Orlando, Fla.—June 3, 2025— Florida Venture Forum, Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, announced today the recipients of $150,000 in award dollars and investment from Space Florida during its 17th annual Early Stage Venture Conference in Orlando.
The conference featured 29 selected companies from a highly competitive pool of applicants across the state. A panel of judges representing Space Florida and Florida Venture Forum evaluated each company based on innovation, market opportunity, and alignment with Florida’s targeted high-growth sectors, including aerospace, defense, and emerging technologies. 6 standout companies were selected to receive a combined total of $150,000 in Space Florida investment to help accelerate their growth and commercialization efforts.
AWARD WINNERS
Accelerating Innovation Award – $50,000
Company Name: Oboro Labs, Inc.
Gainesville, FL
Oboro Labs produces Cyclic Polyolefins on scale. Cyclic polymers, unlike traditional linear polymers, have no chain ends and therefore present many advantages. They are conductive, have lower surface friction, higher melt temperatures, prevent leaching, and more. Applications include printable wire, longer-lasting batteries, safer water bottles, and improved coatings for ships, to name a few.
Accelerating Innovation Award – $50,000
Company Name: Rapta, Inc.
Oregon
With its AI Platform, Rapta automates the deployment of AI for manufacturing, inspection, training and quality control. Rapta supercharges factories by unlocking 30% to 50% new manufacturing capacity with the same workforce and facility by reducing errors, scrap, and labor. The Rapta platform learns an assembly technique from a few correct and incorrect examples and then automatically generates the AI training set including augmentations to accommodate varying lighting, color, and physical geometry.
1st Runner Up – $20,000
Company Name: VeriChem, Inc.
Lakewood Ranch, FL
Verichem, Inc. enables faster, safer drug detection with MagLev, a patented separation tech solving fentanyl and synthetic opioid detection challenges.
1st Runner Up – $20,000
Company Name: Zulu Pods
Coral Springs, FL
Zulu Pods is a defense and aerospace company pioneering next-generation components and subsystems. Founded in 2020 by former Pratt & Whitney engineers, they created the world’s first self-contained lubrication unit—the ZPod—which integrates the reservoir, pump, and nozzle into a single lightweight package. Their products to date reduce complexity, weight, and maintenance demands, making them ideal for attritable jet engines, UAVs, rotorcraft, and fleet sustainment.
Collegiate Award Winner – $5,000
Company Name: Company Name: BounceBack Pickle, representing Florida Gulf Coast University
Collegiate Award Winner – $5,000
Company Name: FireCodes AI, representing Florida Atlantic University
Rob Long, president and CEO of Space Florida, said, “The growth of Florida’s aerospace economy depends on bold, early-stage innovation, and this year’s winning companies are rising to that challenge. Space Florida is proud to play a role in helping them grow, and we’re excited to see how their work shapes the future of the industry.”
Kevin Burgoyne, President and CEO of the Florida Venture Forum, said, “Congratulations to our winning companies – and to all our presenters, who were chosen from hundreds of applicants in a very competitive process. And thank you to our co-host, Space Florida, for all they do to support Florida’s innovation ecosystem. We are very encouraged that the Forum’s conferences and events continue to set records for attendance and support – a positive sign that Florida’s startup ecosystem continues to grow and thrive.”
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Media Contacts:
Pat Schneider, pat@flventure.org
Alayna Curry, APR, acurry@spaceflorida.gov
About the Florida Venture Forum
The Florida Venture Forum is Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, helping fast-growth companies connect with sources of capital from across the country. Since 1984, over 2000 companies have presented at Forum events and raised upwards of $30B in equity capital, producing billions more in economic value to Florida. The Forum’s 500+ members represent a “who’s who” of venture capital and private equity dealmakers, including equity and debt investors at all stages, major law, accounting, and investment banking firms, and large corporates active in the innovation ecosystem. The Forum provides programs and programming statewide throughout the year in addition to hosting major annual conferences like the Florida Venture Capital Conference, the Statewide Collegiate Startup Competition, the Early Stage Venture Conference, and industry-focused events including aerospace and healthcare. For more information, visit: https://flventure.org/
About Space Florida
Space Florida is where leading aerospace companies get everything they need to see their new ideas take off. As the state’s aerospace finance and development authority, Space Florida brings a mix of unrivaled experience, unmatched financial tools, and unbeatable location to the table by providing critical business financing opportunities for the aerospace industry, managing infrastructure investment in the state’s spaceport system, and facilitating research and development, workforce, education, and investment programs.
