MIAMI, FLA. – January 10, 2024 – Florida Venture Forum, Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, today announced the companies selected to present at its 2024 Florida Venture Capital Conference, being held January 31-February 1, 2024 in Miami.
This year companies will be pitching in three main groups, Growth Stage, Early Stage and Healthcare. The latter pitching during the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Ben Patz, Managing Partner at DeepWork Capital and Florida Venture Forum Selection Chair, said, “To support its expanded programming, the Florida Venture Forum has solicited presenting companies in Early, Growth and Healthcare sectors. The selection committees for each sector were impressed with the quantity and quality of applicants and while they hoped for an easier selection process because of the segmentation, selection has gotten even more competitive. We are excited to announce the presenting companies.”
Kevin Burgoyne, President and CEO of the Florida Venture Forum, said, “We are extremely excited to offer attendees at this year’s conference a record number of presenting companies that represent the best and brightest venture-ready innovators from Florida, and beyond. On behalf of the Forum, I want to thank our staff, and selection committee leaders and members who worked so hard to choose these amazing startups. And, finally, congratulations to the companies, and their founders and teams.”
The 2024 Florida Venture Capital Conference will take place January 31 – February 1, 2024, in Miami. For more information and to register visit: https://flventure.org/florida-venture-capital-conference/
Participating companies, by region:
Central & East/West Central Florida
Aqualung Therapeutics (https://www.aqualungtherapeutics.com/) Juno Beach, the company is a biotech company that has developed a next generation mAb that targets an upstream protein/biomarker (eNAMPT), which treats “unchecked inflammation and fibrosis”. This platform technology can treat numerous inflammatory conditions and is designed to address the unchecked inflammation and fibrosis elicited by dysregulated innate immunity pathways. This company will be presenting during the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Corvivo Cardiovascular Gainesville, the company provides regenerative devices to help surgeons heal patients suffering from heart damage or disease. Corvivo is disrupting the $10B structural heart market seeking to be the first to receive FDA approval for a tricuspid valve and a regenerative heart valve. They are currently enrolling patients in its tricuspid valve pivotal study, expecting to complete enrollment in the coming year. It has already received clearance for a product that surgeons use to repair the heart wall after myocardial infarction. This company will be presenting during the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit
Cytonics Corporation (https://cytonics.com/) Jupiter, the company is developing therapies for osteoarthritis. Their technology resides in the cartilage-protecting activity of a blood protein called “A2M,” which potently inhibits the catabolic enzymes that destroy cartilage in arthritic joints. Faced with the opportunity to capture an enormous global market (est. $200-400B spent globally on palliative treatments for joint pain and inflammation), we commercialized a therapy predicated on Platelet Rich Plasma. Called the “Autologous Protease Inhibitor Concentrate” (APIC) system, this first-generation treatment for osteoarthritis concentrates A2M from patients’ blood for direct injection into damaged joints. This company will be presenting during the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Everix (https://www.everixopticalfilters.com/) Orlando, the company has developed a new manufacturing method of high-performance optical filters with unprecedented features that enable new product development for OEMs, reduce the size of devices, improve unit economics and lower energy consumption. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Fire Neural Network (https://www.fireneuralnetwork.com/) Gainesville, the company Lightning (HRL™) detector and artificial intelligence, then uses an in-house American made autonomous drone (Firebird™) to verify the reporting. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
GOBEL (http://www.gobelgroup.com/) St. Petersburg, the company is a technology-enabled professional services company that helps healthcare non-profit organizations raise more philanthropic revenue. Their clients grow 6 times faster than the industry average. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Honeyfund.com (http://www.honeyfund.com/) Clearwater, the company provides a wedding registry-style funding account for couples looking receive the gift of funds from friends and family. Couples can also register for digital gift cards. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Hook Security (https://www.hooksecurity.co/), Lakeland, the company is the world’s first Psychological Security Awareness Training company that is moving training from technology experts to training experts through its use of psychology, neurology, and educational research. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
