talk about Miami’s evolution as a tech hub, how the city can attract more international founders, and what’s next for InCountry as AI transforms how companies manage sensitive data.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Refresh Miami: You’ve lived in Miami for about five years now. What makes it stand out as a place to build a company?

Peter Yared: I’ve been a big proponent of Miami as a great place to do business. The thing I like most is that it’s not a tech monoculture like San Francisco was. There, everyone was building tech for tech’s sake. Here, I’ll randomly meet a CTO from one of the biggest beverage companies in the world over breakfast. Those kinds of customers aren’t in San Francisco, they’re here.

That’s what makes the business climate in Miami so interesting. You’ve got leaders from Latin America, Europe, and the U.S., people who are already successful in industries like real estate, finance, and manufacturing. A lot of them are here six months a year or more. That mix creates a really dynamic environment for building real companies.

You’ve noticed that international founders tend to stick around more than U.S. transplants. Why do you think that is?

Absolutely. When I talk to founders who came from other places such as Latin America, Europe, Israel, they’re the ones putting down roots. This is the perfect gateway for them into the U.S. market. And they’re not leaving.

It’s fascinating because that’s what made Silicon Valley and New York thrive: immigration. Back in the 90s, we literally recruited the top math and engineering talent from China, India, and Russia. There’s a massive opportunity to do the same with Latin America. We’re talking about a region with 400 million people. If we attract even the top 0.1%, that’s incredible talent.

For years, I’d tell people in Miami that we needed to actively bring that talent here, and there was resistance. Now, everyone’s leaning in. People get it. The top engineers from Latin America and Europe want to be here, and there’s no reason not to make it easy for them.

You’ve said Miami’s competition isn’t Silicon Valley, it’s New York. Why?

People always think it’s about replacing Silicon Valley, and that’s not the right comparison. New York is the one we should look at. A decade ago, New York wasn’t considered a tech hub, and now it’s firmly number two. They did it by focusing on the customers – not just the investors or founders – and that’s something we can learn from.

In Miami, a lot of those customers are already here. We’ve got strength in verticals like real estate, health, and increasingly fintech. If we keep that focus and build around real industries, we can grow something sustainable.

What I see now is a shift from the “hype wave” of a few years ago, the people who came for the sunshine and left, to founders who are actually building solid companies here. The people staying are the ones who see the long-term potential. [Read more: Miami’s tech opportunity is to take on New York City, not San Francisco]

So what would you do if you were running Miami-Dade County?

I’d create an official program to help people get visas – H-1Bs, O-1s, whatever it takes. And I’d get local leaders and politicians on board to make it a priority. It’s about bringing in the absolute best talent to help build world-class companies here, and providing new opportunities for locals as well.

That’s exactly what made Silicon Valley what it is. The founders behind the biggest names didn’t all grow up there. They were recruited. Miami is the natural home base for Latin America and Israel, and if we position it right, we can even compete with New York for European talent. It’s a huge opportunity.

You’ve also mentioned that Miami startups have a lower failure rate compared to San Francisco. Why is that?

In San Francisco, there’s this endless experimentation – a lot of people raising $50K from friends and calling it a startup. Here, the vibe is totally different. You meet founders who moved from Tel Aviv or Mexico City or Madrid and are building real companies.

Maybe the upside isn’t as flashy, but these are legitimate businesses from day one. They understand their markets. They’re not pivoting eight times. I really appreciate that as an enterprise software person because it’s a business culture grounded in reality.

That’s why I think Miami’s ecosystem will grow steadily. It’s less about wild bets and more about building companies that last.

Tell us about what InCountry is focused on right now.

We’re all-in on the intersection of AI, identity, and sovereignty, and that’s where I think the next big wave is.

AI is exploding, but data privacy is a growing issue. For example, if you ask an AI a medical question like how much Tylenol you should take, the system has to handle your personal health information responsibly. What we do is generalize that data. So instead of saying “I’m 32 and live in Miami,” we turn that into “30–39, Florida, U.S.” That keeps it useful but protects privacy.

We also localize AI requests. If someone in China asks a question in Mandarin using regional slang, we use the local AI in China to interpret it before it crosses borders. The key is keeping data where it belongs while still enabling global AI systems to function.

We’ve integrated with Okta and Salesforce’s Agentforce and are continuing to expand into new markets. I see this intersection of AI, identity, and sovereignty as being on par with the early days of the dot-com era. There’s that much opportunity ahead.

AI regulations are evolving fast. How do you see that shaping your business over the next few years?

It’s becoming a core part of what we do. We started with cross-border data residency, but with new rules like the EU AI Act, companies now have to minimize what data gets sent to an AI, even inside a country. So we’re helping enterprises adapt by anonymizing, generalizing, and routing that data correctly.

What’s really interesting is that AI regulation is creating demand for infrastructure like ours. Governments and large corporations don’t want their citizens’ or customers’ data sitting in a U.S.-based model somewhere else in the world. They want sovereignty over it. That’s exactly the space we’re in: making AI usable and compliant at the same time.

Final thoughts on where Miami goes from here?

It’s a city at an inflection point. The weather and tax benefits got people here, but what’s keeping them is the mix of industries, the international community, and the fact that it’s still early enough to shape what this ecosystem becomes.

If we get the immigration piece right and continue to focus on building real companies, I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.

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Riley Kaminer

I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.