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James Zebrowski, executive director of University of Tampa's Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization
Nola Laleye
Some of Tampa Bay's top innovators — and headline makers — gathered on one rooftop Nov. 16 at the Florida Aquarium to celebrate the third annual Fire Awards, hosted by Tampa Bay Inno.
With 30 standout companies that closed some of the biggest deals of the year, the competition was fierce for the annual Blazer Awards. The blazer is given to one organization from each category that is truly a trailblazer in their industry, voted on by a panel of esteemed judges.
The 2021 Tampa Bay Inno Fire Awards blazers are:
- Cirkul — Fundings on Fire: The innovative water bottle company that went viral on TikTok closed a $30 million Series B in August. Cirkul, which raised $6.6 million in November 2020, has seen massive growth since its previous funding. The company has continued to build its TikTok following and hired 100 additional employees from March to June.
- Pocket Network — Fintech/blockchain: The blockchain platform raised $9.3 million six months after launching, while still being 100%-owned by the team due to selling the company's cryptocurrency tokens versus equity. Founder Michael O'Rourke's next goal is to hit 100 million daily requests — or transactions — which it is well on track to achieve in the next 18 months. It currently receives roughly 5 to 10 million requests daily.
- Quiet Professionals — Inno Innovators: The Tampa defense contractor launched a high-tech tracker to help rescue refugees looking to leave Afghanistan. The Quiet Professionals OSINT (open-source intelligence) tracker is able to connect with those in Afghanistan seeking to leave the country after the Taliban took control in mid-August.
- SiteZeus — Partnerships on Fire: The Tampa-based tech company most recently partnered with Tijuana Flats, adding on to its deals with Subway, Burger King, Pollo Tropical and more. The company uses a number of data sets, ranging from traffic patterns to acompany's marketing budget. It was founded in 2014 and launched in 2016 and has worked with more than 100 entities.
- Synzi — Acquisitions on Fire: San Diego-based AMN Healthcare acquired the St. Pete telehealth company in May in a $42 million all-cash deal. Synzi was founded in 2018 and provides remote patient monitoring and virtual care platforms for the outpatient and home health sectors. It will keep its name, brand and office in St. Petersburg and all 35 current employees.
- TrustLayer — Tampa Bay Transplants: Founder John Fohr moved from Silicon Valley to Tampa and quickly caught the attention of investors. He raised $6.6 million in February and another $15.1 million in August. Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik participated in both rounds. His company was founded in 2018 and offers an application that reduces the back-and-forth paper trail between businesses when it comes to verifying business partners — such as vendors, suppliers and subcontractors — credentials and certifications.
- XGen — Software: The Tampa startup, which uses artificial intelligence to help e-commerce companies, raised a $7.5 million seed round in March and grew 400% in its first quarter. Its AI technology adapts to users in real-time, tailoring product recommendations based on the user's behavior.
Check out all 30 of the honorees here.
