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Two South Florida startups chosen for Techstars Miami cohort
Techstars Miami announced the Spring Class of 2024, a 13-week accelerator program, and two of the companies hail from South Florida. The 12 startups selected come from around the world and span healthtech, proptech, enterprise SaaS, developer tools, legaltech and fintech.
“We selected startups based on three criteria; A deep understanding of customer pain, a demonstrated ability to execute quickly and the potential for a $1 billion+ revenue business,” said Techstars Managing Director Andres Barreto, in the announcement. The program is hybrid but the accelerator kicked off this week in-person and will also end in Miami.
The two South Florida startups are:
Astronuts: This Miami startup, led by CEO Michel Francis, provides analytics and insights for software engineering and is developing AI monitoring tools for developers to spot, fix, and ship high-quality code faster.
BuildrFi: As a financial hub for construction, this Miami startup led by CEO Isabel Rodriguez is developing a project cash flow dashboard with embedded financial products, including materials invoice financing, cash advances, and revenue-based loans.
Read about all 12 startups here.
Applications are now open for the Techstars Miami Fall Accelerator, which will be an in-person program.
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Capstack bags investment from Citi Ventures
Miami-based Capstack Technologies is creating what it says is the first online bank-to-bank marketplace designed to help financial institutions mitigate asset risk. The startup announced it recently secured strategic funding from Citi Ventures. Citi’s recent investment, the amount of which was not disclosed, adds to a $6 million round of fundraising last summer. T
“Citi Ventures is committed to investing in companies that have the potential to drive our industry forward,” said Jeff Flynn, Director, Citi Ventures. “Capstack Technologies’ innovative approach could fundamentally change the way smaller banks manage risk and grow their businesses, and ultimately could create opportunities for Citi to engage differently with this sizable segment of the financial services ecosystem.”
The CEO and founder of Capstack is Michal Cieplinski, is a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded Pipe, LendingClub, and Fundbox. He was also a Managing Director at BNY Mellon.
READ MORE: In wake of SVB and First Republic collapse, CapStack collects $6M to build inter-bank marketplace
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Most journalists don’t yet use AI, Muck Rack survey says
AI is moving fast but journalists are split on using it. Twenty-eight percent cited using AI in their workflow and 20% plan to explore it, according to new survey results from Muck Rack, the Miami-based company that provides a popular public relations management platform.
Muck Rack’s seventh annual State of Journalism report, which surveyed 1,106 journalists on the current state of the industry, also found that those who are using or plan to use AI, are doing so for brainstorming (52%), research (51%) and drafting headlines (34%). However, nearly 60% reported that their newsroom has no AI use case policy.
The report also covered such topics as layoffs in the industry, workload and salary, social media, PR and more. Download the full free report here.
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Goodbye, Blink Charging
Blink Charging, the homegrown publicly traded electric vehicle charger marker, has chosen Bowie, Maryland, near Washington DC — not Miami Beach — for its global headquarters, the South Florida Business Journal reported. Blink CEO Brendan Jones called the headquarters move “a pivotal moment in our journey toward a greener future.”
According the the Journal, Blink now makes some 15,000 EV chargers annually, but wants to grow that to about 50,000 units per year. In addition to the headquarters offices, the company is building 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Maryland. It’s unclear if Blink will maintain a presence in Miami Beach. Read more here.
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Terran Orbital secures contracts worth millions
Terran Orbital, a global leader in satellite-based solutions primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, announced it was awarded a $15.2 million contract to supply Ambassador Class satellite platforms complete with solar arrays and support equipment to the Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL. The contract, managed through Axient Corporation, will integrate payloads onto these ESPA-Grande size space vehicle platforms to support specific United States Space Force missions. Delivery is planned in the 4th quarter of 2024.
Terran Orbital also announced it is one of 15 companies awarded Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contracts with a maximum combined value of $45 million. The contracts are in support of NASA’s Flight Opportunities and Small Spacecraft Technology programs within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The five-year agreement enables Terran Orbital to provide space vehicles and payload integration services for a variety of missions, the company said.
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Now hiring in South Florida!
Carewell – Staff Software Engineer
Chewy – Cloud Engineer Manager
Coda Search – Java Software Engineer
Eight Sleep – Lead Mobile Engineer
Grubrr – Full Stack Software Engineer
Handtevy – Technical Product Manager
Nebulai – AI Technologies Sales Intern
Neocis – Staff Electrical Engineer
Papa – Sr Member Product Manager
OpenStore – Data Analyst
RBI, Inc – Digital Project Coordinator
Royal Caribbean Group – Product Owner
ShipMonk – Sr Director of Continuous Improvement
Slalom – Copywriter – Public & Social Impact
ThriveDX – Director of Performance Marketing
Vultur – Account Executive
And these are just a few of the positions on Refresh Miami’s job board on RefreshMiami.com. To make sure you don’t miss an opportunity, sign up for Refresh Miami’s weekly Miami Tech Jobs newsletter here.
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Much more #MiamiTech news to note
- The upcoming Miami Tech Summit, happening April 17 at PAMM, announced that the Milken Institute, the pre-eminent nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank focused on tackling critical global issues, will be the Principal Thought Leadership Partner for the 2024 event. The collaboration will include panel curation and moderation and will leverage the Institute’s deep expertise in critical tech policy issues facing the U.S. The Milken Institute will also lead an interactive session titled “Building an Inclusive Financial Ecosystem: Digital Assets, the Internet, and AI.”
