Several local companies attracted investor capital in March.
Getty Images (KrizzDaPaul)
South Florida's technology sector continued to make headlines in March.
Multiple startups in the region closed multi-million dollar fundraising rounds last month in areas ranging from hospitality tech to consumer goods. Other companies announced expansion plans and made key hires. Here's a look at some of the stories you may have missed.
Fundings
- Miami-based Roami (previously called Sextant Stays) closed a $14 million funding round by Vigo Capital, a Florida investment firm. The vacation rental startup provides short-term rentals for groups of travelers in spaces that are at least six times larger than a typical hotel room.
Roami founders Andreas King-Geovanis and Brandreth Canaley
Courtesy of Sextant Stays
- Coral Springs-based Doroni Aerospace raised $3.5 million from 1,956 contributors on StartEngine, an equity crowdfunding website. The company is the maker of the Doroni H1, an electric vehicle takeoff and landing vehicle designed for personal use.
Doroni Aerospace raised $3.5 million on the crowdfunding platform StartEngine.
Doroni Aerospace
- Construction tech startup Togal AI raised $5 million in a pre-seed funding round backed by Miami's Coastal Construction, Tampa-based Florida Funders and other investors. The Miami company uses machine learning to automatically measure the square footage of a space to help contractors make estimates.
Togal CEO Patrick Murphy
Togal
- Rook, a Miami startup that integrates health metrics from wearable devices into existing apps and software, secured $1.7 million in pre-seed funding in a round led by NuFund Venture Group.
Rook is an API-first company that can interpret and compare health insights from wearable devices like smart watches.
Getty Images (Maskot)
- Miami-based SupplyCaddy closed a $3.2 million seed funding round led by CEAS investments. The company manufactures packaging and disposable items for the food industry.
Miami-based SupplyCaddy raised $3.2 million from CEAS Investments.
SupplyCaddy
- Reeco, a marketplace that connects suppliers and buyers in the hospitality industry, secured $10 million in seed funding in a financing round led by Net Capital Ventures and Joule Ventures. The company is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and has a U.S. headquarters in Miami.
Reeco founders Henrik Simony and Omri Shalev
Reeco
- Miami startup Weo, the maker of a portable water bottle with immune-boosting technology, raised $15 million in a series A funding round led by Korelya Capital, a French venture capital firm.
Weo is focused on improving the health and wellness of humans, animals, and plants, by enhancing the natural properties of water with their water calibration technology.
Weo
Hires
- Leigh-Ann Buchanan was appointed president of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, an organization created this year to support equitable and sustainable economic growth in the region's technology economy. Buchanan was previously the president of Aire Ventures.
Miami-Dade Innovation Authority President Leigh-Ann Buchanan
Jock Fistick
- Francesca de Quesada Covey was appointed chief economic development and innovation officer for Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Quesada Covey is also a seed investment advisor for Miami venture capital firm TheVentureCity.
Francesca de Quesada Covey
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
- Pharmaceutical industry veteran Wa’el Hashad was appointed CEO of Longeveron, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing aging-related treatments and medicines for rare pediatric diseases.
Wa’el Hashad is CEO of Miami biotech Longeveron
Longeveron
Expansions
- Hollywood-based Social Mobile is making plans to scale up its operations and acquire businesses after securing a $35 million credit facility from Citi. The mobile device maker will hire more employees, open a larger headquarters office and move manufacturing to new facilities in the U.S., Taiwan and Mexico as part of its expansion.
Social Mobile CEO Robert Morcos
Jock Fistick / South Florida Business Journal
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