A number of companies made promotions in key C-level roles, while other executives moved from their homes in New York and San Francisco to settle in Tampa Bay permanently.
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Although the year is now more than halfway through, the region's tech organizations show no signs of slowdown. A number of companies made promotions in key C-level roles, while other executives moved from their homes in New York and San Francisco to settle in Tampa Bay permanently.
Tampa Bay Inno has gathered up the promotions, relocations, partnerships and acquisitions you might have missed in the last month below. And if you want to see all the funding deals that happened in July, click here.
The moves
- Tampa software company ConnectWise, which may be best known for creating 70 millionaires with its exit in 2019, is moving to downtown Tampa. The company's HQ currently sits in Westshore but will be moving to Park Tower, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. It's unknown if they'll get naming rights of the tower, but its large 65K-square-foot lease shows not all companies are keen to switch to a remote format, unlike coastal cities. The Business Journal has more.
- Stony Lonesome Group LLC, a Connecticut investment group with a focus on defense tech startups, moved its HQ to Tampa. SLC focuses on entities with technology that can be used in both the defense and commercial spaces, including AI and cybersecurity. It's currently in talks with Tampa Bay Wave and entities at MacDill Air Force Base for how to best integrate into the region. Get the full story here.
- HomeLight Closing Services, a real estate technology firm that helps modernize the real estate transaction process, expanded to Tampa and expects to hire more than 100 in the region by the end of the year. The San Francisco-based company moved to a 3.5K-square-foot office space in Westshore Concourse Centers in July. Learn more.
- Many local entrepreneurs have a goal of taking their company to that coveted unicorn level, and new transplant John Sung Kim is no exception. The difference? He founded a company that has now entered into a $14.9B acquisition deal with Zoom. Kim was the founding CEO of Five9, which made headlines last week when it was reported Zoom would buy the company in its first billion-dollar deal. While Kim did not disclose the financial details of just how large his cut would be, he did state what he wants to do with the money: invest at least $1M a year locally, indefinitely.
The partnerships
- PathO3Gen Solutions, a St. Pete-based tech company, has partnered with Georgia-based threeUV to expand its shoe sanitizing stations. PathO3Gen Solutions has multiple patents in its UVC disinfection technology. The partnership will allow its UV Zone Shoe Sanitizing Stations to be in hospitals, schools and workspace facilities across the country.
- St. Petersburg-based Tampa Bay Innovation Center partnered with TampaBay.Ventures, the newly launched $20M fund. The two entities did not disclose if there will be any monetary involvement between them, but the strategic partnership will be a boost regardless — TBIC's startups now have an in with TampaBay.Ventures, and on the flip side, the fund now has a direct pipeline of talent to peruse.
- The University of South Florida is now backed by Microsoft in its quest to help scientists identify and respond to emerging diseases using a system of simulation models. Microsoft gave Edwin Michael, the lead on the project, $165K worth of cloud credits which he can use on software for the project. Learn all about the tech here.
- College Hunks Hauling Junk, the Shark Tank standout that now has dozens of franchises across the country, partnered with Susquehanna Private Capital along with two former International Franchise Association chairs, David Barr and Shelly Sun. The trio gave "minority investments," according to the company's release, and will serve on the company's board to help guide College Hunks in future growth.
- University of South Florida's College of Nursing teamed up with a Tampa medtech startup Edgility to better prepare its nurses for using technology on the job. The duo will be working on a "Health Re-Imagined: The Digital Incubator” program. You can read more about the partnership here.
The promotions
- Tampa-based Ravkoo, which uses a SaaS platform for prescription fulfillment, hired Pranav Patel as its chief technology officer. Patel is a longtime friend of Ravkoo's CEO, Alpesh Patel, and will focus on growing the company's digital assets.
- Tampa-based medtech company NeuX Technologies hired Tim Brown as its chief innovation officer. Brown holds multiple patents for design and sports medicine and created a functional performance apparel line.
- The Florida Venture Forum added two local faces to its growing roster of investors. Marc Blumenthal, general partner at Tampa-based Florida Funders, was among the lineup, along with Dave Chitester, founder of St. Pete-based Seedfunders.
- Venuetize, a Tampa-based technology company with a specialty in streamlining sports and entertainment experiences, hired Lindsay St. Lawrence as chief product officer. It's a newly created role for the company — she previously worked at Mastercard, Nielsen and IRI.
- Tampa software company ConnectWise hired Regina Marrow as its chief information officer. She previously held technology and executive roles at Ernst & Young LLP and Gerdau.
- Tech Data's chief financial officer will be officially stepping down after 25 years with the company, according to documents obtained by the Business Journal. Charles “Chuck” Dannewitz has served in the spot since 2015. The announcement comes at a unique time though — Tech Data is in the midst of an $8B merger. Get the full story.
- Washlava CEO Todd Belveal will be stepping down and Tommy Hart, a former manager at PwC, will be stepping in as CEO.
The acquisitions
- Sarasota-based Helios Technologies, which provides IT and managed service solutions, acquired NEM S.r.l. for an undisclosed amount. NEM is an Italian hydraulic solutions company, and this is Helios' second acquisition of the year. In May, it announced its intentions to acquire a China-based manufacturer and producer in the health and wellness space.
- Tampa-based cybersecurity company OPSWAT acquired New York-based Bayshore Networks for an undisclosed amount. The Business Journal broke down how this is the latest in the company's quest for an IPO here.