iSOCRATES (https://www.isocrates.com/) St. Petersburg, the company advises on, builds, manages & owns mission-critical Marketing, Advertising and Data platforms, technologies and processes as the Global Leader in MADTech Resource Planning and ExecutionTM serving publishers, marketers, agencies/consultancies and their enablers. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Kalogon (https://www.kalogon.com/) Melbourne, the company’s products relieve pain and fatigue experienced by individuals who are seated for extended periods of time by leveraging patent-pending core technologies which improve blood flow promoting good tissue health and increasing comfort. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
MedBot (https://medbot.com/) St. Petersburg, the company is a digital marketplace that integrates with your practice EHR. They help physicians sell retail products directly to their patients through our automated marketing platform. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Medzoomer (https://medzoomer.com/), Tampa, the company is logistics startup solving medication access and adherence through last-mile prescription medication delivery. They have the software, data aggregation tools, and driver fleet to move medications from where they are to where they need to be: into the hands of patients, safely and securely. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Myosin Therapeutics (https://www.myosintherapeutics.com/) Jupiter, the company is revolutionizing healthcare by developing molecular nanomotor-targeted therapies that address the root causes of diseases. Our leading candidates, MT-110 and MT-125, represent groundbreaking therapeutics for substance use disorders and various cancers, including Glioblastoma, a $3B market opportunity with a life expectancy of less than 12 months post-diagnosis. MT-110 and MT-125 are set to enter clinical trials in H2 2024. Through strategic partnerships with the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), they have seamlessly advanced this technology and licensed the intellectual property. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
ProHawk AI (https://prohawk.ai/) Lake Mary, the company is dedicated to saving lives by making the world a better and safer place. ProHawk is an Ai enabled computer vision company that converts nighttime risks to daytime safety levels at the critical moment in time. ProHawk’s patented technologies operate real-time, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and overcome all environmental obstacles (rain, snow, fog, night, glare, pollution) for innumerable applications across Military, Law Enforcement, Safety & Security, Medical and other sectors. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
ProtoLytic, LLC (https://www.protolytic.com/), Tampa, the company with substantial backing from Sweet and National Medal of Science winner Dr. Leonard Kleinrock, focuses on refining healthcare technology to improve medical treatment analysis and financial accuracy. ProtoLytic has introduced two key products: one simplifies intricate managed care operations, and the other provides advanced algorithmic and AI decision support for treatment and insurance payments. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
QwikCut LLC (http://www.qwikcut.com/) Deland, the company provides a game-film analysis platform (The Platform) for colleges, high schools, middle schools, and club teams. Coaches can store, share, and analyze game film all on one system. Teams have a choice of using just the QwikCut platform for an annual fee or they can add on stat breakdowns of their games, AI Cameras to be mounted in the gymnasiums and sideline replay hardware for football. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Service Near (https://www.servicenear.com/) Tampa, the company is a real estate technology firm operating in three revenue segments: brokerage investment, property management, and on-demand home services. With a robust network of over 400 investors, it currently oversees more than 500 properties across the Great Tampa Bay area, managing assets exceeding $200 million and an annual revenue of $2 million. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
SkyMirr (http://www.skymirr.com/) Satellite Beach, the company uses AI to design revolutionary RF (Radio Frequency) technology and products for Wireless Terrestrial/Satellite Communication and Wireless Healthcare/Biomedical applications. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
UNKNOT.I.D. (http://www.unknot.id/ Orlando, the company tackles the growing safety concerns of soft targets by providing an innovative solution that precisely tracks security personnel. This enables faster response times, enhanced forensic capabilities, and optimized personnel coverage, leading to reduced crime rates. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
