1
Waymo’s expanded service area includes Hard Rock
Following the recent news of Waymo opening up its service area in Miami, the fully autonomous ride-hailing service will grow its service by an additional 50 square miles in South Florida, totaling its footprint to 150 square miles. Starting now, riders can hail a Waymo to North Miami, Biscayne Park, Miami Shores, Little River and Miami Gardens, a spokeswoman said. As part of this, Waymo will also expand to Hard Rock Stadium and near Aventura Mall.
As Miami prepares to host global events like the FIFA World Cup, the expanded footprint will help both residents and visitors move around the city safely and efficiently. And while Waymo originally prioritized downtown cores, this expansion includes neighboring communities to reach riders for daily errands as well as special events.
This local expansion is part of a broader national push. Waymo will also be growing its service across several other cities in the coming weeks, including Atlanta, Houston, and Austin, bringing its total service area to more than 1,400 square miles across 11 cities.
2
eMerge, SmartGateVC launch healthcare syndicate
eMerge Americas, in partnership with SmartGateVC, announced the public launch of the Healthcare Innovation Venture Ecosystem (HIVE), which it says is a first-of its-kind healthcare syndicate connecting leading health systems, payers, medtech and bio-pharma institutions with high-potential healthcare startups. HIVE made its public debut at eMerge Americas 2026, where startups pitched before an exclusive audience of healthcare executives and investors.
Unlike traditional venture syndicates or corporate innovation funds, HIVE is built around active industry institutional participation. Member executives bring healthcare specific procurement authority, clinical validation capacity, and real-world deployment pathways — assets that transform a startup’s trajectory far beyond what capital alone can accomplish.
“Capital is not the problem. Ambition is not the problem. The problem has always been structural — the absence of a coordinated mechanism that puts the right institutions, the right capital, and the right startups in the same room and turbocharge innovation and adoption. HIVE ends that fragmentation. The 20+ institutions already involved are not a promise of what’s coming. They are evidence of what’s already here,” said Jack Topdjian, venture partner and eMerge advisor.
HIVE accepts startup nominations from member institutions from seed to late Series A. ected finalists are invited to pitch before the full membership in a structured session, during which members indicate value offers — such as clinical pilots, mentorship, or investment commitments — matched to each startup’s specific needs.
3
South Florida to get quantum-safe computing network
Florida LambdaRail announced it is partnering with Maryland-based IonQ to build quantum-safe communications network spanning Florida. The network will start with a nearly 100-mile corridor that will link research and education institutions in the tri-county region.
“Florida LambdaRail’s collaboration with IonQ in this innovative quantum initiative will enable partner universities, researchers, and students to move quantum from the lab setting to real-world deployment,” said Jason Ball, chair of the Florida LambdaRail Board of Directors and associate provost at Florida Atlantic University. “We’re confident that this public and private project will be a catalyst to accelerate scalable quantum-secure connectivity across the state.”
Florida LambdaRail, a nonprofit network connecting universities, research institutions, and public sector entities across the state through dedicated fiber infrastructure, will serve as the backbone for the deployment. Following completion of the initial corridor, the initiative is expected to expand across the Florida LambdaRail network, connecting additional institutions statewide.
“This effort reflects a broader shift in how infrastructure is being designed. By aligning networks, institutions, and investment, Florida is laying the groundwork for a quantum ecosystem that has the potential to drive innovation, attract talent, and support new opportunities across the state,” said Matt Cimaglia, managing partner of Quantum Coast Capital and a founding member of Florida Quantum.
4
AgentCloak named one of most promising AI companies
CB Insights today named AgentCloak by InCountry to its 10th annual AI 100, which showcases the 100 most promising private AI companies in the world.
“Deploying AI at scale requires governance and protection of data,” said Peter Yared, Founder & CEO of InCountry. “AgentCloak solves AI data governance by enabling enterprises to unlock AI value while maintaining strict, identity-based control over sensitive data. We’re honored to be recognized among the most promising AI companies shaping the future.”
