South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub
27
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

Endeavor Miami Announces Exciting New Latinx Cohort

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Endeavor Miami has announced its latest EndeavorLAB Latinx cohort, showcasing the wealth of Latinx talent, its commitment to elevating underrepresented founders, and South Florida’s rise as a global innovation hub.

Tailored explicitly for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Florida, EndeavorLAB addresses a crucial gap in the startup ecosystem. EndeavorLAB focuses on Black, Latinx, and Women founders, whose businesses are often underfunded  and may face more struggles to access the resources they need for growth. EndeavorLAB fills this void, offering a sanctuary of community, knowledge, and support that reaffirms their potential and empowers them to persevere.

This year’s Latinx cohort is a vibrant mosaic of ten startups led by a diverse group of twenty co-founders from across Latin America – Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. This selection celebrates cultural diversity and spotlights the innovative spirit and scalable potential within the Latinx entrepreneurial community. From enterprise SaaS to fintech, consumer tech to CPG, and logistics, these startups represent a broad spectrum of industries poised for significant growth.

Within just a few years of founding, these ventures collectively achieved over $2.5M in revenue in 2023, with projections to surpass $10M in 2024. They are supported by an impressive $18M in external funding.

EndeavorLAB’s design reflects a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial journey, offering a structured yet flexible program that aligns with founders’ busy lives. Over two months, with a commitment of just four hours per week, participants engage in a curriculum focused on scaling up, tailored to integrate seamlessly into their schedules. This thoughtful approach ensures that learning and growth can occur without disrupting the ongoing momentum of their businesses.

“We are immensely proud to introduce these extraordinary startups to the world, ” said Claudia Duran, Managing Director of Endeavor Miami, as she expressed her enthusiasm for the cohort.

Their ambition and innovation embody the spirit of Endeavor Miami. This cohort underscores the vast potential within our community and the broader Latinx entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’re excited to facilitate their growth journey and look forward to the remarkable impact they will have.”

EndeavorLAB’s introduction of this year’s Latinx cohort, supported by JPMorgan Chase and in collaboration with DELL For Startups, is a milestone for Endeavor Miami and a beacon of hope and inspiration for underrepresented founders in South Florida. It highlights the organization’s role as a catalyst for meaningful change, fostering a more inclusive, diverse, and competitive entrepreneurial landscape. As these startups embark on their EndeavorLAB journey, their success stories will undoubtedly inspire future entrepreneurs, proving that the possibilities are limitless with the proper support and community.

Here is a complete list of the EndeavorLAB Cohort:

  • Casalú | A rum seltzer brand built to represent modern Latino Culture.
  • CodeGPT | Empowers businesses with a customizable, robust, and secure LLM as an Operating System (OS) for seamless business integration providing total control of the AI experience and the data back to the companies.
  • Highlights App | Helps fans stay connected to their favorite sports, teams, and athletes by leveraging their intuitive mobile interface and advanced AI to aggregate full highlights across all sports and leagues and personalize them to fans’ preferences.
  • iTruckr | Fueled by AI and smart algorithms, transforms independent trucking with automated operations, personalized scheduling, and real-time load booking, boosting financial control and profitability for owner-operators.
  • Kanto | A multi-platform interactive singing app. With Kanto Score, users experience the world’s most accurate scoring technology an a large library of songs and playlists.
  • Mavity | AI-powered tool that supercharges creative operations.
  • Neomoon | Revolutionizes financial access in LATAM, offering easy-to-use dollar accounts and empowering users with deep financial education, bridging the gap between technology and everyday finance.
  • Onyx Private | Empowering Small Business Owners to Thrive and Grow with a Unified Personal and Business App that Simplifies Financial Management.
  • Palla | A platform that enables people and companies to instantly send funds from the US to LatAm. Palla partners with Financial Institutions and Fintechs in LatAm to enable their customers to request and receive funds in seconds, instead of hours or days.
  • Securily | Company behind the World’s Easiest Pentest, it revolutionizes pen testing for small and medium-sized businesses by combining certified human expertise with cutting-edge AI, streamlining cybersecurity processes and ensuring compliance.

Endeavor’s Miami affiliate was established in 2013, with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as the first U.S. affiliate of the global Endeavor organization. Miami’s Endeavor Entrepreneurs generated over $900M+ in revenues and employed over 6,000 individuals in 2023. With the addition of its newest companies, the affiliate currently supports 35 companies and 60 Endeavor Entrepreneurs.

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24
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

FAU Adams Center Director Wins Best Paper at National Conference

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Florida Atlantic University’s Director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship was awarded top honors at a national conference. 

Kevin Cox PH.D., Director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship at Florida Atlantic University‘s College of Business, along with Regina Thompson, Assistant Director of Strategic and Economic Initiatives in FAU’s Division of Research, won best conceptual paper for their research on prototype development at the “Forging Your Future Together” conference held by USASBE in January.

Founded in 1981, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) is an inclusive community of educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship, and practice. Membership is open to all, as is attendance at USASBE’s hallmark annual conference. USASBE also publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal, Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, and develops a variety of helpful resources and professional development opportunities for entrepreneurship educators as they create a positive impact.

Held January 10th – 14th in Birmingham, Alabama, the USASBE 2024: Forging the Future Together Conference aimed to shape and sharpen the dynamic discipline of entrepreneurship education through moulding effective pedagogy, recasting innovation, strengthening thought leadership. The world needs entrepreneurship education more than ever and the conference allowed attendees to share tools, technologies, and talents as they build community and forge the future together. Check out the conference program here.

Teachers share best practices, but also challenging existing paradigms of how entrepreneurship should be taught, to whom, and what ends. Researchers move the practice of entrepreneurship education forward and translating cutting-edge entrepreneurship research into teachable content. Program directors and practitioners complement classroom-based entrepreneurship education with practical immersion experiences in the broader entrepreneurship community.

The conference held their annual Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Awards where Dr. Kevin Cox from Florida Atlantic Unversity’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship accepted an award for Best Conceptual Paper. The paper, “Deconstructing the MVP: Fundamental Elements,” looks at practical applications for developing prototypes and the amount of resources that goes into it for start-up companies. The paper was coauthored by Jason Lortie, Sean DeRossett and Scott Kelly, all with Florida Gulf Coast University.

“I’m honored that the work my colleagues and I put into this research project focused on enhancing entrepreneurship theory and education related to prototype development was recognized by our expert peers and top entrepreneurship educators from around the country,” Dr. Kevin Cox said.

“This recognition also highlights our contributions to the development of new promising approaches for the future.”

Dr. Cox, who had been serving as the assistant director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship since 2016, stepped into the Director role in August 2023. He received his Ph.D. in business administration from Florida Atlantic University in 2016. His areas of research include entrepreneurship, new venture creation, and finance and social entrepreneurship. He is also the lead instructor at FAU’s Tech Runway New Venture Accelerator, a public-private partnership that helps accelerate tech development and start-up companies.

