Welcome to Miami Inno's inaugural Fire Awards special section, which spotlights companies and organizations setting South Florida's innovation economy ablaze.
The Fire Awards recognize startups, established companies, accelerators and community groups for the winning practices that helped bolster the tri-county region's innovation ecosystem during the past year.
Our 25 honorees include ventures in sectors fueled by the ongoing pandemic, such as infrastructure to support online learning and restaurant tech. Others are businesses in fields such as cybersecurity, marine technology and psychedelic therapy.
But regardless of their specialties, these are the companies and organizations that helped ensure South Florida's technology and startup sectors continued to thrive in 2022.
Nearly a decade of ecosystem building began to pay off in 2020, when entrepreneurs and investors alike began to relocate to the South Florida to build businesses and invest in companies. The rest of the nation soon took notice, quickly transforming the region into a premier tech hub of the southeastern U.S.
Miami Inno's editorial team reviewed nominations for the award and considered a variety of factors – including funding, revenue growth, acquisitions, expansions, community impact, product launches and future potential – to select honorees.
The 25 South Florida-based companies selected were celebrated Dec. 1 at an awards ceremony hosted by corporate sponsor Northern Trust at American Social in Miami.
We'd also like to thank Miami Inno founding partners Accenture, Baptist Health Innovations, Comcast Business, Omni Public and Ryder for their continued support.
Join us in congratulating Miami Inno's 2022 Fire Awards winners.
Click through the attached gallery to learn more about this year's honorees.
2022 Miami Inno Fire Awards honorees
1 of 25
Aire Ventures
Headquartered in Miami, the nonprofit venture studio is creating solutions to address racial equity, access, diversity and inclusion in the region’s technology ecosystem. Since 2021, Aire Ventures has provided support to five portfolio companies, including Talent Scout, a platform that connects businesses with a pool of local, diverse tech talent and the Nyah Project, a nonprofit that provides travel fellowships and college access coaching to youth from underserved backgrounds. Last December it released its first REDI scorecard, a first-of-its-kind assessment that highlighted challenges in South Florida’s tech sector as well as a blueprint for potential solutions. Aire Ventures is also one of the organizations behind Tech Equity Miami, a consortium that aims to deploy $100 million over five years to projects that increase access to tech opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Pictured: Leigh-Ann Buchanan, president
Headquartered in Miami, the nonprofit venture studio is creating solutions to address racial equity, access, diversity and inclusion in the region’s technology ecosystem. Since 2021, Aire Ventures has provided support to five portfolio companies, including Talent Scout, a platform that connects businesses with a pool of local, diverse tech talent and the Nyah Project, a nonprofit that provides travel fellowships and college access coaching to youth from underserved backgrounds. Last December it released its first REDI scorecard, a first-of-its-kind assessment that highlighted challenges in South Florida’s tech sector as well as a blueprint for potential solutions. Aire Ventures is also one of the organizations behind Tech Equity Miami, a consortium that aims to deploy $100 million over five years to projects that increase access to tech opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Pictured: Leigh-Ann Buchanan, president
Aire Ventures
54D
Over the past year, the Coral Gables-based fitness brand opened its second South Florida location, launched a partnership with Amazon Alexa and announced plans to establish its first New York City location. Founded a decade ago by former professional soccer player Rodrigo Garduño, the boutique fitness studio specializes in 54-day group programs that combine intense, multidisciplinary workouts with nutritional education, cryotherapy recovery and a trainer-based support system. 54D gained a cult following in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic had fitness fanatics searching for at-home workout options. Garduño began leading workouts on Instagram Live, with huge results. Between March and September 2020, his accounts grew from 20,000 to 1.02 million followers and his videos received more than 16 million views. In addition to its online program, 54D now has locations in Miami-Dade County, Mexico and Colombia. The company plans to open additional studios in New York, Los Angeles and Broward County in 2023.
Pictured: Rodrigo Garduño, founder
Over the past year, the Coral Gables-based fitness brand opened its second South Florida location, launched a partnership with Amazon Alexa and announced plans to establish its first New York City location. Founded a decade ago by former professional soccer player Rodrigo Garduño, the boutique fitness studio specializes in 54-day group programs that combine intense, multidisciplinary workouts with nutritional education, cryotherapy recovery and a trainer-based support system. 54D gained a cult following in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic had fitness fanatics searching for at-home workout options. Garduño began leading workouts on Instagram Live, with huge results. Between March and September 2020, his accounts grew from 20,000 to 1.02 million followers and his videos received more than 16 million views. In addition to its online program, 54D now has locations in Miami-Dade County, Mexico and Colombia. The company plans to open additional studios in New York, Los Angeles and Broward County in 2023.