VerdeGo Aero (https://verdegoaero.com/), Daytona Beach, the company produces hybrid-electric aerospace powerplants for electrified aircraft and drones. VerdeGo makes enhances the mission capabilities by 5X to 10X for sustainable electric aircraft. They also make the next generation of military aircraft and drones far more capable as they are increasingly electrified. Their three primary product lines range from 150kW to 1.5MW of electrical power for aircraft capable of transporting 2 to 20 passengers or 500lb to 5,000lb of cargo. Their systems are compatible with e-fuels or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to bridge the gap between the benefits of electrification and the benefits of next generation sustainable fuels. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Voicescript (https://voicescript.ai/) Cocoa, the company is the only company in the legal and related markets that has a complete end-to-end multichannel recording platform, highest accuracy automated speech-to-text, and full suite of transcript production tools for both in-person and remote proceedings, interviews, and meetings. Their Web and desktop solutions are fully integrated into one system which meets the needs for independent professionals while also supporting API/integration to support scaling for the largest reporting agencies and enterprise use cases. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
X-lumin (https://x-lumin.com/), Merritt Island, the company is powering the widespread use of optical wireless communication products. They provide turn-key systems for ground-to-space laser communication, land-based optical wireless communication, and space situational awareness with advanced integration capabilities. They deliver interoperable “whole system solutions” that come with the market’s most versatile and comprehensive software management platforms, XOS, that includes AI-driven beam correction and the XOS Turbulence Mitigation System™ and is the market’s most sophisticated tool for Precision Optical Pointing and Tracking (OP&T). This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Northeast Florida
Railspire (https://www.railspire.com/) Jacksonville, the company employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to autonomously drive locomotives with a novel and proprietary approach that makes rail transportation more competitive by reducing locomotive-related headcount by 50-100%, moving cargo more quickly and increasing capacity and reducing asset wear and tear and cargo damage. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Southeast Florida
AeonCharge (https://www.aeoncharge.com/) Miami, the company enables electric vehicle (EV) drivers to access any charging station across network operators through their preferred interface – in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system, their favorite parking apps, or a preferred route planner. Through their proprietary JustPlug technology, easily start and pay and start any charging session simply by plugging in the charger. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Anatomie (https://anatomie.com/) Miami, the company is a fashionable travel and leisure apparel company with a cultlike following from the most enviable customer segments. Mindful of the planet and its people, Anatomie seeks to empower and inspire clients to travel their world in comfort and style. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Cypienta (https://cypienta.com/) North Palm Beach, the company is the only solution that truly connects the dots in the sea of cyber security events, correlating seemingly disparate events, and uncovering stealthy coordinated attacks that would otherwise go unnoticed. While existing incident correlation solutions use rule-sets to find well-known attack scenarios, Cypienta’s models leverage event abstraction and probabilistic sequential detection to expose targeted attacks lurking in an organization. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
EVQLV (www.evqlv.com/) Surfside, the company uses their technology to generate antibody sequences that we then license to our clients. The antibody sequences are the recipes to produce the AI-designed antibodies. The sequences are deeply valuable products to biotechs because they serve as foundational IP. And because the sequences have been screened by AI before the lab, the risk of failure is lowered. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Freebee (www.ridefreebee.com) Miami, the company is transforming public transit, focusing on first and last-mile connectivity. Their innovative service offers FREE on-demand, 100% electric transportation seamlessly integrated into municipalities, universities, and private transit networks, reducing car dependency for vibrant, vehicle-free communities. In simple terms, they’re connecting people with the world around them, while aiding economic development, and advocating for a greener earth. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