“We won Best Conceptual Research Paper at the #USASBE 2024 conference #forgingthefuture,” contributor Regina Thompson, M.B.A., wrote in a social media post.

“It was a great experience with a TON of brilliant entrepreneurial minds in one place. Very happy to have contributed with Kevin Cox, Jason Lortie, Scott Kelly, and Sean DeRossett.”

Working with both students andf the larger entrepreneurial community, Regina’s mission is two-fold. She aims to develop the best candidates for the workforce and entrepreneurship by engaging students in experiential learning opportunities, professional development programs and initiatives, and fostering corporate relationships. She accmplishes this by providing educational workshops, developing soft skills, and connecting community entrepreneurs and early stage startups with FAU resources that enhance our South Florida entrepreneurial ecosystem and promotes their success.

“Kevin Cox and colleagues’ winning this award at the conference highlights the contributions our FAU Management Programs faculty members are making in the field of entrepreneurship,” said Ethlyn Williams, Ph.D., department chair of Management Programs in the College of Business.

“Not only is our faculty advancing scholarship, but they are also providing students with innovative experiences in our entrepreneurship programs.”

To learn more about the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship and the work that Dr. Cox and his team are doing, visit www.business.fau.edu/centers/adams-center/about-the-adams-center/

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24
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

FloridaMakes Bring the Veteran Advantage to the Workplace Initiative Connects Veterans to Manufacturing

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FloridaMakes proudly announces the launch of a groundbreaking workforce program in sync with Governor DeSantis’ goal of enhancing employment and educational opportunities for veterans, active military members, and their families.

This initiative, “Bring the Veteran Advantage to the Workplace” is specifically designed to seamlessly connect transitioning servicemembers with lucrative manufacturing apprenticeship occupations, further solidifying Florida’s commitment to supporting our nation’s heroes.

FloridaMakes is a statewide, industry-led, public-private partnership operated by an alliance of Florida’s regional manufacturers associations and partner organizations with the sole mission of strengthening and advancing Florida’s economy by improving the competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance of its manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on small and medium-sized firms. It accomplishes this by providing services focused on three principal value streams: technology adoption, talent development, and business growth. FloridaMakes is the representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network in the state of Florida, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The program is funded through The Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant (PCOG), administered by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). This initiative gives Florida manufacturers the opportunity to bring the veteran advantage to their workplace, through the Department of Defense’s (DoD) SkillBridge and to develop and prepare their future workforce with industry-driven, high-quality career pathways through registered apprenticeships that provide post-secondary education and lead to industry recognized certifications. Florida manufacturers, through this program, can enroll and provide upskilling opportunities to their existing veteran workforce.

“Through this initiative, we’re poised to connect the innovation-driven needs of the manufacturing sector with the discipline, leadership, and technical acumen of our veterans. We are not just filling jobs; we are forging career pathways.” said Marcelo DosSantos, Director for Workforce Development at FloridaMakes.

Orion Talent, a recognized leader in military hiring solutions, will play a crucial role in recruiting and coordinating interviews with manufacturers throughout Florida. Orion Talent’s HireSkills program combines industry certification training and transition assistance, providing a seamless transition for servicemembers into promising careers in the manufacturing sector.

This initiative not only addresses the skill gap in the manufacturing sector but also enhances the diversity and innovation of the workforce by integrating the unique experiences and perspectives of veterans. Companies can also take advantage of the program to upskill existing veterans in their workforce.

“The Florida SkillBridge Initiative creates unprecedented opportunities to build a highly skilled talent pipeline for manufacturing employers while attracting transitioning servicemembers across the country to Florida,” said Joe Marino, Executive Director of Veterans Florida. “As the state’s principal Department of Defense SkillBridge awareness and assistance organization, we are proud to work with FloridaMakes to ensure experienced veterans continue to choose our state as their home.”

Veterans Florida is a nonprofit created by the State of Florida to help military veterans and their families transition to civilian life. And promote Florida’s status as the nation’s most veteran-friendly state under Florida’s Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) Program. Veterans Florida is also the state’s designated DOD Skillbridge assistance organization. Thgeir mission can be summed up in the theme – Your Pursuit.Our Power – because we recognize military veterans are incredibly focused and will success achieving their personal and professional goals when they take advantage of our tools and resources.

Florida’s continued ascent in the manufacturing sector at becoming one of the leading manufacturing states in the nation, complemented by its status as the state with the third-largest veteran population in the country, reveals an exceptional opportunity for Florida’s manufacturers to recognize and tap into the remarkable, yet underutilized, reservoir of talent that veterans represent.

For more information about program, visit: https://www.floridamakes.com/featured-programs/pathways-to-career-opportunity

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19
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

PBSC Belle Glade campus awarded $4 million grant to improve broadband access for the local community

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On Friday, Feb. 2, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Palm Beach State College will receive nearly $4 million in federal funding to transform the Belle Glade campus into an innovative digital hub for students and the local community. 

“Palm Beach State College is proud to host this broadband initiative in partnership with the local community of Belle Glade and surrounding municipalities to ensure that PBSC students and all residents benefit from the digital resources that are vital to their daily lives,” said PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D.

The award, from the Multipurpose Facility Program, is part of DeSantis’ $223 million commitment to improve broadband internet access to rural and economically disadvantaged communities across Florida. “By connecting Floridians with centrally located community hubs, residents have increased access to find their next professional opportunity, upskill for future jobs and access telemedicine resources,” Florida Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly said in a statement.

“This grant will enable the Belle Glade campus to improve digital inclusion and provide our local community with access to much needed services,” said Dr. LaTanya McNeal, executive dean of PBSC’s Belle Glade campus.

PBSC’s Belle Glade campus aims to close the digital divide within the surrounding rural communities it serves in Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay. Poverty and unemployment rates in these areas are 22% and 13% higher respectively, than the rest of the state. The grant will be used to renovate existing space on PBSC’s Belle Glade campus to offer local residents access to services including workforce training, career advice and telehealth.

To do this, PBSC is partnering with CareerSource Palm Beach County to create a dedicated CareerSource center on the Belle Glade campus. The center will provide the community with access to free or low-cost training services, informational sessions, career advice and placement opportunities.

“Our mission at CareerSource is to connect business with talent and that is especially important in areas like the Glades which has traditionally been plagued with higher unemployment than the rest of the county,” said Charles Duval, CareerSource Palm Beach County’s associate vice-president of business services.

Additionally, PBSC intends to use the funding to help community residents upskill into higher wage jobs. Currently, the Glades region lacks a dedicated testing site for industry certifications, forcing residents hoping to gain credentials in skilled trades or licensed professions such as real estate and nursing to travel at least 50 miles to the nearest accredited site. PBSC will expand its existing Pearson Testing Center at the Belle Glade campus, offering certification exams in professions including teaching, emergency medical technicians, among others.