This year’s cohort spans autonomous security operations, humanoid robots, and domain-specific AI for healthcare and financial services, “and what unites them is proof of real traction outside a demo environment,” said Adya Pandey, AI Analyst at CB Insights.
5
GoTu adds 3 senior leaders
GoTu Technology, the nation’s leading dental talent marketplace, announced the appointment of three senior executives to support the company’s next phase of growth: Lauren Slutsky as Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Feroz Patwa as Chief Technology Officer, and Danny Pardo as Chief Financial Officer.
The announcement comes as GoTu continues to scale nationally, following a $45 million funding round in November. The Miami-based startup has filled more than 500,000 dental shifts filled across 44 states and Washington, D.C., giving dental practices seamless access to verified professionals while giving clinicians greater flexibility and control of their careers.
Slutsky joins GoTu with a track record of building and scaling high‑performing sales organizations at leading technology and advisory companies and will lead GoTu’s enterprise and DSO sales strategy. Patwa brings extensive experience leading global engineering teams at multiple high-growth tech companies and delivering scalable, customer‑centric software products. Pardo joins GoTu as an accomplished finance executive with deep experience in high‑growth technology companies, marketplaces, and SaaS businesses, including significant M&A and business integration experience.
6
OpenEvidence announces key partnership
The Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), a global professional society for cancer surgeons, and OpenEvidence, the most widely used medical knowledge platform, announced a strategic partnership to strengthen access to the most trusted surgical oncology evidence at the point of care while building a foundation for innovative collaborations to support surgeons and all physicians taking care of patients with cancer.
Together, SSO and OpenEvidence will make the Society’s clinical content and educational resources available directly within the OpenEvidence platform, where they can be accessed alongside peer-reviewed literature and direct citations at the point of care. The collaboration is designed to help surgical oncologists, and all other physicians, stay current with a body of evidence that is growing faster than any single surgeon can track on their own.
OpenEvidence relocated its HQ to Miami last summer and raised $250 million in January.
7
Seaworthy Collective expands to Tampa area
Seaworthy Collective, the Miami-based bluetech nonprofit has announced an early expansion into the Tampa Bay region, backed by a $500,000 grant from JPMorganChase as part of its $1.5 trillion resiliency efforts. The grant will support the Tampa Bay expansion by enabling Seaworthy to convene local stakeholders in resilience, innovation, and coastal business across the region, and to build on its programs that co-create and grow early-stage BlueTech startups, build regional capacity, and educate the community.
Since 2021, Seaworthy Collective has supported 111 founders across 57 BlueTech startups, who have raised over $34 million since graduating. Altogether, its local and global community generates scalable solutions for 71% of the planet (the ocean) to regenerate 100% of the planet. Seaworthy Collective is having a showcase event for its current cohort on May 20. Find out more here.
8
Francis Suarez joins Ambition Accelerated
Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been named a Senior Advisor to Ambition Accelerated, launched by The Florida Council of 100 and backed by Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin.
“The single greatest competitive advantage any region can offer ambitious people is not a tax incentive or a zoning variance. It is a culture that supports them and genuinely wants them to succeed. That is why, when I recognized that same culture in the people behind ‘Ambition Accelerated,’ I wanted to be a part of it.” Suarez said.
9
Hut 8 putting data center campus in Texas
Miami-based Hut 8 is bringing a new data center campus to Texas. The publicly traded energy infrastructure provider signed a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease to commercialize the first phase of its Beacon Point AI data center campus in Nueces County, Texas, that will have 352 megawatts of capacity. That’s enough power to supply electricity to more than 200,000 homes.
Hut 8 did not reveal the tenant that will occupy the campus, but said it is a “high-investment-grade company” that will use the infrastructure to support AI training and workloads at hyperscale, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
10
2 student winners at UM
Joseph Cherubin, co-founder and CEO of HemoTech Medical, took 1st place at The Launch Pad at University of Miami’s Future Founders Accelerator pitch competition and was awarded over $5,000. HemoTech is building a device designed to make life-saving hemorrhage control faster and easier in emergency situations. Severe bleeding is one of the leading causes of preventable death, and in those first few minutes, simplicity matters, Cherubin said in a LinkedIn post. HemoTech Medical was also recently selected as one of five ventures to compete in this year’s SPARK Hollywood Pitch Competition run by the City of Hollywood.
