Clarify's UK office
Robyn Liebenberg
The year started off on a high note for Tampa Bay's tech scene, and its momentum has only picked up speed in the first half of the year.
From new unicorns crowned to all-time high fundings, to the crypto dip that's struck the nation, we've got the biggest tech stories you might have missed in the first half of the year below. We can only imagine what the second half of 2022 will bring.
The moves
- United Kingdom-based marketing firm Clarify, which counts PayPal and Adobe among clients, tapped Tampa for its U.S. headquarters.
Clarify's U.K. office.
Robyn Liebenberg
- Two Tampa tech execs — including ConnectWise’s co-founder David Bellini — launched CyberFOX, a new tech company focused on managed service providers. The company has roughly 50 employees, with about 70% located in Tampa Bay. Get the story.
- Chicago-based CoinFlip, best known for its bitcoin ATMs, expanded to Tampa and is building a "crypto experience center." The 8,000-square-foot space will open at Sparkman Wharf this summer, where it hopes to bring around 40 new jobs.
- Tampa-based cybersecurity unicorn ReliaQuest is the new title sponsor of the Tampa Bay Bowl, better known as the former Outback Bowl. Founder Brian Murphy hopes it boosts both the awareness of the cybersecurity industry as a whole and the Tampa Bay region.
The ReliaQuest Bowl logo
Lauren Coffey
- Druid Ventures, a $12.9 million fund focused on a newly emerging technology, launched in Tampa. It will focus on investing in early-stage web3 companies; mainly those that have less than a $50 million valuation post-investment. Its goal is to invest in roughly 35 companies over the next three years, according to co-founder Chris Pizzo.
The acquisitions
- St. Petersburg-based BlocHealth was acquired by St. Louis-based SteadyMD for an undisclosed amount — and its founder wants to now turn his attention toward building out the local startup community. Get the story.
BlocHealth's Jared Taylor (left) with SteadyMD's Guy Friedman and Yarone Goren.
SteadyMD
- Tech titan Barry Shevlin's investment firm CAVU Capital was acquired by Tampa-based Hyde Park Capital for an undisclosed amount. But don't expect any lessening of deals — in fact, it will focus even more on funding, mergers and acquisitions. Get the full details.
- Startup-focused Hunter Business Law folded into Tampa-based Trenam Law. Founder Sheryl Hunter said it will help leverage her growing number of clients as the startup scene continues to grow in the region. Get the story.
Sheryl Hunter
Courtesy of Hunter Business Law
The fundings
- Coherent, a global company that tapped Tampa as its U.S. headquarters in 2021, closed a $75 million deal. The Series B round was led by Maverick Capital, and part of the funding will be used to hire in Tampa. The Business Journal's got the scoop.
- Tampa-based Cirkul, the innovative water bottle company that found its viral footing on TikTok, closed a $70 million Series C investment led by New York-based SC Holdings. The investment reportedly boosted its valuation to $1 billion, according to officials.
Cirkul is a Tampa-based company.
Cirkul
- Morphogenesis, one of the first biotech companies in the region, is on track to raise $21.6 million in the next 60 days. It recently closed $9.1 million in funding in July, adding to $5.1 million it raised in November 2021. The funding tear comes under the jurisdiction of its new CEO, former Seattle-based James Bianco, who joined last July. Get the full story on the company and its plans to go public.
And some undisclosed amounts from big-name investors ...
- Base Culture closed its Series D round for an undisclosed amount from Flowers Foods, the maker behind bread giants such as Wonder Bread, Mike's Killer Bread and Nature's Own.
- Spontivly, a community-focused SaaS company, received an undisclosed amount from Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner and charismatic "shark" on ABC's hit show "Shark Tank."
The folds
- Fintech unicorn Fast — which tapped Tampa for its eastern headquarters in 2021 — closed. While the company's time in Tampa was short, CEO Domm Holland bet big on the city. Amalie Arena was the company's first arena client, and Holland joined the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council's executive board as a "Circle of Champions Investor." The Business Journal's got the full story.
Domm Holland, CEO at Fast
Fast
- A year after New York-based crypto firm Celsius opened a Tampa office, the company filed for bankruptcy. The company did not provide an update on the status of its Tampa office, where it planned for 100 local employees, an executive previously told the Business Journal.
Departures and additions
- Tampa-based Spectrio's CEO Dax Brady-Sheehan quietly stepped down, according to a company spokesperson. There's no word on what Brady-Sheehan is up to, but Tamara Bebb, Spectrio's chief financial officer, was named interim CEO. Brady-Sheehan helped usher the marketing tech company through an age of growth and was a finalist for "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst and Young LLP. Get the full story.
Dax Brady-Sheehan, CEO, Spectrio
Courtesy photo
- SOMA Global, a Tampa-based software solution for first responders, appointed Nick Stohlman as its co-founder and chief client officer. He previously served as the company's chief growth officer. He joins fellow co-founder Peter Quintas, who made headlines in 2021 for the company's $22 million raise from Weatherford Capital. You can learn more about the company here.
- Ashish Kachru was named CEO of Tampa-based DataLink Software, a solutions provider focused on the health care industry. He replaces Kevin Steele, who is retiring.
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