The first half of the year has officially come to a close. But at the rate the Tampa Bay technology scene is going, the pace of activity is likely to continue in the second half of 2021.
June was peppered with partnerships between major entities, corporate promotions, and buyouts of Tampa Bay companies further established the area startup scene on the national map.
If you missed any major moves, we've got you covered.
Acquisitions
• Revcontent, a Sarasota-based marketing tech firm, sold a majority stake of its company for an undisclosed amount. New York-based Star Mountain Capital and Switzerland-based Capital Dynamics led the deal, which was part cash and part equity, according to Revcontent officials. Get the full details.
• St. Petersburg-based Presence was acquired by Canadian learner engagement platform Modern Campus for an unknown amount. The partnership will allow Presence to be part of a broader network of 1,400 schools and universities, and Presence founder Reuben Pressman was adamant the company would remain in St. Pete. Get the full story.
Partnerships
• University of South Florida and University of Central Florida researchers teamed up on a transportation technology-focused project that studies defects in bridges all without having to shut down traffic. The project will take an estimated $1.2 million for completion and researchers hope it serves as a guide for continued collaboration along the I-4 corridor. Get the full details of the project.
• RabbitRun, the Canadian company that recently moved its HQ to St. Pete, has teamed up with engineering researchers at the University of Ottawa. The entities are working together to develop machine learning-enabled solutions that can help connectivity issues specifically in home and small office settings (in other words, what most of us have been working on this last year).
• Orlando-based StarterStudio and our local Tampa Bay Wave revamped their three-year-old "Upsurge Florida" partnership to bring a new type of event to town. The "Shark Tank meets Masked Singer" event had founders "pitch" to investors in front of a virtual audience, then reveal if they actually received funding when they first pitched while launching their business. The two organizations hope this will "demystify" the investment process for newbies, and bulk up the capital scene. Learn more here.
• Tampa-based SiteZeus will deploy its technology across Maitland-based Tijuana Flats' 120 locations to help the company choose where, and where not, to open a new location. The tech is already in action — the Mexican fare fast-casual restaurant avoided two locations it otherwise would have taken. Get more details on the partnership here.
People and promotions
• Tampa-based cybersecurity company JustProtect hired Douglas Stasko as its new VP of Global Sales. Stasko previously worked at Israel-based BitDam Inc., leading vertical sales for the Americas.
• Sarasota-based Helios Technologies hired Jason Morgan as its president of the Cartridge Valve Technology department. Morgan previously served as interim CFO for fellow Sarasota company Sun Hydraulics LLC.
• Lakeland-based, STEM-focused Florida Polytechnic University named three tech titans to its Foundation board: Ryan Whittemore, chief investment officer for Tampa-based Florida Funders; Michael Tschanz, director of engineering technology and analysis at Disney Parks in its Experience and Products’ Global Engineering and Technology department; and Adrian Muhammad, managing partner of Orlando-based Jackson | Shah & Company, a tech and innovation-focused consultancy firm.
• Rich Heruska, who previously served as the accelerator director at the Tampa Bay Wave, was named president of TiE Tampa Bay. The position is similar to a board chair and rotates every year and a half.
• Clearwater-based KnowBe4 hired Michael Williams as chief marketing officer. He previously served in marketing roles at D2iQ and Symantec.
• Tampa-based ConnectWise hired Raffael Marty as senior vice president of product management for cybersecurity. Marty was previously chief research and intelligence officer at Forcepoint and had senior leadership roles at PWC and PixlCloud.
• St. Petersburg-based Marxent hired Tom Woiteshek to serve as the company's head of growth with a focus on new strategic initiatives. He previously worked at Carvana on their strategy team.