“PBSC is laser-focused on workforce programs and increasing these opportunities for our residents, particularly in Belle Glade,” said Dr. Peter Barbatis, PBSC vice-president of student services and enrollment management.  “By expanding our labs and creating new spaces, we will continue to assist the youth trying to enter the workforce and midlife learners who are changing careers.”

Another key component of the grant, for PBSC, is to use the funding to improve access to medical services within the community. Recognizing that access to medical services is more difficult in rural areas, PBSC will create two private spaces for telehealth services within the existing library. These spaces will offer locals convenient, free access to medical advice in a quiet space.

The importance of PBSC’s plans to provide new digital services to the community is underscored by the numerous endorsements and letters of support the college received in support of its grant application. Industry and government leaders including the Mayors of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay as well educational institutions and local employers all supported the project.

Founded in 1933 as Florida’s first public community college, Palm Beach State College has been an integral player in the growth and prosperity of Palm Beach County. Our graduates impact every industry and are community and business leaders. With more than 130 programs of study, PBSC offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, professional certificates, career training and lifelong learning. Nearly 36,000 students enroll annually in onsite, online, live online and hybrid classes at five convenient locations in Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Loxahatchee Groves and Palm Beach Gardens, and through PBSC Online.

Learn more at www.palmbeachstate.edu.

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18
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

JA Inspire 2024 inspires middle school students in Palm Beach County

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Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast holds their annual JA Inspire visiting three different middle schools this year in Palm Beach County. 

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast has served 810,727 K-12 students since 1981 throughout Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Hendry counties. The mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy through classroom programs and simulations that focus on financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship.

JA Inspire is more than a career fair. In collaboration with the Palm Beach County School District, the event brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch middle school students into their futures: high school, college and beyond. During the JA Inspire expo which is held in-person within multiple middle schools, students participate in hands-on activities, often experiencing equipemt or tools used on the job. The experience is configurable to align with local industry and career opportunities based on the four competencies: creativity, collaboration, commuication, and critical thinking.

This year’s JA Inspire Palm Beach County ‘s 2024 events were held at the following middle schools:

Local companies have the chance to showcase their industry passion, career opportunities, engage with students through hands-on activities, and make a lasting impression on the future workforce of Palm Beach County. On the other hand, students get to connect with professionals from some of the region’s most prominent employers, explore career pathways and learn about the skills needed for in-demand jobs, explore their own interests with a variety of career opportunities, and strengthen their coursework pathway for high school and beyond.

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast had a goal of impacting 8,600 students in the 2022 – 2023 school year. With support from organizations such as the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation and Wells Fargo, they were able to serve over 146,000 students overall! Over 98,600 students alone were reached through just three programs: JA Inspire, JA Career Speaker Series, and JA High School programs.

“I’m so happy for Junior Achievement [of the Palm Beach & Treasure Coast]. They always have the forsight to make sure they are in the schools making sure students knew all of the things they have needed to know as related to careers, academics, and relationships,” said Marcia Andrews, Palm Beach County School District Board Member.

She added, “When you begin to learn you need to kind of connect the careers with all the things you are learning in math, science, and technology.”

From the marine industry to healthcare and technology, multiple industries were represented. Volunteers gave their time to showcase the career opportunities, advancements in their fields, and the impact you could make in your local communities. One of those volunteers was John Riley III, Co-Founder of AVA Intelligence, South Florida Tech Hub member, Levan Center Cyber Range sales director, and loyal JA volunteer.

“I would like to give a big thank you to Lauren Henderson of Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast for the invitation to participate in another remarkable event for their JA Inspire program,” wrote John in a social media post. “Interacting with the students and addressing their technology questions was a truly rewarding experience.”

Dr. Eugina Smith Feaman, Principal at Emerald Cove Middle School in Wellington, shared “This is a preview for their future. This is an opportunity for them to dip their toe into different careers and different opportunities that they have for their future.

If you are interested in taking part in JA Inspire or future Junior Achievement volunteer opportunities, please visit www.palmbeachtreasurecoast.ja.org for more info on events, donation and speaking opportunities.

 

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18
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

ChenMed Names Steve Nelson CEO, Chris Chen Executive Board Chair

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ChenMed announced a leadership change that will help guide the company’s ambitions to provide more seniors with better health outcomes.

Effective February 1, 2024, Chris Chen, ChenMed’s Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Executive Chair of the Board and Steve Nelson, the company’s President, will elevate to serve as ChenMed’s CEO, leading management and operations.

Headquartered in Miami, ChenMed is a privately owned medical and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. Named a Fortune “Change the World” company, twice-named a “Most Loved Workplace” by Newsweek, and a Certified Best Place to Work® by the Best Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations.

ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, JenCare Senior Medical Center, and IntuneHealth™. Thanks to its leading value-based, healthcare technology organization, Curity™, ChenMed also was recently named “Best Places to Work in IT” by Computerworld.

“My father’s vision for the company and our family’s commitment to bring our model of health care to those who need it most is now enabling hundreds of thousands of people to live healthier, more secure lives,” said Chris Chen.

“Steve Nelson’s expansive knowledge of health care, his skill in executing against a value-based care model, and his leadership values will position him as CEO to help us reach more people who can benefit from ChenMed’s brand of better health and well-being.”

Steve Nelson most recently served as the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Duly Health and Care, one of the largest multispecialty independent provider groups in the U.S. with more than 1,000 primary care and specialty care physicians and more than 7,000 team members across 150 locations.

Prior to Duly, Steve spent 15 years at Unit­edHealth­ serving in leadership positions in both the Commercial and Government businesses. He served as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, making the $190 billion division of UnitedHealth Group number one nationally in Medicare Advantage. He oversaw the commercial and government-subsidized health insurance businesses, including Medicare Advantage, which covered over five million seniors. He drove efforts that resulted in increased growth, employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

Christopher Chen added, “I am confident that the combination of strengths within the partnership between Steve and me can accelerate growth to provide unprecedented access to patients around the country who deserve quality, affordable and coordinated care.”

Additional leadership changes will include Mike Redmond, ChenMed’s Chief Financial Officer. He will remain at ChenMed and transition to the role of Special Advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors and Mike Bruff, the company’s Executive Vice President of Finance, will elevate to serve as Chief Financial Officer.

ChenMed presently operates more than 130 senior medical centers in 15 states throughout the country and remains dedicated to the founding principle that underserved seniors deserve access to exemplary primary care to keep them healthy and out of the hospital. These leadership changes will build upon the company’s success in serving individuals who have historically lacked access to coordinated health care, as it expands its presence to seniors in more areas of the country who can benefit from the preventive care model that ChenMed provides.

“Having spent more than thirty years in health care, my time within this company this past year has enabled me to witness what true value-based care looks like, and how it can improve peoples’ lives and transform healthcare in this nation,” said Steve Nelson. “ChenMed delivers this care peerlessly, and I am honored to have a partner like Chris Chen.”

