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The 20 Startups to Watch in 2020
Tampa Bay is on an upswing: funding has begun to pour into the region's startups and accelerators and incubators like Embarc Collective, Synapse Florida, Florida-Israel Business Accelerator and the Tampa Bay Wave have been expanding and diversifying its services. The private sector has also been backing its entrepreneurs: the city has hired both a mayor and university president who are putting innovation on the top of their to-do list.
But perhaps the biggest differentiator for 2020 is the startups that will be making moves — whether that be massive funding rounds, new products, expansions or partnerships. These are the startups you may not have heard of, but come next year, you won't know how you missed them.
We'll be honoring the 20 startups below at Embarc Collective on February 19. Get your tickets here.
AbleNook
Ybor City-based AbleNook is a startup that creates modular dwellings that users can literally put together themselves.
It originally began in 2017 as a way to help disaster victims have easy, affordable housing. However, founder Sean Verdecia’s plan has expanded after learning his business needed a track record before being passed out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The company was featured on the Rise of the Rest tour in March, headed by Washington, D.C.-based think tank Revolution to bring awareness to startup scenes beyond Boston and Silicon Valley.
AbleNook also received $1 million from an angel investor in May. Verdecia previously told Tampa Bay Inno he will be using the funds for further engineering, prototyping and overhead costs for his company.
Actio Analytics
Tampa-based Actio Analytics is a SaaS company with connections to Ontario, where founder Kevin MacNeill reportedly works. The company was founded in 2014.
It is a developer of a dashboard designed to promote the franchise and restaurant industry, turning data into actionable insights which help oversee sales, operational expenses and provide insight.
On June 3, Actio Analytics received a massive $20 million investment from an early stage VC fund. According to an SEC filing, the investment came from 25 investors.
Aspen RxHealth
Aspen RxHealth, formally known as Aspen Health Inc., is a Tampa-based app focused on connecting users with pharmacists through an app to deliver clinical services.
In June, the company teamed up with Humana, a Fortune 500 health and well-being company. In October, RxHealth launched a health plan star rating services, along with a new service that allows pharmacists to create a targeted medication reviews.
The company also snagged a $6 million investment from an unnamed investor, according to an SEC filing. The company previously brought in $3 million in May 2018.
Base Culture
Base Culture is a Clearwater-based startup founded by Jordann Windschauer. Shortly after graduating college, Windschauer adopted the paleo diet — aka the "caveman diet" which cuts out sugar, dairy, grains, coffee and alcohol.
While Windschauer enjoyed the Paleo diet, she could not find any compatible baked goods to fight her cravings. So, she launched The Paleo Box in 2015, which was later renamed Base Culture.
The company raised $3.1 million in April, following a $500,000 raise in 2017.
Bridge
The company, which rebranded from Proof Network Ventures in October, is a software company with a specialty focus in the alcohol beverage industry.
The company was founded in October 2018 and works with MillerCoors, Pernod Ricard and Moet Hennessy. Despite its infancy, Bridge already acquired Tipsi, a private-label retail e-commerce company in 2018 and in March 2019, acquired similar private-label company Drync.
In November, the company secured $917,000 in funding. The Florida Funders Impact Fund invested $500,000, while the Florida Funders’ accredited investor network provided the remainder.
CaseGlide
CaseGlide LLC provides legal spending management software for insurers, risk management departments and third-party claims administrators. It was founded in 2015 and was headquartered in St. Petersburg before moving to downtown Tampa.
In October, the company received an undisclosed amount of funding from Boston-based Arcadian Software. It will use the funds to beef up product innovation in e-billing/legal bill review, attorney scorecarding and matter management.
Arcadian Software has long invested in SaaS businesses and believes CaseGlide is carving out a niche in the industry.
“With its finger on the pulse of the critical claims sector, CaseGlide has developed the first purpose-built, cloud-based product that fundamentally improves outcomes for property and casualty insurers,” Acadian’s Executive Chairman, Jon Karlen, said in a statement.