intelligent Observation (http://www.intelobserve.com/) Miami, the company is the market leading SaaS platform used by Hospitals to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAI’s) and their associated costs. Intelligent Observation’s hand hygiene compliance monitoring and improvement system uses unique, patented technology to accurately monitor hand hygiene compliance of clinical staff members before, during and after patient interactions. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Keybe (https://keybe.us/), Miami, the company uses AI-powered SaaS streamlines conversational commerce to enhance business conversions by enabling sales agents to focus on closing deals, free from operational burdens and limitations. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Mavi.io ( https://mavi.io/) Miami, the company brings easy, curated shopping to the dashboards of customers’ vehicles. Thei payment-enabled Connected Cars meet the needs of the “I Need It Now” economy, integrating location, ordering, product recommendation, payment, and pickup. MAVI’s marketplace connects retailers to their customers, at their Point of Hunger! While they are en route, doing their day! This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
OKY (https://okyapp.com/) Miami, the company builds technologies that help immigrants to improve their lives, connecting families and sending value home efficiently. The Company’s products enable people to participate in the digital economy, connecting and sharing goods and services with friends and family through the OKY App, or at more than 6,000 retail locations across the U.S. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Streann Media (http://www.streann.com/), Doral, the company enables content owners to create a unique ‘TikTok meets Netflix’ experience for their end-users, unlocking new monetization and engagement opportunities through AI, AR, and social content platforms, accessible across all screens. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
SwiftSync Corporation (http://www.swiftsync.net/) Miami, the company is the developer of a patented dual-chamber temporary pacing catheter. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Zulu Pods (http://www.zulupods.com/) Ft. Lauderdale, the company is committed to providing innovative fluid delivery solutions that radically simplify mechanical systems architecture to enhance performance, safety, and survivability for the next generation of U.S. Military assets. Zulu Pods designs and manufactures the tide pod for the jet engine, gearboxes and transmissions. They specialize in short duration lubrication system design. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track
Southwest Florida
Pendella Technologies, Inc. (http://www.pendella.com/) Ft. Myers, the company has an embedded insurance solution for insurance and financial products including life insurance, disability insurance, and supplemental health plans. Pendella has developed, owns, and hosts a proprietary integrated technology platform that facilitates marketing, sales, underwriting, and fulfillment functions for financial and insurance products which enables their customer’s existing and prospective customers to purchase these products. The Platform provides efficient processes for the marketing and sale of products that cover a wide spectrum of needs, health status, and demographics. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Beyond Florida
Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals (https://www.astrocytepharma.com/) Groton, CT., the company is a U.S.-based clinical CNS drug development company, is pursuing an innovative neuroprotective strategy of enhancing mitochondrial energy production in astrocytes to protect and repair damaged neurons. Astrocyte is developing the proprietary small molecule pharmaceutical agent AST-004 for acute administration to patients who have suffered a stroke, TBI, or concussion, and for chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Azome Therapeutics, Inc. ( http://www.azometherapeutics.com) Malvern, PA., the company is the only company targeting RHAMM to block the inflammasome activation pathway. RHAMM acts at an earlier step than the competition. Consequently, Azome’s technology platform will provide antiinflammatory drugs that are more potent and safer than the competition. In addition, Azome remains the only inflammasome-targeting company focused on acute inflammation in general and pulmonary indications in particular. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Boulo (https://boulosolutions.com/) Birmingham, Al., the company keeps women in the workforce by surfacing flexible jobs and offering customized, progressive training and support through their online platform. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
ClearForce Inc. (http://www.clearforce.com/) Vienna, VA., the company is a people risk analytics company that combines software, data services, compliance, and workflow automation to build safe and secure organizations. Their employee consent-based solution delivers real-time, proactive behavior risk alerting of behavioral risk that we find in criminal, financial and publicly posted threat information. ClearForce’s Resolve™ platform and continuous evaluation solutions help public and private sector organizations protect employee privacy and maintain compliance while managing human capital risk.
