Venture Miami’s Built in Miami Startup Program kicks off with over 200 local entrepreneurs

By Chris Daniels

The largest startup incubator in Florida kicks off Monday in Wynwood with over 200 South Florida entrepreneurs looking to turn their startup idea into a reality. The free program is provided by Venture Miami, an City of Miami economic development office focused on fostering innovation in Miami.

The first Built in Miami Startup Program was held in 2023 with 117 entrepreneurs, many of which have gone on to raise capital, gain traction, and recruit local team members.

The Built in Miami Startup Program is a free, non-equity stake, in-person incubator for South Florida entrepreneurs to transform their startup idea into a launched product. The 18-week program starts February 19th and culminates in Demo Day on June 20th.

The program is made up of three pillars to help entrepreneurs launch their startup: systematic startup curriculum, local mentorship, and community engagement.

The Built in Miami Startup Program has a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration. It features two workshops per week where entrepreneurs learn a particular strategy and then apply the strategy in class as mentors and instructors provide feedback. There are also two public showcase events – Prototype Pitch Day in April and Demo Day in June. The program will be held at Builders Collective, a community space in Wynwood developed by the Miami Hack Week organization.

Working session during the 2023 Built in Miami Program

The program has two progressive parts – Zero to One Sprint and P2P: Prototype to Product. Zero to One Sprint focuses on turning an idea into a validated, high-fidelity prototype. Equipped with a validated prototype, entrepreneurs then enter P2P where they will transform those prototypes into minimum viable products. The program recruits local software developers, designers, and engineers to participate in P2P, and helps both parties make co-founder and early team member connections.

“I firmly believe there has never been a better time to build, and there’s no place more primed for this building than Miami,” says Burhan Sebin, Head of Research at Venture Miami and Program Director of the Built in Miami Startup Program. “Our city offers a unique blend of vibrant culture, diverse talent, and a forward-looking tech ecosystem that makes it the ideal ground for entrepreneurs looking to make an impact.”

“With the momentum we’ve gained, Miami stands as a beacon for innovation, offering unparalleled opportunities for startups to thrive,” Sebin continues. “Our mission is twofold: to nurture the tech ecosystem in Miami by supporting the creation and growth of startups and to catalyze job creation and workforce development through technology entrepreneurship.”

Venture Miami piloted the first Built in Miami Startup Program in 2023 with over 100 local entrepreneurs. Many of the startups in the 2023 incubator cohort have gone on to raise pre-seed and seed funding rounds, reach impressive revenue milestones, and gain acceptance into premier accelerator programs.

Workshop activity during the 2023 Built in Miami Startup Program

For example, Izabela Kaufman, founder and CEO of Off-Market, joined the 2023 Built in Miami Startup Program with just an idea to transform off market real estate. Now, less than a year later, Kaufman is raising a multi-million dollar seed round with impressive customer traction.

Many of the past participants also noted how impactful the relationships and community were to participating in the Built in Miami Startup Program.

This year, Venture Miami and the Built in Miami team aim to help launch more than 100 new tech startups in Miami through the program. I am the Lead Instructor for the Built in Miami Program as well as founder of the Shrimp Society. We learned so much in the 2023 program, and have made a bunch of improvements to the core curriculum, program experience, and resources based on feedback from last year’s cohort. The result is a very systematic, direct playbook to launching high growth tech startups in a short amount of time. We’ve also brought on some great partners, especially around MVP development, to help non-technical founders launch tech products regardless of their software development skills.

“I am very excited about the Built In Miami Program, which is establishing a strong foundation, not only in the City of Miami, but in the greater South Florida region, for any entrepreneur to not only get the support that they need, but have their ideas come to life in a community of builders from every walk of life,” adds Erick Gavin, Executive Director of Venture Miami. “This program is an access point for everyone to join Miami’s vibrant tech ecosystem.”

The Venture Miami team welcomes anyone that wants to launch a new startup to apply at builtmiami.com. Applications close Friday, February 16th, at midnight. Those looking to support the program can join the public events like Prototype Pitch Day in April and Demo Day in June.

If you’re interested in supporting the Built in Miami Startup Program, you can reach out to Burhan Sebin or me on LinkedIn.

Photo at the top of this post: Demo Day of the 2023 Built in Miami Startup Program

READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:

Author
Recent Posts

Chris Daniels

Chris is a serial entrepreneur and community builder based in Miami. He is the CEO of the Shrimp Society, a startup incubator and community for entrepreneurs in South Florida.

Stay ahead of Miami Tech