Pictured: Rodrigo Garduño, founder
54D
eMerge Americas
EMerge Americas is a mainstay of South Florida’s technology sector. The Miami organization was founded nearly a decade ago by serial entrepreneur Manny Medina, an early advocate of the Magic City’s potential to be a technology hub for Latin America. Now, eMerge Americas organizes an annual technology conference in Miami Beach that brings together more than 16,000 entrepreneurs, investors and industry insiders from around the world. That success attracted the attention of other organizations, as well: Last year, venture capital firm Florida Funders invested an undisclosed sum in eMerge Americas to support its mission. EMerge also partnered with Synapse Florida, which holds an annual tech summit in Tampa, to cross-promote each other’s events in the Sunshine State and Latin America.
Pictured: Felice Gorordo, CEO
EMerge Americas is a mainstay of South Florida’s technology sector. The Miami organization was founded nearly a decade ago by serial entrepreneur Manny Medina, an early advocate of the Magic City’s potential to be a technology hub for Latin America. Now, eMerge Americas organizes an annual technology conference in Miami Beach that brings together more than 16,000 entrepreneurs, investors and industry insiders from around the world. That success attracted the attention of other organizations, as well: Last year, venture capital firm Florida Funders invested an undisclosed sum in eMerge Americas to support its mission. EMerge also partnered with Synapse Florida, which holds an annual tech summit in Tampa, to cross-promote each other’s events in the Sunshine State and Latin America.
Pictured: Felice Gorordo, CEO
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
Kaseya
The Miami IT managed software firm has undergone a massive expansion in 2022, beginning with its office in the Brickell Financial District. In addition to expanding its headquarters at 701 Brickell, the growing company inked two additional leases at Class A office buildings in the same neighborhood. Then, in June, it acquired publicly traded software firm Datto for $6.2 billion, gaining 1,700 employees. Now, Kaseya has nearly 4,000 employees across its offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Founded in 2000, the company established its U.S. headquarters in Miami in 2004 and is one of the region’s largest employers, according to the South Florida Business Journal’s Book of Lists.
Pictured: Fred Voccola, CEO
The Miami IT managed software firm has undergone a massive expansion in 2022, beginning with its office in the Brickell Financial District. In addition to expanding its headquarters at 701 Brickell, the growing company inked two additional leases at Class A office buildings in the same neighborhood. Then, in June, it acquired publicly traded software firm Datto for $6.2 billion, gaining 1,700 employees. Now, Kaseya has nearly 4,000 employees across its offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Founded in 2000, the company established its U.S. headquarters in Miami in 2004 and is one of the region’s largest employers, according to the South Florida Business Journal’s Book of Lists.
Pictured: Fred Voccola, CEO
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
Taxfyle
Every day is tax season at Taxfyle, the Miami company that describes itself as the “Uber for taxes.” And that’s been good for business. The startup, which matches individuals and businesses with licensed CPAs, closed a $20 million series B round in February, bringing its total lifetime funding to $35 million. Taxfyle gained thousands of new customers during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were less willing to engage in face-to-face interactions with accountants and began to search for digital alternatives. Since then, the startup has been in growth mode. In addition to hiring employees for its corporate office, the venture is adding thousands of full- and part-time tax professionals for the platform. This summer, it opened a 10,125-square-foot office in Coconut Grove to house its 109 headquarters employees, including 70 hires made over the past year.
Pictured: William Sahatdjian, Richard Lavina and Michael Mouriz, co-founders
Every day is tax season at Taxfyle, the Miami company that describes itself as the “Uber for taxes.” And that’s been good for business. The startup, which matches individuals and businesses with licensed CPAs, closed a $20 million series B round in February, bringing its total lifetime funding to $35 million. Taxfyle gained thousands of new customers during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were less willing to engage in face-to-face interactions with accountants and began to search for digital alternatives. Since then, the startup has been in growth mode. In addition to hiring employees for its corporate office, the venture is adding thousands of full- and part-time tax professionals for the platform. This summer, it opened a 10,125-square-foot office in Coconut Grove to house its 109 headquarters employees, including 70 hires made over the past year.
Pictured: William Sahatdjian, Richard Lavina and Michael Mouriz, co-founders
Taxfyle
SpringBig
The marketing platform for cannabis businesses is one of South Florida’s newest public companies after merging with blank check firm Tuatara Acquisition Corp. in June. CEO Jeffrey Harris said the deal will make it possible for the software as a service firm to meet customer demand. Headquartered in Boca Raton, SpringBig reaches nearly 40 million legal marijuana users through its platform, which enables cannabis brands and businesses to market their goods and loyalty programs to consumers via text message. And those custo mers seem receptive. The firm reports its targeted messages have a 99% open rate. Demand for SpringBig’s marketing services is anticipated to rise as more U.S. states – including, potentially, Florida – legalize the use of medical and recreational marijuana.
