Editor's Note: This story is part of the SFBJ's Year in Review series that spotlights top stories and features of 2023.
Everyone loves a funding story.
At least, that appears to be the case when analyzing Miami Inno's most-read stories of 2023. Two years after bursting onto the national scene, South Florida startups across several verticals continue to attract capital from investors, despite a challenging year for the venture capital and technology industries.
Layoff stories and multiple special sections were also among our most popular articles. Here are some of Miami Inno's top stories of the year in no particular order.
Yuga Labs
In October we reported that Miami-based Yuga Labs — the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection – laid off an unspecified number of employees. The startup had previously raised a massive $450 million in funding. Read the full story here.
Traba
Traba, an online marketplace that connects light industrial workers with businesses that need to fill shifts, raised $22 million to expand into new markets and add more features to its platform. See who provided that funding and more. Read the full story here.
Inno Under 25
In this special section, Miami Inno highlighted young professionals making waves in South Florida's innovation sector. The founders, executives and entrepreneurs on the list were all 25 years old or younger. Read the full story here.
Weo
In March, we covered a funding round completed by Miami-based Weo to bring its "immunity boosting" water bottle to the masses. See which venture capital firm headquartered in France led the funding round and more. Read the full story here.
23 South Florida startups to watch in 2023
At the beginning of the year we took a look at some of the most promising local startups to keep an eye on in 2023. Read the full story here.
Mark Cuban and Kind Designs
Miami Inno readers were especially interested in funding deals backed by billionaire investors. That's probably why so many were drawn to this story about Kind Designs, a Miami startup building 3D-printed seawalls designed to protect shorelines and create ecosystems for marine life. Read the story here.
Marco Financial
In February, fintech Marco Financial received $200 million from MidCap Financial and completed a $8.2 million equity funding round. The company facilitates cross-border trade by providing working capital to small- and medium-sized exporters. Read the story here.
Doroni Aerospace
In May Coral Springs-based Doroni Aerospace kicked off a Regulation D offering to raise additional capital from investors. The company makes an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed for everyday consumers. The vehicle is marketed to commuters who want to avoid traffic congestion. Read the story here.
24 South Florida startups to watch in 2024
Miami Inno's latest edition of Startups to Watch focused on spotlighting early stage startups readers should pay attention to in the new year. The list features companies operating in verticals like health care, transportation, the creator economy and climate technology. Read the full story here.
Kind Designs
Readers were drawn to our coverage of Kind Designs, which makes second appearance on this list. In September the startup completed a $5 million seed round to fund its growth. Soon after, Mark Cuban (see our story above) contributed to the seed round. Read the full story here.
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