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Celebrating A Decade Shaping The Future Of Tech
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Levan Center Adds Volumetric Capture Studio To List Of Tech Making This Hub The ‘World’s First Theme Park For Entrepreneurs’
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We’re entering a new era of immersive storytelling, with creators looking for new ways to connect with their audience. The Levan Center, an innovation hub based at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, is here to help make that possible with this month’s launch of its volumetric capture studio. The self-styled “World’s First Theme Park for Entrepreneurs” has partnered with Sony and Canadian content creation studio GeniusXR to develop the studio, which is one of the only two community-accessible studios of its kind in North America. Located within the Levan Center’s facilities, the studio has 75 cameras and 70 lighting panels.
-Source: Refresh Miami
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Voice Cloning Startup ElevenLabs Lands $80M, Achieves Unicorn Status
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There’s a lot of money in voice cloning. Case in point: ElevenLabs, a startup developing AI-powered tools to create and edit synthetic voices, announced that it closed an $80 million Series B round co-led by prominent investors including Andreessen Horowitz, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and entrepreneur Daniel Gross. The round, which also had participation from Sequoia Capital, Smash Capital, SV Angel, BroadLight Capital and Credo Ventures, brings ElevenLabs’ total raised to $101 million and values the company at over $1 billion (up from ~$100 million last June). CEO Mati Staniszewski says the new cash will be put toward product development, expanding ElevenLabs’ infrastructure and team, AI research and “enhancing safety measures to ensure responsible and ethical development of AI technology.”
-Source: TechCrunch
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Air Taxi Plans Are Taking Off: Miami On Archer’s Shortlist For 2025 Launch
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Will air taxis touch down in South Florida in the next couple of years? With recent news from Archer Aviation to report, our region appears to be a step closer to that reality. Archer, one of the companies leading the charge to bring electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft service to our state and nationwide in partnership with United Airlines, has signed a memorandum of understanding with fixed-base operator Atlantic to establish sites for electric aircraft operations, or vertiports, in America’s most congested cities – Miami, LA, San Francisco and New York City. Atlantic and Archer anticipate launching service across these initial locations in 2025, and a handful of other companies are eying the Magic City too. Archer aims to replace 60- to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10- to 20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive.
-Source: Refresh Miami
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The Missing Link Of The AI Safety Conversation
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In light of recent events with OpenAI, the conversation on AI development has morphed into one of acceleration versus deceleration and the alignment of AI tools with humanity. The AI safety conversation has also quickly become dominated by a futuristic and philosophical debate: Should we approach artificial general intelligence (AGI), where AI will become advanced enough to perform any task the way a human could? Is that even possible? While that aspect of the discussion is important, it is incomplete if we fail to address one of AI’s core challenges: It’s incredibly expensive. When it comes to AI and its recent advancements, however, we have to realize that most of the gains have so far been made by adding more scale, which requires more computing power. We have not reached a plateau here, hence the billions of dollars that the software giants are throwing at acquiring more GPUs and optimizing computers.
-Source: VentureBeat
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Briq, A Startup That Uses AI To Automate Finances In Construction
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Briq, which has built a platform designed to allow all departments of a construction company to automate financial workflows such as accounts payable and payroll, has raised $8 million in an extension round at a $150 million valuation. The startup last announced a fundraise in June of 2021 — a $30 million Series B financing led by Tiger Global Management. The company opted to “wait out the market” and raise a smaller dollar amount with less dilution at a flat valuation rather than go out and try to raise a Series C. Tiger Global doubled down on its investment in Briq by contributing to the extension. Blackhorn and Eniac co-led the round. MetaProp, whose managing partner Aaron Block is set to join Briq’s board, also invested. Multi-billion-dollar German firm Nemetschek also became a backer. Briq has built an offering that uses a group of proprietary technologies, the flagship of which are its use of generative automation bots.
-Source: TechCrunch
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Nvidia VC-backed Robot Manufacturer Raises $20 Million To Improve Dental Surgeries
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Neocis, the maker of a surgical robot that can assist dentists during implant surgeries, secured $20 million in a funding round led by Mirae Asset Financial Group and NVentures, Nvidia's venture capital arm. The capital will support the development of the Miami manufacturer's U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved robot, called the Yomi. The device can map out implant procedures for dentists and guide their hands during surgeries to execute the plan. That results in smaller incisions, less pain and faster recoveries for patients, Neocis reports.