Pictured: Jeffrey Harris, CEO
The marketing platform for cannabis businesses is one of South Florida’s newest public companies after merging with blank check firm Tuatara Acquisition Corp. in June. CEO Jeffrey Harris said the deal will make it possible for the software as a service firm to meet customer demand. Headquartered in Boca Raton, SpringBig reaches nearly 40 million legal marijuana users through its platform, which enables cannabis brands and businesses to market their goods and loyalty programs to consumers via text message. And those custo mers seem receptive. The firm reports its targeted messages have a 99% open rate. Demand for SpringBig’s marketing services is anticipated to rise as more U.S. states – including, potentially, Florida – legalize the use of medical and recreational marijuana.
Pictured: Jeffrey Harris, CEO
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
Novo
When Novo moved its headquarters from New York to Miami in early 2021, it was backed by less than $5 million in investor capital and had processed less than $1 billion in customer transactions. Now, the fintech is valued at $700 million after completing a $125 million series B round – a feat that earned it a spot on Crunchbase’s Emerging Unicorn board, which tracks private ventures approaching $1 billion valuations. It’s quite a step up from early 2021, when the digital bank for small and medium-size businesses moved its headquarters from New York to the Brickell Financial District. Founded in 2016, Novo provides free checking accounts, payment transfers, budgeting, invoicing and e-commerce tracking services to 175,000 businesses. The company added more than 100,000 of those customers over the past year and expects to reach $7 billion in lifetime transactions by the end of 2022.
Pictured: Michael Rangel, CEO
When Novo moved its headquarters from New York to Miami in early 2021, it was backed by less than $5 million in investor capital and had processed less than $1 billion in customer transactions. Now, the fintech is valued at $700 million after completing a $125 million series B round – a feat that earned it a spot on Crunchbase’s Emerging Unicorn board, which tracks private ventures approaching $1 billion valuations. It’s quite a step up from early 2021, when the digital bank for small and medium-size businesses moved its headquarters from New York to the Brickell Financial District. Founded in 2016, Novo provides free checking accounts, payment transfers, budgeting, invoicing and e-commerce tracking services to 175,000 businesses. The company added more than 100,000 of those customers over the past year and expects to reach $7 billion in lifetime transactions by the end of 2022.
Pictured: Michael Rangel, CEO
Novo
Blink Charging
2022 has been a year jam-packed with acquisitions for Blink Charging, an electric vehicle charging company based in Miami Beach. First, it entered the U.K. market in April when it purchased EB Charging for $23.4 million, adding more than 1,000 charging stations to its global fleet. Then, in June, it purchased EV charging station manufacturer SemaConnect for $200 million, gaining 13,000 stations and a manufacturing facility in Maryland. Blink aims to manufacture up to 50,000 EV chargers a year at the location, CEO Michael Farkas said. All of that is positioning the company to become a dominant player in the global EV charging market, which is anticipated to surpass $800 billion by 2028 as electric vehicles become more common. Blink currently operates 51,000 charging stations in 19 countries and has more than 500 employees.
Pictured: Michael Farkas, CEO
2022 has been a year jam-packed with acquisitions for Blink Charging, an electric vehicle charging company based in Miami Beach. First, it entered the U.K. market in April when it purchased EB Charging for $23.4 million, adding more than 1,000 charging stations to its global fleet. Then, in June, it purchased EV charging station manufacturer SemaConnect for $200 million, gaining 13,000 stations and a manufacturing facility in Maryland. Blink aims to manufacture up to 50,000 EV chargers a year at the location, CEO Michael Farkas said. All of that is positioning the company to become a dominant player in the global EV charging market, which is anticipated to surpass $800 billion by 2028 as electric vehicles become more common. Blink currently operates 51,000 charging stations in 19 countries and has more than 500 employees.
Pictured: Michael Farkas, CEO
Blink Charging
OpenStore
The Miami startup is another local company approaching unicorn status. In September, OpenStore’s valuation skyrocketed to $970 million after it closed a $32 million funding round led by Lux Capital. The company buys small businesses that operate on the e-commerce platform Shopify, making automated bids on enterprises based on their revenue and other data. If the bid is accepted, OpenStore acquires 100% of the venture from the founder. OpenStore was founded in early 2021 by Jeremy Wood, Matt Lanter, Michael Rubenstein, Jack Abraham and Keith Rabois, a serial entrepreneur and partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund. Rabois was a prominent supporter of the Miami tech movement during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he often implored his social media followers to make the move to the Magic City.