To learn more about ChenMed, please visit www.chenmed.com

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18
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic™ Welcomes Four New Recruits Into Second-Stage Incubator

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Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic™ is excited to announce the addition of four new company recruits. 

A leading international soft landing incubator based at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Florida, Global Ventures provides support and resources to post-startup, or second-stage companies, that have established themselves in their industry and are ready to scale up to the next level of growth. They seek to assist technology-based companies with an interest in developing links to FAU that have achieved approximately $1 million in annual sales and employ at least six (6) people, as well as graduates of FAU Tech Runway®.

The new arrivals are:

  • Fenway Group, led by CEO Martin Santora. The Fenway Group crafts customized solutions that empower businesses to take charge of their digital transformation journey, giving students real world experiences as they go through their educational careers.
  • InfraSite, led by CEO Vitaliy Pereverzev, is revolutionizing the digital infrastructure landscape with innovative solutions that seamlessly integrate 5G, data centers and edge computing facilities into urban environments. Its innovative Smart Vault solution allows for the safe and sustainable placement of digital infrastructure practically anywhere.
  • Salus Water, led by president Marcelo Costa, is a company specialized in residential water filtration and purification systems. With a strong presence in the market, the company is recognized for offering cutting-edge technology and providing a comprehensive solution to ensure the quality of the water you and your family consume daily.
  • Signalic, LLC, led by founder & CEO Arash Andalib, is a biomedical tech venture dedicated to personalized pain management solutions using data-driven approaches, to reduce the number of individuals suffering pain or addicted to opioids.

The new recruits, who are poised to make a significant impact in their respective industries, were screened through Global Ventures’ thorough application process and were selected based on their innovative approaches, proven records, interest and ability to partner with Florida Atlantic University, as well as their potential for growth. The group includes companies from a variety of industries, including software technology, healthcare, and smart cities infrastructure. These entrepreneurs will have access to a range of resources, including mentorship, networking opportunities, and funding guidance as well as facilitated introductions to specialized Florida Atlantic faculty and students, to help them scale their businesses to become multi-million-dollar enterprises.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented individuals and companies to our second-stage incubator program at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic,” said Ryan Lilly, Global Ventures Program Manager.

“Our goal is to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for these promising companies to thrive and succeed. We believe that their innovative approaches and track records hold significant potential for South Florida’s economic growth and make a significant impact in the business world. We are excited to be a part of their journey.”

A South Florida Tech Hub member, Fenway Group has been traveling back and forth from their headquarters in Texas for the past few years in an effort to learn about the South Florida community, forge local relationships and support regional tech talent efforts. Their move to open a South Florida office is a huge step for the company and an important resource for the South Florida tech community.

Fenway Group help companies tackle their most ambitious projects and build new capabilities. Analyze, architect, build and co-create. Their emphasis on delivering solutions entails serving clients with a purpose and fostering novel ideas and innovation. One of those deliver approaches is their FenwayPipeline™ for technology services integrated with a talent acquisition strategy where companies can incorporate next-generation technologists whose skills are specifically tailored to relevant technology stacks and environments.

The international soft landing, second-stage incubator program has a proven track record of success, with several of its alumni going on to long term partnerships at Florida Atlantic and retaining significant presences in the Research Park at FAU. With the addition of these new recruits, Global Ventures is confident that the program will continue to foster the growth and success of second stage businesses in South Florida. The incubator is committed to supporting and nurturing these entrepreneurs as they work towards building successful and sustainable businesses.

“Global Ventures and the Research Park at FAU are proud to welcome these new recruits to our second-stage incubator program and we look forward to facilitating their continued growth. The program is a testament to the thriving tech entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Florida and our commitment of the Research Park at FAU to support and foster the growth of innovative businesses,” stated Andrew Duffell, president of the Research Park at FAU.

Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic™ will host its annual open house on March 20th at 5:30 PM for the community to meet its entrepreneurs and learn more about their growing companies.

For more information about the Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic™ international second-stage incubator program, please visit www.ResearchParkFAU.com/Global-Ventures. Rare vacancies from 100 sq. ft. – 1,000 sq. ft. are on offer as a result of recent successful graduations.

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17
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

Intel and DigitalBridge Launch Articul8, an Enterprise Generative AI Company

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Intel Corp. and DigitalBridge Group, Inc. announced the formation of Articul8 AI, Inc, an enterprise level geneartive AI company.

Articul8 AI, Inc. (Articul8) is an independent company offering enterprise customers a full-stack, vertically-optimized and secure generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) software platform. The platform delivers AI capabilities that keep customer data, training and inference within the enterprise security perimeter. The platform also provides customers the choice of cloud, on-prem or hybrid deployment.

“With its deep AI and HPC domain knowledge and enterprise-grade GenAI deployments, Articul8 is well positioned to deliver tangible business outcomes for Intel and our broader ecosystem of customers and partners. As Intel accelerates AI everywhere, we look forward to our continued collaboration with Articul8,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC; “Intel”) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, Intel aims to unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better.

Boca Raton-based DigitalBridge Ventures, the venture initiative of DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG; “DigitalBridge”) , served as lead investor of Articul8. In addition, Intel, along with a syndicate of established venture investors, including Fin Capital, Mindset Ventures, Communitas Capital, GiantLeap Capital, GS Futures and Zain Group, has taken an equity stake in the company.

DigitalBridge is a leading global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure. With a heritage of over 25 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem, including cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure, the DigitalBridge team manages $75 billion of infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Luxembourg, and Singapore.

“Every global enterprise today is challenged to integrate GenAI capabilities into their workflows. Articul8 has built a scalable and easy-to-deploy GenAI software platform that is already enabling enterprises to unlock value from their proprietary data. We see GenAI as a pivotal force driving digital infrastructure, and we are pleased to collaborate with Intel to support Articul8’s growth,” said Marc Ganzi, DigitalBridge CEO.

Articul8 was created with intellectual property (IP) and technology developed at Intel, and both Intel and DigitalBridge will remain strategically aligned on go-to-market opportunities and collaborate on driving GenAI adoption in the enterprise.

Arun Subramaniyan, formerly vice president and general manager in Intel’s Data Center and AI Group, has assumed leadership of Articul8 as its CEO.

In a social media post, Arun writes, “It has been a phenomenal journey building a GenAI business and launching Articul8 AI. I am deeply grateful to Intel leadership and the broader Intel Corporation family for enabling us to be successful. I am also thankful for our strategic investors (DigitalBridge, Intel Capital, Fin Capital and others), partners, and customers who came together to make the launch possible. We look forward to delivering value to companies and even governments globally as we scale Articul8.”

