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3 things to know in #MiamiTech: Big move for Miami Tech Life, Endeavor announces ScaleUP cohort, new blockchain accelerator taking applications

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
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Miami Tech Life expands impact mission: Expect more events and benefits

When investors and founders began checking out Miami last year even before the famous mayoral tweet, the Miami tech community rallied to welcome them on Twitter, make intros and invite them for a cafecito. #MiamiTech OG Demian Bellumio set up a WhatsApp group for inviting locals and newcomers to go boating on the weekend, and soon that turned into group bike rides, and all the while the “Miami Tech Life” chat group grew and grew, jumping to Telegram as it outgrew WhatsApp limits and sprouting subgroups.  Miami Tech Life took on a life of its own, connecting newcomers and locals online and through activities and showing newcomers what the tech community is all about.  

Nearly 1,000 people are now part of the Miami Tech Life chat groups, where hundreds of connections and friendships have been made. Bellumio, MTL’s founder, announced this weekend to members that Miami Tech Life is now a Public Benefit Corp., with a double bottom line. MTL will write an impact report every year supporting its mission.

MTL will channel resources for the benefit of the members and the community. Borderless Capital, which announced its relocation to Miami in June, joined as one of MTL’s first sponsors, and other support has been secured, Bellumio said.

“We are trying to try new approaches to Miami to build an ecosystem that is diverse, inclusive and also that goes beyond just work. That is why we have ‘life at the end of Miami Tech. We want to have our members build lasting friendships, get healthier and have happier families,” said Bellumio, who has also recently co-founded a wellness startup, Nue Life.

Going forward, expect more. MTL could be offering curated private dinners and more events such as the CryptoFest that MTL partnered with Algorand on during Bitcoin Conference week in June (photos with this post are from that event),  and perhaps even even sponsor students for tech jobs or launch a fund, Bellumio said. Already on the calendar: free classes at Barry’s Bootcamp, an MTL Halloween Party and a ChoZen Inclusion Retreat. 

“I want to congratulate the team over at Miami Tech Life for their commitment to this City. They’ve played an integral role as we’ve worked to turn this moment into a movement. They built this organization from the ground up to be made for Miami, by Miami – and the sustained success of the Miami Movement relies on partners like them,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, in a statement.

Bike rides and other outdoor activities will still be a big part of MTL, too.

“I have seen many entrepreneurs and investors move to Miami because they were not satisfied with their work/life balance in other places,” Bellumio said. “We now have an opportunity to help them build a happier future in Miami.”

Find out more about Miami Tech Life here.

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Endeavor Miami announces Cohort 4 of ScaleUp Program: Let’s meet them

Endeavor Miami has selected nine companies as part of its ScaleUp Program, Cohort Four. Endeavor’s ScaleUp Program, is a four-month accelerator program designed to support startups with high-impact potential in the Florida ecosystem to scale. Over the course of the program, Endeavor will instruct and mentor the participants using Endeavor’s methodology in peer-to-peer support and expertise in scale-ups. Let’s meet the cohort:

  • Akcelita: Entrepreneur: Rene Yamin. Akcelita provides on-shelf analytics and workflows to players in the retail grocery industry using 3D computer vision and proprietary algorithms.
  • Angle: Entrepreneurs: Valerie Lopez and Andres Echeverry. Angle is a global marketplace that connects users with local professional photographers in over 450 cities worldwide. (Read more on Refresh about Angle here.)
  • BiFarm: Entrepreneur: Wanjun Gao. Bifarm Tech is an AgTech company, providing smart cultivation and micro-climate control for urban farming operations.
  • Ecare21: Entrepreneur: Vadim Cherdak. eCare21 is a platform that combines Remote Patient Monitoring with Telehealth, clinical compliant documentation, and reporting.
  • FacilitaPay: Entrepreneurs: Stephano Maciel, Daniel Alves, and Ricardo Reis
    FacilitaPay provides a cross border payment platform for companies around the globe to process payments locally in Latin America. 
  • GenoBank: Entrepreneurs: Daniel Uribe and Sharon Holm. GenoBank.io leverages blockchain technology (BioNFTs) to help donors establish ownership and control over their biosamples and genomic data. (Read more on Refresh about GenoBank here.)
  • Lynk: Entrepreneurs: Mario Rivero, Joan Prieto, and Javier Vidal. LYNK connects investors with investment strategies worldwide through a digital marketplace with distribution via securities and digital contracts.
  • Overproof: Entrepreneurs: Marc DeKuyper and Jasper Nelissen. Overproof is the first business intelligence company that specializes in brand management, intelligent sales, and marketing execution tools for the beverage, alcohol, and hospitality industries.
  • Storybook: Entrepreneurs: Francisco Cornejo and Daniela Vega. Storybook is an app that combines guided infant massages, narrated bedtime stories, and relaxing music to help parents get their children to relax, bond and fall asleep. 

“Our past participants have gone on to close funding rounds, enter new markets, make new key hires, and turbocharge their growth.” said Claudia Duran, Managing Director of Endeavor Miami. “We’re eager to watch these companies grow in the next few months and can’t wait to see their impact on the greater Miami Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.”

In addition to running its ScaleUp and EndeavorLab (earlier stage) accelerator programs,  Endeavor Miami currently supports 22 companies and 39 entrepreneurs that were selected as global Endeavor Entrepreneurs, including Nearpod, Cameo, NovoPayment and Wyncode.

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Opportunity knocks: Borderless Capital opens accelerator

Borderless Capital said this week that applications are open for  its new Algorand Miami Accelerator in conjunction with its $25 million fund announced in June. Participants of the accelerator, in partnership with Rokk3r and Algorand Foundation, will get $35,000 (part grant, part equity funding) and could be eligible for follow-on investments of $250K to $1 million, according to Borderless Capital. The call for applications is for startups in Miami and Latin America in the blockchain space. Find out more and apply here.

Follow @ndahlberg on Twitter and email her at [email protected]

Nancy Dahlberg
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