This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
EcoMap Technologies (https://www.ecomap.tech/) Baltimore, MD., the company is a a SaaS company that develops white-labeled ecosystem intelligence products for institutions. They offer AI-enabled & web-based platforms & chatbots, pre-populated with curated and continually updated data, that deliver ecosystem intelligence to institutions and their external stakeholders. Whether it’s an entrepreneurial community, industry association, university system, or any other type of institution, EcoMap helps to empower them and their stakeholders through best-in-class data and solutions. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
Gainfront (http://www.gainfront.com/) Palo Alto, CA.., the company provides the most advanced, AI/ML powered solution for global supplier sourcing, contracting, and ORP (onboarding, risk & performance) management, all while addressing your supplier diversity and CSR goals. Their global database helps customers source new suppliers that meet stringent global standards. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
GO TO-U (https://go-tou.com/) Los Angeles, CA., the company is an operating system for smart EV charging management. With a proprietary dynamic reservation technology at its core, GO TO-U makes the EV charging process reliable, efficient, and sustainable. Its state-of-the-art platform monitors EV charging sessions, accurately predicts electricity consumption, and optimizes demand, ensuring a seamless and efficient charging experience for EV drivers worldwide. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Heat Inverse (https://www.heatinverse.com/) Ithaca, NY., the company is a metamaterials innovation company that has created a thin film to passively dissipate heat from outdoor surfaces. Passive cooling is achieved without the use of electricity or moving parts and is designed for applications that require traditional cooling, lose efficiency, or shorten asset life when overheated. A company goal is to achieve “Gigacorn” status, which is the lowering or sequestering CO2 emissions by 1 gigaton per year, while being commercially viable. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
NeuroGeneces Inc. (https://neurogeneces.com/) Santa Fe, NM., the company is developing the gold standard for screening of potential cognitive decline. Their NeuroInsight™ system provides the earliest possible detection of neurodegeneration with an at-home, AI-driven product combining convenience with the most accurate, early, and quantifiable measurements of Brain Age; making it the best option for annual screenings. Their system’s ability to detect neurodegeneration decades before cognitive symptoms emerge means clinicians can provide interventions when they are most effective. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
Ride Health, Inc. (https://www.ridehealth.com/) New York, NY., the company brings clarity and efficiency to disconnected delivery of healthcare services with a platform that coordinates, optimizes, and delivers Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), improving access to patient care. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
ServeScape, Inc. (https://servescape.com/) Atlanta, GA., the company synchronizes real-time data with omni-channel ecommerce and implements last-mile distribution to facilitate end-to-end landscape services for both business and retail customers. This company will be presenting at the Growth Stage Track.
TaxGlobal, Inc. (https://www.taxglobal.com/) San Diego, CA., the company is an AI-powered platform on a mission to connect clients with tax service providers all over the world. They use a proprietary AI algorithm to match customers with CPAs, and a knowledge engine with NLP (natural language processing) to answer users’ tax-related questions and compile information more conveniently for service providers, along with document management system, which includes e-signature module accepted by IRS. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
Tranquility AI (https://tranquility-ai.com/) Laurel MD., the company is the nation’s first AI detective.
In their continuous effort to enhance investigative processes, they have developed a cutting-edge system that combines advanced data analysis with open-source intelligence to streamline the review of evidence and accelerate the resolution of violent crime cases. They understand the challenges law enforcement faces in managing vast amounts of data and the importance of timely resolutions for such cases. This company will be presenting at the FPL Early Stage Track.
VESTECK, Inc. (http://www.vesteck.com/) West Chester, PA., the company provides the VESTECK, Inc. “SUTURE-TIGHT”tm catheter comes preloaded with nitinol sutures used to secure endovascular aortic repair grafts to the aorta at initial implant or during repair procedures. Thus helping patients, physicians and payors eliminate graft migration and leaks requiring complex. expensive repair procedures. This company will be presenting as part of the Locke Lord Healthcare Summit.
About the Florida Venture Forum: The Florida Venture Forum is Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, helping companies with headquarters, operations or supply chain in Florida connect with sources of capital from across the country. Since 1984 over 2000 companies have presented at Forum events and have gone on to raise more than $16B in equity capital, and contribute well over that amount in total economic value to Florida. The Forum’s membership represents a “Who’s who” of venture capital and private equity dealmakers, including equity and debt investors at all stages, as well as 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 Start-up Competition, the Early Stage Capital Conference, and industry-focused events. For more information, visit: http://www.flventure.org,