Articul8 offers a turnkey GenAI software platform that delivers speed, security and cost-efficiency to help large enterprise customers operationalize and scale AI. The platform was launched and optimized on Intel hardware architectures, including Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and Intel® Gaudi® accelerators, but will support a range of hybrid infrastructure alternatives. Following the technology’s early deployment at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the team has scaled the platform to enterprise customers in industry segments requiring high levels of security and specialized domain knowledge, including financial services, aerospace, semiconductors and telecommunications.

“GenAI is at the forefront of our clients’ business strategy and needs. Our collaboration began nearly two years ago while the venture was still in the incubation stage at Intel. Since then, we have deployed Articul8 products for multiple clients seeking production-ready platforms with rapid time to market,” said Rich Lesser, Global Chair of BCG.

As an independent company supported by industry investment, Articul8 will be able to accelerate its go-to-market strategy and scale its product offerings for the broader GenAI ecosystem.

For more information about Articul8, visit www.articul8.ai.

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17
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

AEXLAB’s VAIL VR Launches on Meta Quest Store after successful $5 million raise

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AEXLAB announced the launch of its highly anticipated VAIL VR game on Meta Quest.

The Miami-based startup, AEXLAB, is a virtual reality studio committed to creating meaningful technologies for gaming, simulation, social experiences, and more. VAIL VR is a first-person multiplayer shooter designed to revolutionize the VR gaming landscape with its dynamic gameplay and immersive social interactions, delivering unparalleled combat.

Set against a backdrop of a future Earth divided between the Colonists and the REYAB Corporation, this conflict sets the stage for strategic teamplay and dynamic, immersive battles. While the lore enriches the game’s universe, the heart of VAIL lies in its player-driven competition of tactical gunplay and combat, where strategy, skill, and teamwork pave the way to victory. VAIL VR focuses on tactical gunplay and combat, promoting team-based action requiring teamwork to achieve victory.

Co-founded in 2015 by brothers Jonathan and Albert Ovadia as a passion project, AEXLAB is a virtual reality studio on a mission to create meaningful technologies for gaming, simulation and social experiences. The team shifted their focus from VR experiences in music to gaming in 2017. AEXLAB is leading the market with the development of cutting-edge software utilizing virtual reality technology to provide gamers with high-quality and immersive interactions.

In October 2022, AEXLAB held a major tournament for their new competitive VR game VAIL VR. The event ran for six weeks, with over 200 teams battling it out online to secure their spot in the LAN Finals held in Miami. Superblue Miami, an illustrious digital art gallery, partnered with the event to allow attendees to enjoy a full day of activities, with all the live matches showcased alongside several world-renowned artists’ work. With the official esports league launch in 2023, AEXLAB wanted to bring together the top creators, players, and brands in the VR community under one roof to foster a new era of gaming events. It is planned to be a continued annual event hosted across different cities worldwide to showcase the exciting world of competitive VR.

The event saw esports leaders and respected VR brands come together to share an event of competitive VR gaming with both a tournament and convention-style atmosphere. Activations from brands such as Smash Drums, Redpill, bHaptics, and many more were in attendance, allowing people to interact with esteemed VR brands. Entertainment was also provided thanks to the DJ and Youtuber, Thrillseeker, who played a set during the halftime show.

Initially introduced in November 2022 on SteamVR as an Early Access title and later on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro via the Meta App Lab, VAIL VR has undergone seven years of meticulous development and community-driven iterations. Now, stepping out of its early access phase, VAIL VR will be available for $29.99 USD, marking a significant milestone in the VR gaming industry.

“The journey of bringing VAIL VR to life has been nothing short of exhilarating. We are thrilled to finally unveil the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to the VR community, said Jonathan Ovadia, CEO of AEXLAB, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. “With VAIL VR, we aim to deliver an immersive gaming experience that pushes the boundaries of virtual reality.”

VAIL VR 1.0 introduces Quick Play matchmaking, enabling players to seamlessly join games and enjoy the thrill of competition without delay. The new progression system, ranging from levels 0 to 50, rewards players with not just weapons, sights, and emblems but also exclusive weapon and character skins, adding layers of customization and strategy. Additionally, VAIL now integrates leaderboards and comprehensive stats tracking, challenging players to ascend daily, weekly, and all-time rankings, showcasing their prowess and progress in the VAIL universe.

“Launching on the Meta Quest App is an important milestone for the groundbreaking team at AEXLAB. There’s nothing like VAIL VR out there on the market,” says Jeff Ransdell, Founder and Managing Director at Fuel Venture Capital.

The founders decided to go all-in and full-time on development, and in 2021 they launched an equity crowdfunding campaign. More than 1,500 people, many of them gamers, invested $2.5 million.

Following the crowdfunding success, Fuel Venture Capital led the $5 million Series A round which closed in the summer of 2023. The funds allowed the AEXLAB founders to to scale up their development team as they prepared to launch VAIL VR. The round also included real estate developer Craig Robins, as well as crypto investors Loomdart of eGirl Capital, Subversive Capital, and Valor Equity Partners.

You can start playing now here.

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15
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

CommerceTech platform smartBeemo receives $6 million in funding to support Latino online businesses

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smartBeemo received $6 million in funding to continue their mission of supporting the growth of Latin eCommerce businesses. 

Founded in 2014, smartBeemo is a CommerceTech platform dedicated to assisting Latin individuals in launching and growing their own ECommerce stores. Through education, community engagement, access to solutions, and direct access to China, the company has served over 100,000 paying users to date. They are striving to play a significant role in e-commerce in Latin America.

Targeting entrepreneurs, professionals in business with digital presence, and marketing students, smartBeemo offers education solutions through online courses and diplomas, virtual and face-to-face events, digital and printed books and business consultancies. 

On February 12th, SmartBeemo announced their pre-Series A funding round that closed Dec 2023. The company was able to raise $6 million with Redwood Ventures leading the round. The round included nine different investors including existing Redwood Ventures, Simma Capital, and New Ventures, but also new investors Aluna Partners, EaglePoint Capital, Angel Hub, Impact Ventures, Promotora Social México, and RGMA Holdings de Multifamily EPC.

The Latin American-born company began in Colombia, South America and now has a Miami presence having gone through the Endeavor ScaleUP program. ScaleUp is an initiative by Endeavor, a global organization that supports high-impact entrepreneurs in 40+ countries. Endeavor ScaleUp is a cohort-based initiative that equips high-growth founders in Florida with the network and resources to gain clarity on their path to scale.

Endeavor ScaleUP participant, Michel Edery, Co-founder & CEO of smartBeemo, wanted to leverage the Spanish language for the good and bringing a ray of hope for the Latin Americans. In a world where English is in a class of its own, there are people who are still having a hard time understanding the language, and in turn, it acts as the major barrier in their learning process. Michel recognized this problem and developed smartBeemo only for such people, breaking the language barriers that affect their learning.

In an Endeavor Miami podcast episode, Michael shared his experience growing his company, the insights he’s gained by being part of an entrepreneurial community, and the happiness that comes from doing what he loves. He spoke of how he belives that humans are always building stating that “We as human beings always need to work on something and build something. There are people who build gardens [his neighbor] and there’s people who build companies. I build companies.” You can listen in to the full conversation here.