Pictured: Matt Lanter, co-founder
The Miami startup is another local company approaching unicorn status. In September, OpenStore’s valuation skyrocketed to $970 million after it closed a $32 million funding round led by Lux Capital. The company buys small businesses that operate on the e-commerce platform Shopify, making automated bids on enterprises based on their revenue and other data. If the bid is accepted, OpenStore acquires 100% of the venture from the founder. OpenStore was founded in early 2021 by Jeremy Wood, Matt Lanter, Michael Rubenstein, Jack Abraham and Keith Rabois, a serial entrepreneur and partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund. Rabois was a prominent supporter of the Miami tech movement during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he often implored his social media followers to make the move to the Magic City.
Pictured: Matt Lanter, co-founder
OpenStore
Emergency Ventures
Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Emergency Ventures is building a web and mobile app that connects volunteers, emergency managers and local residents during natural disasters such as hurricanes. The app is personalized to offer information including evacuation zone details, emergency shelter locations, weather forecasts and more to people before and after a disaster strikes. Founded this year, Emergency Ventures is still an early-stage venture – but it’s already attracting attention. In addition to participating in several pitch competitions, the venture was accepted into the Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway accelerator program and signed a partnership with FEMA to join its technology provider network. Eventually, the emergency services app will be functional even when a user loses cell phone reception, founder Joe Russo said. That will involve using cached data and mesh networking to ensure users can access emergency services in the wake of a disaster, even when they can’t find a signal. Pictured: Joe Russo, founder
Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Emergency Ventures is building a web and mobile app that connects volunteers, emergency managers and local residents during natural disasters such as hurricanes. The app is personalized to offer information including evacuation zone details, emergency shelter locations, weather forecasts and more to people before and after a disaster strikes. Founded this year, Emergency Ventures is still an early-stage venture – but it’s already attracting attention. In addition to participating in several pitch competitions, the venture was accepted into the Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway accelerator program and signed a partnership with FEMA to join its technology provider network. Eventually, the emergency services app will be functional even when a user loses cell phone reception, founder Joe Russo said. That will involve using cached data and mesh networking to ensure users can access emergency services in the wake of a disaster, even when they can’t find a signal. Pictured: Joe Russo, founder
Emergency Ventures
Coop by Ryder
The commercial truck and trailer sharing platform went national this year after initially launching in Florida and Georgia. Headquartered in Miami, Coop by Ryder connects businesses that have idle trucks, tractors and trailers with other companies that need to rent commercial vehicles. To date, 10,000 businesses have joined the platform. Meanwhile, Coop reports it experienced 250% year-over-year growth since its founding in 2018. In that time, its team has grown from four to 85 employees. Coop is a division of Ryder System, a logistics and transportation company that operates in North America and the U.K. The Miami company has more than 40,000 employees and reported $9.6 billion in total revenue in 2021.
Pictured: Romain Rousseau, general manager
The commercial truck and trailer sharing platform went national this year after initially launching in Florida and Georgia. Headquartered in Miami, Coop by Ryder connects businesses that have idle trucks, tractors and trailers with other companies that need to rent commercial vehicles. To date, 10,000 businesses have joined the platform. Meanwhile, Coop reports it experienced 250% year-over-year growth since its founding in 2018. In that time, its team has grown from four to 85 employees. Coop is a division of Ryder System, a logistics and transportation company that operates in North America and the U.K. The Miami company has more than 40,000 employees and reported $9.6 billion in total revenue in 2021.
Pictured: Romain Rousseau, general manager
Coop by Ryder
Iter Investments
Venture capital firm Iter Investments is betting the next big pharmaceutical fortune may be found in psychedelics. The company closed its first fund with more than $20 million committed, with the goal of deploying capital into ventures operating in the emerging psychedelics industry. Medical research suggests some hallucinogenic substances – such as psylocibin mushrooms, MDMA and ketamine – could be promising treatments for conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Iter Investments targets ventures operating in that space. The Fort Lauderdale-based firm has an active portfolio of 16 companies, including Psygen, a supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients for psychedelics; Wesana, a drug development company for mental health conditions; and Fluence, an educational platform that provides professional certification and training in psychedelic therapy.
