South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

Las Olas Venture Capital announced their latest investment in Miami startup Letterhead

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Las Olas Venture Capital, or “LOVC,” has announced their latest investment in a South Florida startup – Letterhead.

LOVC is an early-stage venture fund investing in B2B software companies based in the Eastern US. Founded in 2016 by former entrepreneurs and headquartered in Florida, LOVC is now investing out of its $50M Fund II and typically leads $37M rounds with $1.52.5M checks in businesses with early commercial signals of product-market fit (typically $200K+ ARR). Their low-frequency and high-conviction investment approach (3-5 companies per year) allows us to be deeply collaborative and hands-on with the founders we partner with.

Miami-based Letterhead is a software platform for automating the creation and management of email newsletters, streamlining newsletter creation, distribution, and monetization for publishers and marketing teams to help produce meaningful content at scale. The company aims to revolutionize newsletter content automation. The company was founded in 2020 by Rebekah Monson, Bruce Pinchbeck, and Christopher Sopher.

“Rebekah and Chris have brought a unique content-centric perspective to the world of email communication, building a compelling solution for organizations of all sizes to leverage the power of personalization to communicate on the most enduring first-party channels there is,” said Sim Blaustein, Partner at BDMI.

Leveraging AI, Letterhead empowers users to manage multiple newsletters with the workflow of one, improving efficiency and scalability while retaining the ability to create quality, personalized, and bespoke products. Letterhead’s software works with a customer’s existing content management system and email service provider, enabling any company to use its tools with minimal switching costs.

“Our vision is to help every company engage their audiences with meaningful media content,” said Christopher Sopher, co-founder and CEO of Letterhead. “As changes to cookies and privacy rules make owning your audience more critical than ever, we think it should be way easier for teams to create quality content products for every segment of their community. Our first step is making it possible for any business to create great newsletters in a fraction of the time.”

Letterhead is trusted by the publishers of over 1,800 newsletters, indicating a strong market fit and demand for more intelligent audience engagement software. Customers include leading brands like Techstars and Salon.

The $5.3 million seed funding round, led by LOVC, is joined by Reign Ventures with participation from BDMI, Florida Opportunity Fund, and McClatchy. Letterhead will use the fresh infusion of capital to continue developing the platform, expand the team, and accelerate growth as it continues to innovate how newsletters are produced and managed. 

The Letterhead investment serves at LOVC’s 26th portfolio company and the 5th one for the 2023 year. 25 of the companies are currently active and the 26th being an exit. 20% of the active portfolio companies are in the state of Florida. LOVC currently has one additional deal expected to close soon and a second pending. 2023 was a big year for the firm and they expect to grow even more into 2024!

The Letterhead team is looking to make some critical hires across product, engineering and sales. Interested parties, can check out LOVC’s Portfolio Jobs & Careers Page and apply to the positions that match your qualifications at any of their portfolio companies.

“While there are many traditional email marketing products, none are focused on content-driven engagement like Letterhead is,” said Nate Vasel, partner at LOVC. “We were impressed with the team’s vision for an owned audience future powered by AI and automation and their consistent execution to grow the business.”

Born out of pure necessity, Letterhead is actually a spinoff of a product created for the co-founders other business, WhereBy.Us which launched the local Miami media site, The New Tropic. Once it began focusing on email newsletter formats, the business took off. People would ask about the tools used and ask the team if they could use them. After enough no answers, they decided to find a way to say yes and turn it into a business.

Media companies, nonprofits, higher education institutions, professional associations all began using the Letterhead tool increasing profits through AI, data analytics, integrations and the ability for clients to implement paywalled subsections, newsletters advertisements, easy-to-use templates and more.

To learn more about Letterhead, please visit https://letterhead.ai/

By Nikki Cabus

GOVO Venture Partners Co-Leads $5M Seed Round in Climate-Tech Startup Kind Designs

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GOVO Venture Partners, along with M4 Investing and the Florida Opportunity Fund, is co-leading a $5M seed investment round in Miami-based Kind Designs.

This is the third portfolio company investment GOVO has made since announcing the launch of its venture fund, GOVO Fund I, in January.

It’s estimated that by the year 2100, Miami will be completely submerged by water by 6 – 10 feet “resulting in mass migration,$217 Billion in lost homes and Miami being submerged,” according to the Kind Designs. Empowering nature with technology, Kind Designs is a climate-tech startup that’s addressing rising sea-levels by revolutionizing the outdated and traditionally toxic seawall construction industry.