Michael had previously shared how business is booming in Latin America and that the pandemic forced people to look to the internet allowing them the knowledge of how easy it can be to connect and even launch their own ecommerce businesses. He stated, “Over here, there is a bridge between e-commerce and digital marketing major due to the language barriers as all the great content out there is in English. But now I think people are starting to learn and understand more about social media, e-commerce and I can now see thousands of people launching their businesses.”

According to statista.com, Latin America harbors more than 300 million digital buyers, a figure forecast to grow by more than 20 percent by 2027.

Although e-commerce adoption in this part of the world is still lower than in other regions, online retail sales in Latin America were estimated at nearly 168 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 and set to account for almost 20 percent of total retail by 2026. On a regional level, Brazil and Mexico are vying for the lead, each accounting for close to 30 percent of the Latin American e-commerce market. However, other economies such as Argentina, Colombia, and Peru have been drawing increasing attention due to their swift growth.

To learn more about smartBeemo, visit www.smartbeemo.com

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13
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed Appoint Joe Harpaz to Co-CEO After 6 Years in Leadership

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Practice technology leader and EHR pioneer ModMed® announced today the appointment of Joe Harpaz to Co-CEO.

ModMed is transforming healthcare by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With their electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and patient engagement and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, the all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions. ModMed staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

Joe Harpaz is a seasoned leader steeped in technology and operational leadership experience who, since 2018, has served as President and Chief Operating Officer at ModMed responsible for helping the company execute against its revenue targets.

During his six years of leadership with ModeMed, he oversaw and implemented multiple strategic initiatives that transformed the company’s go-to-market approach and fueled year-over-year growth, including driving market share with the company’s expansion into new medical specialties and products, and through several key strategic acquisitions.

“I am honored and excited for the incredible opportunity to co-lead this next chapter of ModMed, and to continue to work with our executive leadership team to deliver sustainable value and results,” commented Joe Harpaz.

Working alongside ModMed Co-founder and Co-CEO Dan Cane, and Co-founder and Chief Medical and Strategy Officer Dr. Michael Sherling, Joe will continue to help shape the company’s vision and strategic direction.

“For some time Joe’s contribution and many successes at ModMed have gone beyond go-to-market strategy and operations,” said Co-CEO Dan Cane.

“With his depth of experience in operational excellence, his passion for serving customers, and his longstanding commitment to empowering those around him, we are so pleased to recognize him with this promotion, and are confident in Joe’s continued ability to drive growth and profitability.”

Joe previously worked at Thomson Reuters, where as Managing Director of the Corporate Market, he led the highest-growth business in the company with nearly $600 million in global revenues. Earlier in his career, Joe founded Immediatech and the GoFileRoom™ cloud workflow solution and was recognized as an industry innovator multiple times in Accounting Technology’s “40 Under 40.” Joe is also a well-known as an industry thought leader and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.

To learn more about ModMed, please visit www.modmed.com.

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11
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

Broward-based Digibee Appoints MuleSoft and Domino Alum as VP of Product

Read Time 3 Minutes
Digibee, the first serverless integration platform empowering seamless connection and business agility, announced that Pablo Luna will join the company as its Vice President of Product.
Founded in 2017, Digibee is a born in the cloud, serverless integration platform that empowers developers to integrate applications at scale. Digibee extends the value of IT resources by allowing existing teams to rapidly build integrations and automations in a visual environment, eliminating bottlenecks and modernizing your approach to delivering powerful products and services.
Pablo Luna, MuleSoft’s former Senior Director of Product Management, will lead product strategy to create an enterprise-class serverless iPaaS product and a world-class product organization.

“Having Pablo Luna join Digibee as VP of Product is a transformative move for us. With over two decades of experience, including key roles at MuleSoft, Pablo’s strategic vision aligns seamlessly with ours for Digibee‘s future,” said Peter Kreslins, chief technology officer (CTO) at Digibee. “His leadership will drive our product strategy to new heights, accelerating momentum. His expertise will elevate our product management organization and deliver unparalleled value to our customers. We are thrilled to have him on board to further Digibee‘s product innovation.”

Along with his deep industry experience in the integration, iPaaS, API management and business process management (BPM) domains, Luna will bring his understanding of customer needs and successful product delivery to further build upon Digibee’s innovative momentum. He will also work to accelerate transformation in the industry to a more efficient and scalable solution that connects applications, data and people.

“Digibee has an industry-leading innovative iPaaS platform, and I’m thrilled to further accelerate its growth and momentum,” said Pablo Luna, VP of product at Digibee.

“The integration market has changed dramatically in the last 5 years, with customer needs evolving rapidly in new market conditions. Digibee has built an incredibly robust and flexible iPaaS that leverages new technologies and integration approaches to address these evolving challenges. I’m excited to work with the talented Digibee team to accelerate the evolution of the platform, so customers can truly revolutionize the value they get from integration.”
Before joining Digibee, Luna was the vice president of product management at enterprise data science management platform Domino Data Lab. He was also responsible for core products and was a key contributor to exceeding company financial goals in his previous role at MuleSoft. Luna will report to Digibee’s CTO, Peter Kreslins.
This appointment builds upon a banner year in 2023 for Digibee with key achievements including AI enhancements to the Digibee Integration Platform, new customer deployments and a $60 million series B investment to fuel the company’s growth.
The Growth Equity business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Goldman Sachs) was the lead investor in the Series B round which was announced in June 2023. It includes Leadwind, a growth fund at K Fund, a leading venture capital firm in Southern Europe, Vivo Ventures, the corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Brazilian telco Vivo, Kinea and G2D, two of Latin America’s largest private equity investment firms. Digibee is the preferred iPaaS solution for more than 250 customers including Assai, B3, Banco Itaú Unibanco, Barkley, Bauducco, Johnson Brothers and Payless. The Series B round follows a $25 million Series A round led by Softbank Latin America Fund (later renamed to Upload Ventures) and announced in February 2022 and a $6 million seed investment in February 2019.
Learn more about Digibee at www.digibee.com 
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11
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

A Small Startup with Big Backing is Betting it can Fix Clinical Trials and has Issued a Challenge to Find Out

Read Time 4 Minutes

Modern Trials®, a startup aiming to transform clinical trial-patient matching, is collaborating with leading healthcare technology provider InterSystems® by issuing a challenge to assess Modern Trials’ EHR-based recruitment relative to current recruitment methods.

Co-founded in 2019 by Dr. Christopher Ochner, Modern Trials aims to match patients with clinical trials that could potentially save their life by connecting patients in need of advanced treatment options through democratizing access to clinical trials. They ingest the healthcare organization’s patient data and then make it searchable for their life science customers, clinical trial managers, in a private and secure manner.