Pictured: Robert Velarde and Dustin Robinson, co-founders
Venture capital firm Iter Investments is betting the next big pharmaceutical fortune may be found in psychedelics. The company closed its first fund with more than $20 million committed, with the goal of deploying capital into ventures operating in the emerging psychedelics industry. Medical research suggests some hallucinogenic substances – such as psylocibin mushrooms, MDMA and ketamine – could be promising treatments for conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Iter Investments targets ventures operating in that space. The Fort Lauderdale-based firm has an active portfolio of 16 companies, including Psygen, a supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients for psychedelics; Wesana, a drug development company for mental health conditions; and Fluence, an educational platform that provides professional certification and training in psychedelic therapy.
Pictured: Robert Velarde and Dustin Robinson, co-founders
Iter Investments
Fuel Venture Capital
Fuel Venture Capital launched in 2017, when Miami’s tech sector was barely a blip on the national map for the technology industry. Despite that, Founding Partner and Managing Director Jeff Randsell decided to go against the tide and base the investment firm in the Magic City. That bet began to pay off in 2020, when tech investors and startups alike began to migrate to the area. Now, the Coconut Grove venture capital firm is behind some of South Florida’s best-known technology startups – including Taxfyle, Ubiquia, Betr and Terran Orbital, the Boca Raton satellite maker that was recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a $1.8 billion valuation. Since 2020, Fuel Venture Capital has tripled its portfolio companies from 11 to 33 and now has $400 million in assets under management. About one-third of those portfolio companies are based in South Florida, where Fuel has deployed more than $100 million in investments.
Pictured: Jeff Ransdell, founding partner and managing director
Fuel Venture Capital launched in 2017, when Miami’s tech sector was barely a blip on the national map for the technology industry. Despite that, Founding Partner and Managing Director Jeff Randsell decided to go against the tide and base the investment firm in the Magic City. That bet began to pay off in 2020, when tech investors and startups alike began to migrate to the area. Now, the Coconut Grove venture capital firm is behind some of South Florida’s best-known technology startups – including Taxfyle, Ubiquia, Betr and Terran Orbital, the Boca Raton satellite maker that was recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a $1.8 billion valuation. Since 2020, Fuel Venture Capital has tripled its portfolio companies from 11 to 33 and now has $400 million in assets under management. About one-third of those portfolio companies are based in South Florida, where Fuel has deployed more than $100 million in investments.
Pictured: Jeff Ransdell, founding partner and managing director
Fuel Venture Capital
CERA
Founded by former police commander Edward McGovern, Critical Event Response Applications is an early-stage security technology company that aims to help municipalities, schools and events respond to emergencies. McGovern’s experience responding to emergency events, including the mass shootings in Parkland and at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, inspired him to create CERA, a management system that connects police and medical responders with civilians in real time during active threats. It’s been a busy year for the startup. After launching in January, it partnered with the town of Davie to bring its technology to the police and fire departments. It also handled security at concerts and events, including the Ultra Music Festival in Miami and Orlando Pride.
Pictured: Edward McGovern, founder
Founded by former police commander Edward McGovern, Critical Event Response Applications is an early-stage security technology company that aims to help municipalities, schools and events respond to emergencies. McGovern’s experience responding to emergency events, including the mass shootings in Parkland and at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, inspired him to create CERA, a management system that connects police and medical responders with civilians in real time during active threats. It’s been a busy year for the startup. After launching in January, it partnered with the town of Davie to bring its technology to the police and fire departments. It also handled security at concerts and events, including the Ultra Music Festival in Miami and Orlando Pride.
Pictured: Edward McGovern, founder
CERA
Nue Life
Miami-based Nue Life went national this year when the at-home ketamine therapy platform entered dozens of new U.S. markets. The 2-year old company uses a combination of ketamine and traditional therapy to treat patients suffering from mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Following an evaluation and medical consultation with a physician, Nue Life patients can have their first shipment of ketamine sent directly to their homes for treatment. Advocates believe ketamine is a potential alternative to prescription drugs such as antidepressants, which aren’t effective for up to 30% of people with major depression. That’s captured the interest of investors. In April, Nue Life raised $23 million in venture capital and debt financing to expand to 20 states by the end of the year.
Pictured: Juan Pablo Cappello, co-founder
Miami-based Nue Life went national this year when the at-home ketamine therapy platform entered dozens of new U.S. markets. The 2-year old company uses a combination of ketamine and traditional therapy to treat patients suffering from mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Following an evaluation and medical consultation with a physician, Nue Life patients can have their first shipment of ketamine sent directly to their homes for treatment. Advocates believe ketamine is a potential alternative to prescription drugs such as antidepressants, which aren’t effective for up to 30% of people with major depression. That’s captured the interest of investors. In April, Nue Life raised $23 million in venture capital and debt financing to expand to 20 states by the end of the year.