Through its use of innovative,  patent-pending 3D printing technology, and eco-friendly materials, Kind Designs is producing the world’s first 3D-printed Living Seawalls™️. The Living Seawalls™️ mimic coral reefs and mangroves which protect coastal communities from floods and storm surges, while creating marine habitats that host biodiversity and improve the quality of the water, The Living Seawalls sequester carbon and collect essential water quality data through embedded sensors.

Anya Freeman, Kind Design’s founder and CEO shared, ”we are thrilled to have a Florida-based firm with deep roots in the community and government expertise lead our round, enabling us to protect all coastal cities with Kind’s Living Seawalls and grow far beyond our home state of Florida.”

In a recent social media post, Anya also shared this sentiment, “Your team of investors knows how to get stuff done. It’s GO TIME in Miami!!”

Rob Panepinto, GOVO’s managing general partner, said of the investment, “In response to sea level rise, government agencies throughout the world will seek to adopt policy and guidance for ecologically responsible sea walls. By applying its proprietary and innovative technology, Kind Designs is setting the standard and solving a global problem. We look forward to collaborating with our co-investors and the Kind Designs team as they work to become the market leader in the space.”

 

GOVO Venture Partners is a Winter Park, Florida based company. GOVO Fund I is a venture fund that invests, seed round through series A, in early stage companies for which doing business with government or navigating government regulations is an important success factor.

4 Investing is a Florida based family office that owns and operates a diverse portfolio of companies. The firm also invests in real estate, private equity funds, and direct venture capital.

Earlier this summer, The Florida Venture Forum and co-host, Space Florida, hosted the 2023 Aerospace + EmergingTech Forum awarding over $200,000 in cash and VC investment and Kind Designs took home $40,000. In addition to the cash prizes awarded, DeepWork Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Orlando, is announced they will also invest in Kind Designs.

Read more here.

By Nikki Cabus

Endear Health announces $8M in new funding and additional strategic partners

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Endear Health announced it has successfully closed an $8M funding round from new and current investors including Optum Ventures, Blue Cross of Idaho, 8VC and additional strategic partners.

The funds will be used to accelerate the development and expansion of Endear Health’s proprietary platform, which improves the way value-based care organizations deliver digital experiences to their members.

Endear Health is the first digital engagement platform built for the rapidly evolving value-based landscape and on a mission to fundamentally improve the Medicare experience. Founded in 2021 and backed by Optum Ventures, 8VC and additional strategic partners, Endear Health is focused on reducing the hurdles older adults face while navigating an increasingly digital world through development of innovative consumer-centric engagement solutions. The company believes that seniors who are accustomed to receiving assistance and care across nearly all facets of their daily lives should receive that same high level of support when it comes to how they access healthcare.

According to recent studies, 61% of adults aged 65 and older own a smartphone, and 73% of them use the internet daily1. Endear Health recognizes the untapped potential of technology in improving the lives of older adults and aims to bridge the digital divide by offering user-friendly solutions that cater to their unique needs.

With Endear Health, organizations can offer members a personalized and intuitive digital platform, purposefully designed for seniors, which integrates educational resources, core benefits, and supplemental benefits into a single location. Additionally, through a marketplace of scalable integrations with third-party digital health vendors, Endear Health empowers payors to quickly deploy innovative programs in an efficient manner ultimately resulting in better member satisfaction and improved overall health outcomes.

“Blue Cross of Idaho remains at the forefront of closing gaps in care for Idahoans, and we are constantly seeking innovative, frictionless ways to improve the health and wellness of our members. We are excited to invest in Endear Health’s member-centric, digital solutions that connect seniors with plan benefits, programs, and even reminders for a check-up or screening.” Drew Hobby, Chief Revenue Officer for Blue Cross of Idaho.

The latest funding round represents a significant milestone for Endear Health, reflecting the growing recognition of the company’s promising impact on the healthcare industry, particularly for older adults. With the new capital injection, Endear Health is well-positioned to scale its operations, expand its team, and continue innovating its platform to meet the evolving needs of Medicare Advantage plans and risk-bearing entities nationwide.

“Everyone deserves access to the highest levels of healthcare and support, and at Endear Health, we’re dedicated to making that a reality. Enormously grateful to our exceptional team, advisors, investors and early partners for all their support. More to come!,” wrote Co-Founder & COO, Michael Chappelear, in a recent social media post.

By Nikki Cabus

FAU Tech Runway announces the 16 startups of cohort 12

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FAU Tech Runway® recently announced the 16 companies accepted to participate in the 12th cohort of its Venture Program.

