The 2024 Florida Venture Capital Conference was a HUGE success!

~900 attendees, 50+ presenting companies, and 200+ investors from over 100 funds.

THANK YOU for joining us!

 2025 date and location announcement coming soon!

Highlights from the Florida venture capital and entrepreneurship community: News highlights last week included (please visit our website for even more news):

Congratulations to:

• OKY, a Miami fintech startup providing a prepaid cross-border payment services platform, on closing a $2M investment from undisclosed investors.
• Origis Energy, a Miami renewable energy and decarbonization solution platforms, on securing $317M in project tax equity funding from JPMorgan Chase.
• Livingtree, a Tampa academic fundraising platform, on being acquired by Follet School Solutions for an undisclosed amount.
• Anchor Yacht Charters, a St. Petersburg managed marketplace platform that connects private yacht owners and licensed captains, on raising a $1.8M seed round from existing investor Silverton Partners and new unnamed investors.
• What’s Good, a St. Petersburg online tool for uncovering local hangouts, on raising $100K in pre-seed funding from undisclosed investors.
• Blue Frontier, a Boca Raton startup developing sustainable air conditioning technology with low-cost energy storage, on raising a $16.9M strategic funding round from an unnamed large corporation.

Making news:

• The Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine, led by BRIDG in NeoCity, Osceola County, awarded $15M NSF Regional Innovation Engines award (1 of 10 awards made to teams in 18 states) - aims to play a critical role in supporting the nation's capability for semiconductor advanced packaging design and manufacturing, rooting a vital industry on American shores and securing national defense - teams that demonstrate progress toward well-defined milestones could potentially receive up to $160M each from NSF over 10 years, as they seek to catalyze the NSF funding to draw additional investments into the overall region.
• America’s Seed Fund (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs - the nation's largest source of non-dilutive funding for high-growth startups) Week 2024 kicks-off with its 2024 SBIR Road Tour: Coastal, stopping in Orlando Feb. 7 and San Juan, Puerto Rico Feb 9.
• Despite hype, according to Coinbase, Miami falls behind in ranking of most crypto-ready cities - based on rate of crypto ownership, industry events, companies, jobs, and legal status – New York #1, Miami #12.
• FDA lifts its hold on Boca Raton’s Inmune Bio's (NASDAQ: INMB) phase two clinical trial for its Alzheimer's disease drug XPro - phase two trial now on track to complete enrollment by the middle of the year with top line data expected about six months after the final patient is enrolled.
• NextPlay Technologies (NASDAQ: NXTP), a Sunrise company that offers digital games, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV, and travel booking services, at risk of being delisted from the Nasdaq - received a notice from warning it is not in compliance with a rule that requires the timely submission of all financial reports with the SEC.
• Plug and Play, a global innovation platform, opens office in Orlando - will serve as a hub for one of Plug and Play's three-month startup accelerator programs, scheduled to commence in early 2024 – partners are UCF, Orange County Government, Duke Energy, and Tavistock.
• Tampa Bay Innovation Ecosystem Map unveiled by St. Petersburg Innovation District with support from Duke Energy.
• Mesh, a financial payment system portfolio company of Tamp’s Florida Funders that integrates other platforms for digital asset transfers, closed a $6.5M round with PayPal's corporate venture arm, PayPal Ventures.
• A-LIGN, a Tampa cybersecurity firm, partners with top cyber companies Vanta, Drata, and AuditBoard.

Upcoming technology entrepreneurship events on our calendar:

• CelebrateGNV 2024, February 8, 6 pm to 9 pm, Cade Museum for Creativity and Innovation, Gainesville. An annual celebration of Greater Gainesville's thriving innovation ecosystem, organized by startGNV in partnership with Cox Business, with inspiring speakers and networking opportunities and the Cox Business Innovation Awards, where individuals and businesses that have made exceptional contributions to the Gainesville community's innovation landscape are recognized and honored.
• FII PRIORITY Miami, February 22 to 23, all-day, Faena Hotel & Forum, Miami Beach. "On the Edge of a New Frontier" - an interactive program for global leaders, investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, scientists, cultural figures, and media designed to showcase disruptive technology, connect ideas to investments, and help changemakers seize this moment to align on that which accelerates innovation for the betterment of business and society.
• Business of Biotech 2024, February 23, 2024, all-day, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa. The Business of Biotech conference began in 2006 and has become a signature event in Tampa Bay attracting over 400 biotech executives, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and researchers from across the U.S. Guest Host: Krystyna Kowalczyk President and CEO, OncoBay Clinical and Keynote: Robert A. Bradway, Chairman and CEO, Amgen. Investor Guest Host: Lisa Detanna, Managing Director, SVP, Investments, Raymond James and Keynote: Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO, ARK Investment Management.
• Synapse Summit 2024, February 28, 2024, all-day, Amalie Arena, Tampa. Synapse Summit is where Florida’s top tech and innovation talent come together to connect, catalyze, and create, all in Tampa Bay, one of the nation’s fastest growing tech hubs.
• HIMSS Global Health Conference, March 11 to 15, all-day, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando.  Annual gathering of healthcare and tech professionals, CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, government officials, providers, payers, IT consultants, innovators, entrepreneurs, health IT influencers, and more.  HIMSS23 saw 34,000 attendees from 90 countries and featured 1100+ exhibitors, more than 300 general education sessions, and 250+ market supplier thought leadership sessions.
• eMerge Americas, April 18 to 19, 2024, all-day, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach. eMerge Americas is the premier global tech event convening in Miami and anchoring #MiamiTech Month 2024. eMerge Americas gathers the brightest minds and attracts business leaders, government officials, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators from across the globe to discuss technologies transforming our lives. Learn from visionary leaders in technology. Experience and demo the latest technology advancements & solutions, all while networking with thought leaders and industry experts.