Pictured: Juan Pablo Cappello, co-founder
Nue Life
Modern Struktures
How do you live in a region with rising sea levels and sky-high real estate prices? For Modern Struktures, the answer is simple: floating, flood resistant homes. The Hollywood company makes the Hauser Boat, a 10-foot-by-32-foot home that’s priced from $120,000 to $150,000. And it doesn’t look like any other houseboat you’ve seen before. The Hauser Boat is essentially a tiny floating home designed for permanent docked living. Motorized and non-motorized models are available, and all include a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, large windows and a rooftop deck area. Made from hurricane-tolerant aluminum, the homes are being marketed as temporary housing, vacation rentals, office spaces and more. The company currently serves customers in Fort Lauderdale; Miami; Tampa; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Sausalito, California, as well as coastal or lake cities with houseboat communities.
Pictured: Michael Saavedra, CEO
How do you live in a region with rising sea levels and sky-high real estate prices? For Modern Struktures, the answer is simple: floating, flood resistant homes. The Hollywood company makes the Hauser Boat, a 10-foot-by-32-foot home that’s priced from $120,000 to $150,000. And it doesn’t look like any other houseboat you’ve seen before. The Hauser Boat is essentially a tiny floating home designed for permanent docked living. Motorized and non-motorized models are available, and all include a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, large windows and a rooftop deck area. Made from hurricane-tolerant aluminum, the homes are being marketed as temporary housing, vacation rentals, office spaces and more. The company currently serves customers in Fort Lauderdale; Miami; Tampa; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Sausalito, California, as well as coastal or lake cities with houseboat communities.
Pictured: Michael Saavedra, CEO
Modern Struktures
Grubbrr
Technology is disrupting nearly every industry out there, and restaurants are no exception. That’s where Boca Raton-based Grubbrr comes in. The company provides restaurants with kiosks and self-ordering services, features that reached peak demand during the Covid-19 pandemic when many eateries cut staff. In late 2021, Grubbrr launched a pilot program with fast-casual chain BurgerFi to test the effectiveness of its technology, with positive results. According to the company, the kiosk helped lift sales and average order sizes, with more than half of users choosing upsell options suggested by the device. Now, Grubbrr’s kiosks are being deployed to every corporate BurgerFi location in the country. In April, Grubbrr received $35 million in a funding round led by professional services firm Aon PLC to fuel its national expansion.
Pictured: Bhavin Asher, founder
Technology is disrupting nearly every industry out there, and restaurants are no exception. That’s where Boca Raton-based Grubbrr comes in. The company provides restaurants with kiosks and self-ordering services, features that reached peak demand during the Covid-19 pandemic when many eateries cut staff. In late 2021, Grubbrr launched a pilot program with fast-casual chain BurgerFi to test the effectiveness of its technology, with positive results. According to the company, the kiosk helped lift sales and average order sizes, with more than half of users choosing upsell options suggested by the device. Now, Grubbrr’s kiosks are being deployed to every corporate BurgerFi location in the country. In April, Grubbrr received $35 million in a funding round led by professional services firm Aon PLC to fuel its national expansion.
Pictured: Bhavin Asher, founder
Grubbrr
Endeavor Miami
The nonprofit Endeavor Miami is at the center of the region’s innovation community. Founded in 2013, the organization offers mentorship and growth accelerator programs to early-stage companies in Florida. The goal? Help them create high-growth ventures that will generate jobs in the region. It’s the first U.S. affiliate of Endeavor, a global nonprofit that has advised and helped scale more than 2,000 ventures worldwide. Endeavor Miami organizes Endeavor Lab, a two-month accelerator for early-stage ventures that runs multiple times a year. Some of those cohorts are designed to uplift founders from underrepresented backgrounds, including women and Black founders, or spotlight emerging industries such as climate technology. The organization’s network of entrepreneurs is already making an impact: Endeavor Miami reports its founders generated $700 million in revenue and filled 5,000 jobs in 2021 alone.
Pictured: Claudia Duran, managing director
The nonprofit Endeavor Miami is at the center of the region’s innovation community. Founded in 2013, the organization offers mentorship and growth accelerator programs to early-stage companies in Florida. The goal? Help them create high-growth ventures that will generate jobs in the region. It’s the first U.S. affiliate of Endeavor, a global nonprofit that has advised and helped scale more than 2,000 ventures worldwide. Endeavor Miami organizes Endeavor Lab, a two-month accelerator for early-stage ventures that runs multiple times a year. Some of those cohorts are designed to uplift founders from underrepresented backgrounds, including women and Black founders, or spotlight emerging industries such as climate technology. The organization’s network of entrepreneurs is already making an impact: Endeavor Miami reports its founders generated $700 million in revenue and filled 5,000 jobs in 2021 alone.