FAU Tech Runway is a South Florida public-private partnership that serves as a hub to accelerate technology development and incubate startup companies. The Venture Program provides the most promising startups and talented entrepreneurs in South Florida with an opportunity to join a year-long program that offers resources from FAU’s Innovation and Business Development pipeline, entrepreneurial instruction, structured team-based mentoring, networking, marketing and capital-raising assistance, co-working space, events, intern support, and other vital programs.

Companies accepted into the Venture Program must have strategic alignment with FAU’s research focus areas, including drone technologies; educational technologies; environmental science; marine science; ocean engineering; neuroscience; healthy aging; big data analytics; artificial intelligence; machine learning; cyber security; sensing; and smart systems.

The 16 companies in Venture Class 12 are:

  • Clinical Fitness provides a safe environment where clients can be guided and educated by medical professionals in the proper use of gym equipment.
  • DashOne is a developing wearable tech that empowers athletes to improve their form and performance in real time through reinforcement cues and in-depth analytics.
  • DealHero, LLC is a web platform designed to connect military, veterans and first responders with businesses that support them by offering deals and discounts on their products and services.
  • Glowby Lightbulbs are patent-pending, long-lasting, rechargeable lightbulbs for places where running wiring is impossible or impractical. Install lighting fixtures anywhere and have easy, instant light that can last years before requiring a recharge.
  • Housing Nonprofit is a platform connecting renters with housing grants to purchase a home. Their technology analyzes the requirements for all incentives to buy a house and allow users to check eligibility for all programs via a single form.
  • HUMM STAFFING is an app platform that connects healthcare professionals with hospital shift work.
  • Integral Vista Solutions is a company that provides innovative technological solutions to improve the efficiency and profitability of residential service companies.
  • Kastaco connects talent such as models, actors, voice-over artists, singers and musicians with valuable opportunities.
  • MM COMMUNICA INC is a digital public relations firm dedicated to helping small businesses and personal brands improve their reputation and authority online.
  • Printed Patio uses concrete 3D printing to generate bespoke landscape and architectural features.
  • Puttrax 360 is golf’s first AR gaming and training experience for putting, where computer vision technology automatically tracks and scores every putt.
  • RideGuide is an app that provides a highly customized library to educate drivers on the proper use and operation of features and technology in their cars using videos, searchable manuals and how-to guides.
  • SecureTec ID is a software mobile application that uses biometric data gathered from contactless fingerprints for the community and policing. It also provides identification and additional intel, utilizing numerous databases, to promote and encourage safety.
  • Telly College LLC empowers students to maximize their college experience, by use of daily on- and off-campus events with voting and attendance stats.
  • Therapy in a Click aims to establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uplifts mental health care accessibility by offering free virtual therapy sessions with licensed mental health professionals to high school students within Palm Beach County.
  • Wisp Energy LLC (WE) will employ a proprietary Dual Axis Wind Turbine (DAWT) using advanced AI and ML to improve wind turbine performance, adding variables to the wind interaction and yielding improvements of more than 30 percent in efficiency and/or ROI.

Venture Class 12 participants join a robust community of fellow entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, instructors and top-level support professionals.

FAU Tech Runway® is a public-private partnership formed to incubate and accelerate early-stage technology-based companies, under the purview of FAU’s Division of Research . Applications for the next cycle of the Venture Program will open in Fall 2023.

For more information on FAU Tech Runway® Venture Program, visit https://www.fau.edu/techrunway/tech-runway-venture-program/

By Nikki Cabus

New real estate tech platform DASH has launched in South Florida

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DASH just announced the launch of its exclusive online platform created exclusively for licensed residential agents.

The platform gives agents access to verified and current development marketing materials, data and insights in a single user-friendly platform for a low monthly fee. DASH’s new platform provides a universally desired solution to the universally acknowledged problem of property discovery and identifying accurate developer content. Unlike other property platforms on the market, DASH is built specifically to help residential real estate agents find and share new development inventory data, so they can focus on what they do best — selling real estate.

The platform’s pilot market is launching in the South Florida tri-county area in July with plans to expand into the nation’s top 10 markets within the next 30 months. This user-friendly tool ensures reliable communication, transparency, and accuracy while helping agents focus on what matters most to them: Sales. DASH is destined to become the “go-to source” for new development updates and information. It provides perfectly formatted marketing materials (photos, renderings, floorplans, brochures, graphics) that can be efficiently accessed and shared anywhere, anytime, under the agents’ personal branding. DASH subscribers will have a competitive advantage by dramatically reducing research and discovery time, allowing them to realize greater sales at a faster pace.

DASH was created by industry veteran Len Dugow, who has over thirty years of experience in the real estate industry, leading branding and marketing strategies that have resulted in more than $40 billion in residential real estate sales for some of the most prominent developers and brokerage firms across the nation.

