While Tampa Bay startup funding may have slipped a bit in May, there were plenty of other deals made in the ecosystem.
From hirings to stealth companies emerging, we covered what you may have missed below.
Acquisitions
- Genesis Systems, the Tampa-based newcomer that says it can create clean water out of literal thin air, acquired its first company. Genesis announced the deal to buy California-based Molecule Inc. for an undisclosed amount, which it says will create the largest IP portfolio of renewable water supply and water-related tech in the world.
- Sarasota-based Helios Technologies, which works in the hydraulics and engineering space, acquired Wisconsin-based i3 Product Development for an undisclosed amount.
- Pure Science Golf, a local golf company that leverages technology to help users better their swing, was acquired by ALTR, which is run by two Tampa Bay golf entrepreneurs. Both companies are based in Clearwater and focus on offering custom fits for golf clubs. Financial details of the acquisition were undisclosed. Get the full details from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
- Tampa-based cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest acquired software and engineering assets from Netherlands-based EclecticIQ. In addition to EclecticIQ's software ReliaQuest will now utilize, they've brought over EclecticIQ's team of engineers. The deal and the number of new employees were both undisclosed. The Business Journal's got the full details.
- Software provider Advantive acquired two companies months after it opened a home base in Tampa. The company, which has a focus on the manufacturing space, announced Tuesday it acquired Connecticut-based VeraCore and Seattle-based ParityFactory, both for undisclosed amounts.
- St. Petersburg-based Black Dog Venture Partners acquired a 20% stake in Giggidy, a St. Pete-based music discovery platform. If this sounds familiar, it's because Black Dog also acquired 20% of St. Pete-based Sober Roots in January.
Launches from stealth mode
Aaron White, best known for his edtech startup Script's exit in 2021, is in stealth mode for his next startup. He was tight-lipped on further details other than it will be a SaaS model in the sales and marketing space. But instead of building it solely alongside his co-founder, Patrick Cahill, the duo is joining TampaBay.Ventures in what White calls an attempt to create a "superteam." Get the story.
Domm Holland, who became widely known after he had to abruptly close his company, Fast, launched a new startup. Holland announced in May the launch of Trady, which uses artificial intelligence to allow service-oriented jobs like contractors, plumbers and electricians to build a site within seconds. Get the story.
Partnerships
Tampa General Hospital partnered with a New York artificial intelligence platform to better help patients get diagnoses and a better picture of their overall health. TGH announced it is rolling out Navina's platform to its primary care physician network on Thursday. It will allow doctors to have a streamlined look at patients' health across the hospital's three counties. It is part of TGH Innoventures, which focuses on innovation within the hospital.
Hiring
- Tampa-based biotech firm Aster Insights, formerly known as M2Gen, tapped Anand Shah as its new CEO. Shah will be replacing Jim Gabriele in the new role immediately. Gabriele served in the role since 2021. Shah previously worked at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs. In his new role, he will focus on elevating Aster's academic research collaborations and developing new products and services.
- Digital Hands, a Tampa-based managed security services provider, hired Chris Murphy as its new chief revenue officer. He previously served as CRO to Virginia-based IronNet. In his new role, he will focus on market expansion and boosting customer experience.
- Tampa-based Funnel Leasing, which offers a renter management software platform, hired Johnny Hanna as its new chief revenue officer. Hanna is a serial entrepreneur in the property technology space, co-founding Utah-based Entrata and Homie, which raised $80 million. In his new role, Hanna will focus on scaling Funnel Leasing's growth to meet demand.
Moves
Tampa-based Verséa Health, which we first wrote about in 2021 for breaking into the Covid testing field, has expanded to downtown Tampa. The biotech company leased 14,000 square feet and plans to add 40 jobs in the next two to three years, on top of its existing 55 employees. The Business Journal's got the details.
Tampa-based Smart Meter, which focuses on remote patient monitoring devices and data, opened a second warehouse space. The 7,500-square-foot space is at 6206 Benjamin Road, with 5,000 square feet of that devoted to manufacturing. Roughly 19 employees currently work in the new space.