Pictured: Claudia Duran, managing director
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
Cyxtera Technologies
A year after going public, Cyxtera isn’t showing signs of slowing down. The data center provider grew its international footprint this year after expanding to new markets in Europe and Asia. Now, the Miami-based company operates more than 60 data centers in 29 markets and serves over 2,300 businesses and government clients. Data center companies provide physical space, power and cooling systems for computer servers and communication networks, all necessary to support a business’s digital infrastructure. Cyxtera aims to boost occupancy at its existing data centers, acquire rival companies and purchase land to build new facilities in popular markets – all part of its plan to become one of the globe’s leading data center enterprises. The company said it will eventually power its data centers with renewable energy sources, like solar, with the goal of becoming a 100% carbon neutral venture.
Pictured: Nelson Fonseca, CEO
A year after going public, Cyxtera isn’t showing signs of slowing down. The data center provider grew its international footprint this year after expanding to new markets in Europe and Asia. Now, the Miami-based company operates more than 60 data centers in 29 markets and serves over 2,300 businesses and government clients. Data center companies provide physical space, power and cooling systems for computer servers and communication networks, all necessary to support a business’s digital infrastructure. Cyxtera aims to boost occupancy at its existing data centers, acquire rival companies and purchase land to build new facilities in popular markets – all part of its plan to become one of the globe’s leading data center enterprises. The company said it will eventually power its data centers with renewable energy sources, like solar, with the goal of becoming a 100% carbon neutral venture.
Pictured: Nelson Fonseca, CEO
Cyxtera Technologies
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
South Florida entrepreneurs regularly credit the Knight Foundation’s Miami program as one of the first organizations to seriously champion the region’s technology ecosystem. Since 2012, the Knight Foundation has invested more than $60 million in local programs that support the Miami area’s tech and startup sector. That includes community-building organizations, such as Venture Miami and Black Girl Ventures, and local investor networks Miami Angels, Black Angels Miami and Function Collective. Creating local pipelines to match tech talent with businesses is another major focus: Recent investments include grants to the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University; the Institute for Data Science and Computing at the University of Miami; and the Knight Fellowship in Health Technology Innovation at Baptist Health South Florida.
Pictured: Raul Moas, senior director
South Florida entrepreneurs regularly credit the Knight Foundation’s Miami program as one of the first organizations to seriously champion the region’s technology ecosystem. Since 2012, the Knight Foundation has invested more than $60 million in local programs that support the Miami area’s tech and startup sector. That includes community-building organizations, such as Venture Miami and Black Girl Ventures, and local investor networks Miami Angels, Black Angels Miami and Function Collective. Creating local pipelines to match tech talent with businesses is another major focus: Recent investments include grants to the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University; the Institute for Data Science and Computing at the University of Miami; and the Knight Fellowship in Health Technology Innovation at Baptist Health South Florida.
Pictured: Raul Moas, senior director
Jock Fistick/South Florida Business Journal
Genuine Health Group
The health care services firm continued to expand through acquisitions in 2022, including its purchase of physician practice group Accountable Care Medical Group in April. The deal marked the company’s third acquisition in six months, following a $160 million capital injection it received from Crestline Investors in late 2021. With those purchases, Genuine Health Group added more than 20,000 Medicare patients to its network and grew its footprint across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. As a direct contracting entity, the firm receives monthly payments to manage the health of patients and connect them with primary care physicians.
Pictured: Joe Caruncho, CEO
The health care services firm continued to expand through acquisitions in 2022, including its purchase of physician practice group Accountable Care Medical Group in April. The deal marked the company’s third acquisition in six months, following a $160 million capital injection it received from Crestline Investors in late 2021. With those purchases, Genuine Health Group added more than 20,000 Medicare patients to its network and grew its footprint across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. As a direct contracting entity, the firm receives monthly payments to manage the health of patients and connect them with primary care physicians.
Pictured: Joe Caruncho, CEO
Genuine Health Group
South Florida Tech Hub
The West Palm Beach nonprofit is a membership association devoted to building the software, engineering, digital and information technology sectors in South Florida. The long-term goal is to attract new technology businesses to the area while supporting startups and building the local talent pool. Led by CEO Nikki Cabus, South Florida Tech Hub now has nearly 250 member companies, including Office Depot, Florida Power & Light and Florida International University. This year, the organization hosted the South Florida Developers Conference at Nova Southeastern University, featuring 100 speakers and more than 1,000 participants. It also organized a hackathon that brought designers, developers and project managers together to build solutions for problems faced by local communities, including housing, traffic and public education.