In a second competition, student entrepreneurs from across University of Miami took the stage to present market-ready solutions during the Engineering Pitch and Innovation Challenge (EPIC). The first-place prize was awarded to StyloSight, a health technology startup reimagining a widely used tool in airway management. The team developed a disposable intubation stylet with integrated video capability, transforming a standard medical device into an affordable, tablet-compatible solution and expanding access to life-saving airway visualization technology across a range of clinical environments.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The America Business Forum has announced its 2026 date: Dec. 16-17. The international business conference returns to the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami for a second year and will follow the G20 Summit convenes at the Trump National Doral Miami. Speakers have not yet been revealed but last year’s superstar list included a who’s who of tech, finance, politics and sports, including Jeff Bezos, Ken Griffin, Jamie Dimon, President Trump, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams and more. Read our 2025 coverage here.
PLUS
Jobs, jobs, jobs
Atomic – Director of Growth
Atomic – Community Manager
Chewy – Finance Manager
DoorLoop – Sr Full Stack Enigneer
Employ – Digital Customer Success Manager
Handtevy – Product Owner
Hut 8 – Director of Asset Management
Hut 8 – Chief of Staff
Kaseya – Sr. Threat Operations Analyst
Nas.com – Head of Community Growth
Nubank – Lead IT Engineer
Openfx – Developer Experience Lead
Sunflower – iOS Engineer
Vultr – Graphic Designer
Vultr – Sr Multimedia Designer
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- Apply to pitch at WHX Miami 2026 in Xcelerate, a global startup competition for healthcare innovators. Finalists will pitch live June 17-19 at WHX at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Learn more here and apply by May 25.
- Last chance to apply to present your startup at the Florida Venture Forum’s 2026 Early Stage Venture Conference in Orlando on June 2-3 for a chance to win $150K in award funding by Space Florida. Learn more and apply here.
- Applications are now open for the Cade Prize for Inventivity, a national competition awarding over $100K in cash and in-kind support to early-stage inventors and entrepreneurs. The prize backs founders across industries like tech, healthcare, environment, and sports who are building innovative, real-world solutions and need support to move from idea to market. Apply here by July 10.
ICYMI – Catch up!
- Latest special report: South Florida is becoming a mission-critical hub for defense innovation
- Latest fundraises: Dishio raises $2.5M to help restaurants turn diners into loyal customers
- Subquadratic raised $29M on the idea that it has cracked AI’s biggest math problem. Now comes the hard part.
- Everyone bought AI tools. Certifyde wants to make people actually use them – and just raised $2M
- More news: New Florida law brings Israeli stem-cell innovator to state
- Need help after buying online? South Florida’s agnoStack boosts customer service and is adding a sister venture soon
- Propy and Milo team up so diamond-handed buyers can skip the cash-out
- From the Sahara to South Beach, Booksy’s founder turned endurance into a billion-booking business
- Opening this year, KIPP Miami Tech will get students ready for tech-forward futures
- WRTH is building the back office for rare assets
- 3PeeL serves as matchmaker for brands looking for trusted 3PLs
- It started on a Broward bike ride. Now he’s taking on AI’s biggest inefficiency.
- MoonPay’s latest $100M buy signals Miami wants to own the rails of crypto
- Hovhannes Avoyan was doing AI before it was cool, and now Miami is home base for his next act
- When Miami’s bridge goes up, this founder wants your blood pressure to stay down
- FAU hosts Maverick Innovation Awards. And the winners are …
- Latest guest post: The other ‘crypto’ that Miami founders need to care about
- And much more paywall-free #MiamiTech news here.
Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at nancy@refreshmiami.com and follow her on X @ndahlberg and on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Refresh Miami’s free weekly newsletter here featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events.
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