Modern Trials is preparing a $2.4M NIH grant application that requires a healthcare organization partner with clinical trials to execute a Data Use Agreement to test grant aims.The challenge will be a head-to-head comparison to see which method results in more enrollees, more enrollees in traditionally underrepresented groups, more representative samples, and higher completion rates. Financial compensation will be provided to the partner healthcare organization.

“Grants like this are vital to provide the support necessary to determine, with real world data, the best method of democratizing access to advanced therapeutics. Until now, fewer than 15% of patients in need have had access to such opportunities,” Dr. Christopher Ochner told South Florida Tech Hub.

“Modern Trials extends its gratitude to South Florida’s Tech Hub’s ongoing support as we aim to bring these opportunities to all patients no matter who or where they are.”

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced October 2023 that it will take action to improve the nation’s ability to conduct clinical trials safely, quickly, and equitably and to improve clinical trial access for people in communities across the country as the first initiative within the recently launched ARPANET-H Health Innovation Network.

The goal of Advancing Clinical Trial Readiness (ACTR) is to enable 90% of all eligible Americans to take part in a clinical trial within a half hour of their home. To do so, ACTR will leverage the nationwide capabilities and reach of the ARPANET-H Customer Experience Hub by pursuing activities with a diverse array of stakeholders in order to advance, integrate, and extend clinical trial capabilities that overcome challenges in evaluating new technologies, therapies, and platforms.

“Clinical trials are essential to evaluating potentially life-saving breakthroughs and getting them to patients, including in times of rapid response, such as during national emergencies,” said ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D.

“The Advancing Clinical Trial Readiness initiative activates the ARPANET-H health innovation network as we work with organizations from across the country to advance technologies and insights to create a robust national clinical trial infrastructure.”

Working together with patient volunteers, clinical trials help researchers understand what treatments work, gathering a variety of data to help identify better ways to improve patients’ health. Yet many challenges in conducting clinical trials are slowing the speed at which new treatments can get to patients, such as lack of interoperability across electronic health records, enrollment processes that can lead to non-representative study populations, complex study protocols, lack of access to people living in certain parts of the United States, and the myriad and inconsistent variables involved in running trials in real-world settings, or the cost in running trials in controlled settings.

ACTR will work with groups across the country, including innovators, industry, patients, academia, hospital centers, community health centers, and non-traditional partners, such as retail pharmacies or home health innovators, to build faster, less expensive trials with decentralized processes. The effort will also build trials that operate closer to, or at, points of care and are representative of our nation’s geography, age, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic groups.

“Recent advances in technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital health technologies, and machine learning — along with open standards — enable new opportunities to increase the speed, improve access, and expand the diversity of clinical trials,” said ARPA-H Resilient Systems Mission Office Director Jennifer Roberts, Ph.D.

“Through this effort, we want to develop novel innovations to distribute common protocols across many more locations so that we can change the current paradigm and open the door to faster, cheaper, and more representative trials.”

Modern Trials offers a strong business justification for data use under the auspice of a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant project. Formal security review, Data Use Agreement (DUA), and Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) will stipulate that data will be used only to complete project aims and destroyed upon completion (1.5-2y).

Some of the partnership requirements are:

  • Healthcare system with at least 1M patient records in their electronic health record system
  • 1,000 active clinical trials
  • Systems located anywhere throughout the United States

With millions actively seeking answers, Modern Trials is on a mission to connect patients with the life-changing potential of clinical trials. Modern Trials is betting it can fix clinical trials!

Click here for more information on the Modern Trials Challenge and NIH Proposal Partnership Details.

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10
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Award of $4 Million to Indian River State College to Create Advanced Technology Workforce

Read Time 5 Minutes

Governor Ron Desantis visited Indian River State College on February 7th to announce a $4 million award to further advanced technology programs. 

A leader in education and innovation, Indian River State College transforms lives by offering high-quality, affordable and accessible education to the residents of Florida’s Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties through traditional and online delivery. IRSC is a recipient of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. The College serves nearly 22,000 students annually and offers more than 100 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, Associate degrees, technical certificates and applied technology diplomas.

Nearly 200 people were in attendance at the brand new IRSC’s Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex located on the Massey Campus in Ft. Pierce when the Governor announced the $4 million award. The funds will be used to create advanced technology workforce development programs and build an innovative Center of Ballistics and Emerging Technology.

The funding is through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (JGGF) which makes strategic investments in programs that build stronger communities and support workforce training across the state. The JGGF is an economic development program designed to promote public infrastructure and workforce training across the state. Proposals are reviewed by FloridaCommerce and chosen by the Governor to meet the demand for workforce or infrastructure needs in the community they are awarded to. The Fund allocated $40 million and awarded 20 projects in fiscal year 2021-2022 and 18 in fiscal year 2022-2023.

“We see an opportunity to use the job growth grant to really make an impact not just with workforce, but also for the economy here on the Treasure Coast of Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

“So I am today pleased to be able to award a $4 million grant through the job growth grant fund to Indian River State College to create a new center for ballistics and emerging technology.”

The Center for Ballistics and Emerging Technology will serve as the nexus where industry partners, law enforcement agents, workforce training professionals, and Indian River State College students and faculty collaborate. The project plans to create more than 300 new advanced manufacturing-trained graduates over the next ten years.

The project underscores Indian River State College’s vision to provide development and testing to support business and innovation. This project will allow the College to expand its training in advanced manufacturing, particularly in precision fabrication and mechatronics. The project complements the programs and facilities of the Eastman Advanced Manufacturing Building and the Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex.

The 60,000-square-foot Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex is Florida’s newest, most technologically advanced workforce training facility. The official ribbon cutting was held last Fall on November 1, 2023 with over 400 in attendance from elected officials to professionals in the local community.

Expansive laboratories dedicated to Mechatronics, Robotics and Smart Automation, Welding, Automotive Technology, Refrigeration, HVAC, and more are carefully designed and outfitted to support students as they earn certifications and degrees in programs that help satisfy the region’s growing need for a highly skilled talent pipeline. Students train in immersive educational environments with a network of experienced instructors, utilizing best-in-class technology as they build the critical skills required for rewarding careers in high-demand occupations.

“The manufacturing industry in America is growing rapidly, and Florida, in particular, is home to an expanding manufacturing ecosystem,” said Indian River State College President Dr. Timothy Moore. “With the opening of our Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex, Indian River State College is poised to deliver a talent pipeline that meets the workforce needs of today and tomorrow, bolstering our region’s economy and attractiveness to employers, expanding career opportunities for our citizens, and helping realize Governor Ron DeSantis’s goal to be the number one state in the nation for workforce education by 2030.”

“This grant will help take technology off the shelf, put it to use, and help those who protect us,” said Indian River State College President Dr. Timothy Moore. “The Governor’s support has been instrumental. I cannot think of a more important way to demonstrate the value of education, the value of technology, and the value of leadership.”