“In today’s rapidly changing markets, particularly in regions experiencing soaring demand like South Florida, it is more important than ever for agents to have access to reliable information,” said DASH Founder and CEO Len Dugow. “The current system is ‘old fashioned’ causing agents many hours of wasted time chasing information that’s inaccurate, along with compromising their professional reputations. With this innovative tool, sales teams can work more efficiently and effectively than ever before to communicate with developers and provide their prospects with information they can count on to close deals.”

DASH provides market-ready, developer-approved content at agents’ fingertips. It showcases a wealth of exclusive developer inventory, spanning pre-and new construction and all developer inventory of condos, hotel condos, penthouses, townhomes and single-family communities. Three years in development, DASH is the product of a true collaboration with a network of the nation’s top residential developers, brokerages and agents. Douglas Elliman, Compass, Corcoran, Related, BH3, One World Properties, BHS, ONE Sotheby’s Realty, Zeckendorf, Oak Capital and Swire Properties, among many others, came together to provide their insights and feedback.

Len Dugow’s innovative ideas have revolutionized how developers, brokerage, and agents collaborate in major markets such as New York City, South Florida, California and beyond, paving the way for a new era of efficiency and success. With DASH, his latest venture, the industry is about to experience a transformative shift towards a more future-forward approach to residential real estate sales.

DASH is a revolutionary PropTech platform that provides a one-stop solution for licensed residential real estate agents’ marketing needs. The dual revenue SaaS company has the most comprehensive database of developer-approved, project-specific content and inventory that is perfectly formatted to be efficiently shared on all channels — anywhere, anytime. Designed to streamline and maximize efficiency and day-to-day processes, DASH is a user-friendly platform that ensures effective communication, reliability and transparency between agents, developers and their on-site brokerage. The platform enhances the process of project research, discovery and information gathering to help produce more sales.

By Nikki Cabus

Verizon’s Community Partnership Chat with Palm Beach-Based Startup Imanyco

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Verizon’s Director of Local Engagement, State & Local Government Affairs, Merdochey LaFrance, sat down with Saïda Florexil, founder of Imanyco, a company that created a real-time transcription technology called Comunify that assists deaf and hard-of-hearing people during in-person group conversations. Their conversation touches on Imanyco’s participation in Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator.

Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator is part of Citizen Verizon, their business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement to help move the world forward for all. Verizon is on a mission to leave the world better than we found it by accelerating emerging solutions using 5G, MEC, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, & Extended Reality.

The current cohort’s focus is on Disability Innovation. Working with the disability community, Verizon is unlocking more than access, but advancing new technology to unlock opportunity for everyone. Verizon is working with startups who “authentically integrate people with disabilities into executive leadership roles, and have validated their solutions within the disability community” which is why Imanyco was a perfect fit for the current cohort as they work to support the deaf and hard of hearing community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26% or 61 million Americans live with with a disability. Just to be clear, that’s 1 in 4 people. Additionally, 5.9 percent of people with a disability are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing and the percentage of people living with disabilities is higher in the south.

As a deaf person herself, Saida understands what’s it’s like to not be able to fully be a part of a group conversation. Although she reads lips and body language very well, this is only helpful when communicating with a single person. Once in a group setting you can’t pay attention to multiple people, distinguish who is saying what and when, and often miss the majority of the conversation.

Comunify aims to be the most convenient live transcription app for the deaf and hard of hearing community that quickly and reliably identifies multiple speakers in a group conversation to allow each person to be better engaged and involved when others are speaking to them.

“While working with Verizon we were able to launch a testing program for our app and collect feedback from a diverse group of people. Verizon helped us to improve our product quality in terms of functionality, accessibility, and user experience and also helped us solidify a growth strategy,” said Saida. “As a company and as an entrepreneur, receiving support from a company such as Verizon opens up new opportunities.”

Check out the full conversation here to learn more about Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator and Communify by Imanyco.

By Nikki Cabus

Boca Raton startup Owwll officially launches connecting experts for instant 1:1 advice

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As Elon Musk said “Instead of baby showers, let’s host business showers. When a friend starts a business, we all come together, celebrate them and bring resources for their business to start!” This was all Jason Hill, Founder of the Owwll app, needed to hear.

About 100 people attended the official community launch and business shower for the Owwll app held at the NSU Alan Levan Innovation Center in Davie, FL. As one of the first companies to go through the Incubate Program at the new center, the Owwll team felt is was only fitting to have the launch in the new space.