Pictured: Nikki Cabus, CEO
The West Palm Beach nonprofit is a membership association devoted to building the software, engineering, digital and information technology sectors in South Florida. The long-term goal is to attract new technology businesses to the area while supporting startups and building the local talent pool. Led by CEO Nikki Cabus, South Florida Tech Hub now has nearly 250 member companies, including Office Depot, Florida Power & Light and Florida International University. This year, the organization hosted the South Florida Developers Conference at Nova Southeastern University, featuring 100 speakers and more than 1,000 participants. It also organized a hackathon that brought designers, developers and project managers together to build solutions for problems faced by local communities, including housing, traffic and public education.
Pictured: Nikki Cabus, CEO
South Florida Tech Hub
Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation
There’s a new home for innovation in Broward County. The 54,000-square-foot Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center opened last year to connect local tech innovators, entrepreneurs and investors. To do that, it features coworking and meeting spaces, incubator and accelerator programs, and networking events to support founders and young startups in targeted industries such as aerospace, manufacturing and life sciences. It also provides access to technology such as augmented reality/virtual reality headsets, drones and high-performance computers as a resource for founders at all stages. This year, the Levan Center opened a military-grade cybersecurity training range that provides training and certification for private and government clients that want to upskill their workforce. The range is designed to simulate a range of real-world security incidents to ensure trainees learn how to respond effectively to cybersecurity emergencies.
Pictured: John Wensveen, CEO
There’s a new home for innovation in Broward County. The 54,000-square-foot Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center opened last year to connect local tech innovators, entrepreneurs and investors. To do that, it features coworking and meeting spaces, incubator and accelerator programs, and networking events to support founders and young startups in targeted industries such as aerospace, manufacturing and life sciences. It also provides access to technology such as augmented reality/virtual reality headsets, drones and high-performance computers as a resource for founders at all stages. This year, the Levan Center opened a military-grade cybersecurity training range that provides training and certification for private and government clients that want to upskill their workforce. The range is designed to simulate a range of real-world security incidents to ensure trainees learn how to respond effectively to cybersecurity emergencies.
Pictured: John Wensveen, CEO
Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation
United Data Technologies
Miramar-based United Data Technologies was laser-focused on connecting K-12 students with the technology they needed to learn from home during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic. So the cybersecurity, cloud and managed service provider helped students access online learning by rolling out digital infrastructure that ensured U.S. school districts had access to Wi-Fi and other internet services. It also connected students with laptops, tablets and other devices with 5G connections. This year, the company doubled the size of its local logistics facility and added new hires. Founded in 1995, UDT now has more than 400 employees.
Pictured: Henry Fleches, CEO
Miramar-based United Data Technologies was laser-focused on connecting K-12 students with the technology they needed to learn from home during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic. So the cybersecurity, cloud and managed service provider helped students access online learning by rolling out digital infrastructure that ensured U.S. school districts had access to Wi-Fi and other internet services. It also connected students with laptops, tablets and other devices with 5G connections. This year, the company doubled the size of its local logistics facility and added new hires. Founded in 1995, UDT now has more than 400 employees.
Pictured: Henry Fleches, CEO
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
Social Mobile
The Hollywood-based company’s headcount grew 60% this year after it hired 20 new workers to support the fast-growing venture. Social Mobile creates bespoke Android-powered devices for enterprise, a solution for businesses that need phones or tablets with more capabilities than what is offered in products made for the average consumer. The bootstrapped company has clients in the health care, retail, food service and logistics industries. Soon, it will add defense, as Social Mobile is contracting with the military to design prototype handheld devices for the U.S. Air Force. The company’s revenue grew 88% to reach $46 million in 2021, fueled by the popularity of its T8, a tablet designed for the restaurant industry. The device is made to withstand intense environments, such as hot kitchens, for businesses dealing with an influx of online and to-go orders.
Pictured: Robert Morcos, CEO
The Hollywood-based company’s headcount grew 60% this year after it hired 20 new workers to support the fast-growing venture. Social Mobile creates bespoke Android-powered devices for enterprise, a solution for businesses that need phones or tablets with more capabilities than what is offered in products made for the average consumer. The bootstrapped company has clients in the health care, retail, food service and logistics industries. Soon, it will add defense, as Social Mobile is contracting with the military to design prototype handheld devices for the U.S. Air Force. The company’s revenue grew 88% to reach $46 million in 2021, fueled by the popularity of its T8, a tablet designed for the restaurant industry. The device is made to withstand intense environments, such as hot kitchens, for businesses dealing with an influx of online and to-go orders.
Pictured: Robert Morcos, CEO
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