-Source: Miami Inno
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Catalyst To Buy Ohio Health System Summa Health
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Venture capital firm General Catalyst announced plans to buy Akron, Ohio, health system Summa Health, which it will convert into a for-profit. This is an unprecedented deal for venture capital, which typically invests in startup companies. If successful, it could position General Catalyst as the industry's most formidable developer and seller of health care technology. Summa — an integrated delivery system that spans emergency, acute, critical, outpatient, and home care services — will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Catalyst (GC) via its new company, HATCo, pending regulatory approval. Post-deal, the company will retain several Summa executives, involve some of the more mature startups in GC's portfolio, pursue value-based care arrangements, and avoid staff reductions.
-Source: Axios
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Startup Accelerator + Showcase Applications Are Open
Deadline January 31st | eMerge Americas
This is your opportunity to win $520,000 USD in investment into your company! The 2024 eMerge Americas Accelerator + Showcase is joining forces with Florida Funders, Medina Ventures, and BIP Ventures. We will select 110 of the best startups globally through a competitive application process segmented into three stages (i.e. University Stage, Early Stage and Later Stage). These 110 startups will participate in a robust seven-week, virtual, acceleration program, which will culminate at an in-person, grand finale pitch competition.
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hello&demo - Black History & Culture Trivia
January 23rd | Confetti
Every month we host a free demo of one of our seasonal experiences so you can get a taste of what an event with Confetti is like! Sessions include an introduction, a demo of an experience and a live Q&A with our Account Managers to ask any event or booking questions on the spot. Our next hello&demo will be on Tuesday, January 23rd at 12:00 PM ET and will be demoing Black History & Culture Trivia ahead of Black History Month in February!
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Wellness, Technology, and the Workplace
January 23rd | OpenSeed + Mindspace
Join us for an exciting event exploring the intersection of wellness, technology, and the workplace. Discover how advancements in technology are transforming the way we approach health and well-being in the professional setting. Date: January 23rd, 2024. Time: 7-9 pm EST. Location: Mindspace Downtown Miami, 100 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132, USA.
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60 Million Congress
February 1st-3rd | Global Polonia Summit
Join the Global Polonia Summit for business meetings, startup presentations, networking and more at the next edition of the 60 Million Congress, which will be held in Miami on February 1-3, 2024 at the James L. Knight Center. Speakers include Polaron Director Eva Hussain, CEO and Co-Founder of Booksy Stefan Batory and eMerge Americas CEO and President Melissa Medina.
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Legal Tech Challenge: Miami
February 2nd | Technology Entrepreneurship Club + HNBA
The Legal Tech Challenge, hosted at Greenberg Traurig Miami by FSU Law’s Technology Entrepreneurship Club, is open to Florida law and graduate students. Teams will form to identify a legal issue and develop a tech-based solution, then present their concepts. This event, promoting innovation and collaboration, culminates in a cash prize for the winning team. For more information, registration details, and to attend as a spectator, visit the official website.
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Innovate & Inspire: Women In Tech Lunch
February 2nd | Women In Tech, Global Tech Alliance + Tuttle Tribe
As part of the Florida Venture Summit & Pan Americas Cross Border Co-Investment Summit, join us for a special lunch for Canadian and US female entrepreneurs, investors, ecosystem & community builders. Let's share our failures and success stories, feature our incredible women in tech, build connections, and engage in meaningful conversations. This lunch offers a unique opportunity to connect with key players in the local ecosystem, find potential investors, or discover companies to invest in.
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The 14th Concordia Annual Summit
September 23-25 | Concordia
Navigating this new era requires unique perspectives, public-private sector collaboration, and the creation of market-led solutions. Above all, it requires coming together to facilitate human-to-human interaction. Against this backdrop, Concordia presents Navigating a New Era, its theme for its 14th Annual Summit, providing the preeminent forum for the private sector and equipping the Concordia community with the network and platform to understand the unique challenges and opportunities presented by today’s global environment – along with the tools and partnerships to build for tomorrow.
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100 Startup Project Scholarship
Apply Now| lan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation
Calling all entrepreneurs in need! Thanks to the generous support of Memorial Healthcare System, we are thrilled to offer 10 entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime—a one-year membership to the Levan Center of Innovation. Don't miss this chance to access a variety of resources, mentorship, and a thriving community that will help turn your dreams into reality. Apply now and join us on this incredible journey towards success.
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TEALS Volunteer Program
Recruiting Now | Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS Program
TEALS is a Microsoft Philanthropies program looking for volunteer computer science professionals that wish to use their skills to inspire the coders and creators of tomorrow. Volunteering with TEALS helps to make a difference in our community and schools that stand to gain the most from computer science knowledge and expertise. Volunteers help TEALS provide high school students with equitable access to CS education and create a pathway to economic opportunity.
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eMerge Americas 2222 Ponce de Leon Blvd Miami FL
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