- Miami-based DermaSensor and CEO and co-founder Cody Simmons won an Innovation Award at South by Southwest. The startup created a non-invasive device that can detect skin cancer on patients within seconds in primary care offices, and it recently received FDA clearance. DermaSensor won in the SXSW Innovation Awards’ health and biotech category.
- Betr, the Miami-based sports-betting startup, recently announced that it has bolstered its senior leadership team. Dan Maas will be Betr’s as Head of Media Revenue and joins from Wave Sports & Entertainment, where he was EVP of Commercial and oversaw the development and monetization of highly successful premium franchises, including New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce and Podcast P with Paul George. Andrew Winchel joins Betr as Head of Government Affairs. He previously worked at FanDuel, where he served as their Director of Regulatory Affairs, working closely with state regulators and political leaders on key issues pertaining to sports gaming. Winchel will strengthen Betr’s internal government and regulatory affairs capabilities. The startup recently raised $15 million in venture capital, at a valuation of $375 million.
- MedSys Health has also expanded its leadership team. Sohail W. Azeem joins as the Chief Strategy Officer. Azeem formerly was CEO of Inova Specialty Hospital in Alexandria, Va., and CEO of Kindred Healthcare in New York City. MedSys, which offers a comprehensive Virtual Care Delivery Platform, has also established key industry partnerships, such as one with AT&T to address some of the challenges of access to healthcare and connectivity. Read more about MedSys here.
- Accelirate, a Sunrise-based provider of AI-enabled automation services, acquired Revelation AI, a Greater Boston Area-based Platinum Salesforce Partner specializing in AI and predictive analytics. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Led by CEO Ahmed Zaidi, Accelirate helps enterprises accelerate their digital transformations.
- SureImpact, a startup that integrates data-driven insights with impacful social initiatives, announced its partnership with Merit Nonprofit Professional Development, a leading microlearning platform dedicated to nonprofit teams. This collaboration introduces an innovative course on impact measurement, designed to empower nonprofits to amplify their fundraising efforts by leveraging precise, data-informed strategies. By joining forces with Merit, SureImpact aims to further enrich its offerings, utilizing Merit’s microlearning expertise to equip nonprofit professionals with tools for measuring impact. Read more about SureImpact here.
- We feel this. A new report from RentCafe ranks the most competitive rental markets, with Miami topping the list for 2024. In Miami, apartments now lease within 36 days, according to the report, compared with a 41-day national average. They have 14 prospective renters for each unit compared with the national average of seven, and the city’s occupancy rate is 96.5%, compared with 93% nationally. Find the report here.
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Opportunity Knocks
- Ready to jumpstart your tech career? Plan to attend the Venture Miami Hiring Fair on April 4th, from 4 pm to 7 pm at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson campus, where you’ll have the chance to meet face-to-face with tech employers, brush up on your professional skills, and perhaps snag your dream job. Jobseekers should register here. Tech employers can register here.
- Venture Miami invites you to the Miami Tech Week Kick-Off Event from 10 am – noon on April 8 in partnership with Miami Hack Week with a vibrant public gathering at the historic City Hall. With remarks by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Keith Rabois, Jack Abraham and Delian Asparouhov, this event also promises some major tech announcements from Miami Tech’s leading figures. Find out more and register here.
- EndeavorLAB Black Founders Cohort: A cohort based program to support underrepresented founders in Florida in building a foundation for scale. Endeavor selects 10 companies following its global selection for high-impact entrepreneurs. Applicants submit an application online. Finalists are interviewed by Endeavor Staff. Apply by May 3.
- Applications are now being accepted for the FAU Tech Runway Venture Program, which provides the most promising companies and talented entrepreneurs with the resources, services and guidance to build and scale their startups. Applications are opened twice a year and seeks exceptional entrepreneurs and startups with high-growth potential and disruptive technologies. Apply by April 7.
- Ironhack + eMerge Americas Community Tech Catalyst Scholarship is open for applications through March 29. This scholarship is designed for those who want to learn tech skills and build a career in technology in Miami, but may not have the financial means to pursue their dreams. Individuals who pass the application process will be awarded partial scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 to cover a portion of tuition costs for any of Ironhack’s US bootcamps. Learn more and apply here by March 29.
- Miami-Dade Innovation Authority launched its third Public Innovation Challenge: MDIA seeks proposals from local and global early-to-growth stage startup companies with innovative approaches to enhancing cargo visibility at PortMiami, with a focus on public data-based solutions. Together with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County, MDIA will select at least three startups and provide $100,000 in funding to each company to support pilot testing at the Port so that they can be scaled to others globally. The deadline to submit seaport-related proposals for the third challenge is April 26, 2024. To submit, visit mdia.miami/port.
ICYMI
- 1948 Ventures is enabling investors to support Israeli dual-use startups
- Prescient AI raises $10M Series A to help eCommerce brands optimize their ad spend
- Propense lands $3M seed to propel AI-powered platform for B2B cross-selling
- TicketRev transforms MLB game experience with flexible seat upgrade service in partnership with teams
- This husband and wife duo has secured $3M+ to help the DoD revolutionize fluid delivery systems
- With investors betting on the ‘long game,’ Betr raises $15M at $375M valuation
- Move over, rooftop solar: South Florida startup is launching solar-powered carports and pergolas
- Plus much more on refreshmiami.com
Have #MiamiTech news to share? Email Nancy Dahlberg at nancy@refreshmiami.com and follow her on X @ndahlberg
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