The site is also home to and informed by the Advanced Manufacturing Hub, a collaborative effort to address the looming shortage of local workforce in precision machining, industrial automation systems, integrated smart factory operations, supply chain automation and logistics. The Hub offers a broad range of programs introducing critical knowledge and hands-on skills in areas enabling the growth and automation of Industry 4.0.—the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector.

The manufacturing industry in America is growing at a rapid rate. Florida is home to an expanding manufacturing ecosystem. Over 24,000 manufacturers support 426,000 manufacturing jobs with average salaries of $74,575. According to the Florida Commerce 2023 Florida Manufacturing Report, “Florida’s manufacturing employment reached 422,800 in September 2023, passing both Georgia and New York to become the 10th largest state in the country for manufacturing employment. Manufacturing employment has grown by 23.3% since 2014, again significantly higher than other leading manufacturing states.”

As manufacturing jobs continue to be reshored to the United States from global markets, Florida is poised to become one of the top five manufacturing states by 2030. In 2019, Governor DeSantis set a clear goal that Florida would be #1 in workforce education by 2030. IRSC President, Dr. Moore, intends to make that happen!

Learn more at www.irsc.edu.

 

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10
Feb, 2024

By Nikki Cabus

StatusPRO announces $20M Series A Round Led by GV to Continue Revolutioning Sports Through XR

Read Time 5 Minutes

StatusPRO, Inc. announced $20 million in new funding, one of the largest Series A of any VR gaming company to date, led by GV (Google Ventures).

The Miami-based StatusPRO is a sports technology and gaming company that uses real-time player data to create authentic extended reality experiences using technologies such as augmented, mixed, and virtual reality. The company provides a suite of training and gaming products that revolutionize the way coaches, players, and fans experience their favorite sport. StatusPRO is minority-owned and led, where almost half of its employees in the United States are former athletes.

StatusPRO’s ties to the NFL and the NFLPA began in its club locker rooms when co-founders and former elite football players Troy Jones and Andrew (Hawk) Hawkins had a vision to develop Pre Game Prep, a tool that would bring the brand’s proprietary technology to NFL teams with the goal of improving the athlete training experience, which is now being utilized by NFL teams. The company’s investors include notables such as Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter, Drake, Lamar Jackson, along with investment groups Greycroft, TitletownTech, Verizon Ventures, Haslam Sports Group, 49ers Enterprises KB Partners, and SC Holdings.

StatusPRO is joining Google Ventures‘ investment portfolio of successful tech, healthcare, and consumer companies, asserting its spot as a standout and growing VR company in the space. GV provides venture capital funding to bold new companies. Across the fields of life science, enterprise technology, consumer products and services, and frontier technology, GV’s portfolio companies aim to improve lives and transform industries. GV’s team of world-class engineers, designers, physicians, scientists, marketers, and investors work together to provide startups with exceptional support. Launched as Google Ventures in 2009, GV is the venture capital arm of Alphabet, Inc. GV helps startups interface with Google, providing unique access to the world’s best technology and talent. GV has over $8 billion under management.

“No matter if its virtual reality or spatial computing, our vision at StatusPRO is to define first-person sports and deliver experiences that truly embody the emotion, competition and sense of community that comes with being a professional athlete,” said Troy Jones, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of StatusPRO. “The investment from GV, Dream, and all other syndicates in the round, further validates the opportunity to leverage emerging technology to innovate the way fans interact with their favorite sports and define a new form of engagement that brings current and future fans closer to the game.”

After two years of laying a foundation in the sports gaming industry and establishing a new genre, first-person sports, StatusPRO will use the additional capital to broaden development into new sports titles while continuing to enhance its modes and features and further improve its cutting-edge technology. The round includes additional funding from India’s renowned sports-tech giant Dream Sports, Minnesota Vikings Owners Mark & Zygi Wilf’s Wise Ventures, JDS Sports, and Alumni Ventures, with participation from existing investors including LeBron James, Drake, Maverick Carter, Main Street Advisors, Haslam Sports Group and more.

In 2022, the Black-founded StatusPRO launched the first-ever NFL and NFLPA-licensed virtual reality (VR) simulation gaming franchise, NFL PRO ERA, and made its mark on the sports gaming category by allowing players to experience what it feels like to be on the field playing as QB of their favorite NFL team. This immersive, first-person simulation brings fans closer to the gridiron by giving them a professional football player’s perspective through VR technology. Last October, the franchise, which highlighted NFL MVP and All Pro QB Lamar Jackson as its cover athlete, saw an evolution that introduced new features such as head-to-head multiplayer gameplay so players could interact, connect, and compete against one another in the virtual world.

NFL PRO ERA is one of the most successful sports franchises in VR history. Since launch, StatusPRO has garnered over 1,000,000 users and players have spent an average of 41 minutes in game, estimated to be 2x longer compared to VR industry averages. As one of the top VR studios, StatusPRO has not only produced the fastest selling sports title in VR history but is a top title on the Meta Quest platform (top 10 in sales). NFL PRO ERA is among the most successful Black-founded gaming franchises ever.

Other substantial new investments came from a diverse group of athletes, entertainers, firms, and industry leaders including Myles Garrett, David Grutman, Bobby Wagner, Jeff Stibel, Peter Delgrosso, Cameron Jordan, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Crystal Hayslett, Devale Ellis, TitletownTech, Black Angel Group, Life Line Family Heritage Fund, Sun Technology Investors, Andre Gaines of Cinemation Studios, and the Fuller Brothers of 6408 Ventures, among others.

“StatusPRO is building the next generation of sports and gaming entertainment through cutting-edge virtual reality. The company’s unique technology-driven approach and meaningful partnerships have resulted in strong early growth and product traction,” said M.G Siegler, Venture Partner at GV. “Troy Jones and Andrew Hawkins have built an impressive team and track record of execution in a short time, and we’re thrilled to support StatusPRO as they move the VR gaming industry forward.”

VR gaming continues to grow in popularity. The global VR gaming market is projected to grow from $7.92 billion in 2021 to $53.44 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 31.4% in forecast period 2021-2028 period. With this projected growth, StatusPRO prepares for ongoing customer acquisition and retention while continuing to solidify the company as the innovative leader redefining the sports gaming world and eyeing global expansion in the sports VR market with a focus on future sports IP.

“As a former professional athlete, working with a dedicated team of people who have all participated in sports and worked for years across the sports business industry at a high level, we understand what it takes to compete and win,” said Andrew Hawkins, co-founder and President of StatusPRO. “We believe that VR is the innovative answer to help allow fans globally to see and experience what it’s like to be a Pro. This is just the beginning for StatusPRO and paves the way for us to enter additional sectors of sports VR, opening doors for us to explore other professional sports avenues and teams.”

StatusPRO’s NFL PRO ERA is available on the Meta Quest, Official PlayStation™, Pico, and Steam Store.

For more information on StatusPRO, please visit https://www.status.pro

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