With a panel, drinks & hors d’oeuvres, a live interactive podcast booth, photo booth, and raffles and prizes, the event was full of energy. Panelists included those such as Olivia Gaudree, Partner and Core Analyst at Fuel Venture Capital and Steven Edwards, Founder & CEO of Premier Virtual, and other founders, lawyers, and investors.

“It’s so hard to launch a business so why not throw a shower. All these people that attended came with love, came with gifts, and celebrated the launch of Owwll,” said Jason Hill, as he said with a smile. “

Hill told Tech Hub that the idea for Owwll all started during his commutes to work. While we drive, we listen to podcasts and audio books, but you never get the chance to speak to these experts directly. Hill began reaching out to these experts on Instagram and LinkedIn to have no response 9 out of 10 times.  Even when they responded, getting a meeting set was a whole other issue.  Hill said he knew the world needed a platform where people could connect with one another on demand through audio calls at a moments notice and this was a gap that we had in the market that could be filled. Out of frustration and necessity, the idea for Owwll was born.

“From first hearing about the idea, giving feedback on different logo/mascot versions, and having Owwll pitch first the first time in front of a public audience at a Tech Hub pitch night during GEW 2021, it’s been so exciting t0o watch the growth of Owwll,” said South Florida Tech Hub CEO, Nikki Cabus. “Knowing that Owwll had the support of local organizations such as South Florida Tech Hub, OZ Digital Consulting, and the Alan Levan Innovation Center is even better.”

Jason has been working with Murray Izenwasser and his team at Fort Lauderdale-based OZ Digital Consulting over the past 18 months to build and perfect the app. As a local company, OZ appreciates being able to support local and help grow South Florida’s growing and successful tech community. OZ Digital Consulting is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

Before a full-scale launch, the application was tested using TestFlight, a software that implements real-time patchwork while getting direct feedback from Beta testers. After a couple of months, the interface between users, creators, and development had proven itself worthy of being downloaded by the masses.

“It was an incredible experience partnering with Jason on his entrepreneurial journey, from those initial conversations where the idea behind Owwll wasn’t even written down on a napkin,” Izenwasser told South Florida Tech Hub.

“Seeing his ideas come to shape and finally to the public launch has been one of the most rewarding projects of my career. And no client has done more or worked harder than Jason to drive his well-earned success. The entire OZ team is very excited to have been a part of bringing Owwll to flight.”

The app now has over 3000 users and growing with hot topics such as Startups, Entrepreneurship, Social Media, Podcasting, Marketing and even some folks from Hollywood and different musicians. Anyone with a large audience on social tend to enjoy the benefits of being able to connect to their audience better.

Download the app from the Apple iTunes store, or the Google Playstore to gain access to one-on-one sessions.

By Nikki Cabus

Apply to Tech.Co’s Startup of the Year Competition!

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Attention startups! Tech.Co is accepting application for their 5th annual Startup of the Year Competition. This annual event attracts tech leaders, influencers and investors to early-stage startup companies.  Deadline is May 31st, 2017! Apply now!

 

What is Tech.Co’s Startup of the Year Program?

Each year, thousands of startups vie for a chance to compete at the annual Startup of the Year competition hosted at the Innovate! and Celebrate conference. Produced in partnership with Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the producers of CES, the 3-day event will happen in San Francisco in October 2017. Startups selected to participate will have the opportunity to win the title of Startup of the Year, as well as prizes, potential investment, and more.

 

What makes this competition different?

Tech.Co’s Startup of the Year program encourages women and minority founders to apply and connects them to a vast network of resources looking to help such entrepreneurs thrive. We strive to have startups from all 50 states represented at our competition as well, and recognize local ecosystems that the mainstream media often overlooks.  

Application Deadline: May 31, 2017-  CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW!

 

What types of startups are eligible to participate in the competition?

Tech.Co seeks the most innovative early-stage companies out there from a variety of verticals.

Startup Qualifications:

  • Startups must have less than $4 MM USD in funding
  • Startups must be less than 4 years old
  • Startups must have a live, operating product or service
  • Startups must be INNOVATIVE!
Las Olas Venture Capital announced their latest investment in Miami startup Letterhead
GOVO Venture Partners Co-Leads $5M Seed Round in Climate-Tech Startup Kind Designs
Endear Health announces $8M in new funding and additional strategic partners
FAU Tech Runway announces the 16 startups of cohort 12
New real estate tech platform DASH has launched in South Florida
Verizon’s Community Partnership Chat with Palm Beach-Based Startup Imanyco
Boca Raton startup Owwll officially launches connecting experts for instant 1:1 advice
Apply to Tech.Co’s Startup of the Year Competition!