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This post is the most up-to-date deals as of Dec. 20.
If 2018 was the year Tampa Bay built its tech and startup ecosystem, 2019 was the year it began to reap the rewards.
2019 is on track to have a sizable year, even compared to a record-breaking 2018. The PwC and CB Insights' MoneyTree report states there was already $82.6 billion raised as of Q3, compared to 2018’s $117 billion. For Tampa Bay, the year in total already outpaced 2018 — the 21 deals as of Q3 have brought in $466 million, compared to the total 21 deals in 2018 that racked up $181 million in investments.
Check out the top 10 deals that contributed to this massive total in 2019.
- KnowBe4's $300M investment. The arguably biggest deal of the year, both monetarily and for the Tampa Bay region as a whole, was the Clearwater-based cybersecurity company's $300 million investment from private equity firm KKR on June 12. This followed a $50 million investment on March 1, also from KKR. The $300 million investment officially put KnowBe4 in unicorn territory, or being valued at over $1 billion.
- ComplianceQuest closed a $36M Series A. The Tampa-based company, which provides software for the life sciences and manufacturing industries, closed its Series A funding round with $36 million total. Insight Partners led the round, which is the first major fundraising round ComplianceQuest has completed. The funds will help the company’s continued global growth. ComplianceQuest has been on the rise in recent months. It ranked No. 163 on Inc. 5000’s “Greatest Entrepreneurs and Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America for 2019,” and is also the youngest company on Gartner’s Market Guide for Quality Management System Software.
- Actio Analytics receives just over $20M. On June 12, Actio Analytics received just over $20 million, according to an SEC report. The SaaS company is Tampa-based with connections to Ontario, where founder Kevin MacNeill reportedly works. According to the filing, the investment came from 25 investors.
- Peerfit gets $18M. The Tampa-based digital health startup that has a focus on bringing co-workers together to work out, garnered the attention of Silicon Valley-based Virgo Investment Group and received the investment March 19. The funds will go on to further expand Peerfit’s new foray into senior citizen fitness with Peefit Move.
- Homee raises $15M. The Tampa-based company created an app that provides on-demand home repair services. Its Series B raised $15 million, led by Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, with existing investors Activate Capital Partners, Florida Funders, Deepwork Capital, and Engage returning for the second round of the company’s financing. The Hartford, State Farm Ventures and Ferguson Ventures were new investors that also joined in for the $15 million total.
- Digital Hands receives $15M. A cybersecurity company that prevents, detects and responds to cybersecurity threats, received a $15 million investment in a round led by Atlanta-based VC firm Fulcrum Equity Partners, according to an SEC filing.
- Omeza raises $8M. Over the course of 2019, Sarasota medtech company raised $8 million. On July 24, it topped out its second funding round at $7.7M. This follows $5.75 million raised on April 1. Omeza focuses on finding cures for chronic wounds and preventing their recurrence.
- Immertec snags $6M. The Tampa-based company snagged $6 million from 24 investors, according to an SEC filing on Oct. 10. Immertec is a medical technology company that helps physicians train and learn remotely, using virtual reality. The Series A funding round was led by New York City-based Benvolio Group, with PAR Inc. and Rise of the Rest also ponying up funds. According to founder Erik Maltais, 50% of participants were strategic investors and none are venture capital funds.
- H-CYTE received $6M. The Tampa-based medtech company with a focus on chronic lung diseases, received $6 million on Nov. 27. The startup received the funding from a group including philanthropists and Tampa natives Rex Farrior and Preston Farrior, as well as Todd Wagner, the co-founder of Broadcast.com. The company owns and operates a slew of medical technology products and services, including treatment for chronic lung disease COPD.
- Lumina raised $5M. A Tampa tech company with a long history of big investments did it again. Lumina, which uses artificial intelligence for predictive analytics and risk sensing, received $5 million on July 8, according to an SEC filing. The company received the full investment they requested from 18 investors. Lumina previously received $8.5 million in August 2017.