CoLabs
CoLabs is a Tampa-based software startup with a focus on artificial intelligence that lists itself as CoLabs QOF LLC with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It is a relatively new company, run by three tech executive veterans: David Hull, John Wagner and Marc Miller. Wagner founded AgileThought and Wagner and Miller co-founded eStaff365 which was acquired 20 months after it formed. Hull founded Veredus, which was also acquired in 2014.
The company received $2.25 million on July 16, according to SEC documents. The total requested amount of funding was $7 million. The raised amount was given by five investors, according to documents.
The millions come just one year after the company raised $4 million, according to previous Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. It had blown past its requested investment amount of $2 million, beginning with a $250,000 investment in May 2018.
DocClocker
DocClocker is a Tampa-based startup focused on bringing transparency to the waiting room. The platform allows users to look at average wait times from healthcare providers and book appointments.
It also offers Doc OR, which allows family members to keep track of a loved one's surgery progress as it happens in real time.
The company was founded by two physicians in 2015. It has a slew of clients including Tampa Cardiac Specialists, Trinity Health, Oklahoma Heart Hospital and The Magnet Group. It is a member of Embarc Collective.
Fruutfull
Fruutfull is a Tampa-based startup that is reinventing the bra back band by allowing users to personalize their size.
The company stemmed after co-founder Danielle Rushton was unable to find a bra that suited her different outfits. She and fellow co-founder Ellery Linder left their jobs at HSN to pursue Fruutfull full-time.
The company recently was crowned the Florida winner of SoGal’s pitch competition and was also in the final five of the Startup of the Year awards. It is part of the Tampa Bay Wave's fall accelerator cohort and is a member of Embarc Collective.
Global Safety Management
Global Safety Management, founded in 2004, is a Wesley Chapel safety and technology company designed to reduce injuries in the chemical manufacturing industry and maintain compliance.
On March 14, the company received $4.075 million. It is a combination of a new round of investment from Florida Funders and from existing internal investors, according to a spokeswoman for GSM. This follows a similar seven-figure deal in 2015 with Alabama-based Fidelis Capital.
It also lists former Tribridge Tony Dibenedetto and Jeff Lynn as a director and COO in the company, respectively.
Grifin
Grifin is an app with patent pending technology that allows users to easily own stock where they shop.
The millennial-focused app allows users to either earn $1 each time they shop at a publicly traded company, or earn $1 in a Grifin cash account.
The Tampa-based company was founded in 2016 by Bo Starr and Aaron Froug, two University of Florida graduates. It is just beginning its beta phase.
In 2017, the company raised a $510,000 pre-seed and currently has an open seed round, which has raised an undisclosed amount. In the next 12 months, Grifin hopes to close its seed funding round and raise a Series A funding round.
Grifin is an early member of Embarc Collective, as well as engrained in the startup community: it was a finalist for a UF pitch competition, snagged a win at a University of South Florida pitch competition and competed in the 2019 Startup of the Year competition.
Intrinio
While Rachel Carpenter, the co-founder and CEO of Intrinio, was building a different app, she faced a roadblock when trying to access her financial data: a price tag that could cost upwards of $60,000 a month.
In 2012, she pivoted to create Intrinio, a St. Petersburg startup that makes financial data more accessible. According to Forbes, the company now has over 850 customers including PayPal, Harvard and Stanford.
On April 12, the company raised $5 million from NYCA, a New York-based fintech venture capital fund. NYCA investment partner Tom Miglis also joined Intrinio’s board of directors after the investment.
Carpenter was also named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, being honored in the "Finance" category.
Lumina Analytics
Lumina Analytics is a Tampa tech company which uses artificial intelligence for predictive analytics and risk sensing.
In July, Lumina received $5 million, which is the full amount they requested from 18 investors. In August, the company raised $1.4 million in equity from 12 investors in August, according to SEC reports. This follows an $8.5 million investment the company received in August 2017.
In February, the company announced Albert Narvarde as its new CFO, who most recently was the CFO for Jagged Peak and before that, was a controller for BP‘s alternative energy group/biofuels in Tampa.
Lumina has also opened an office in Washington, D.C. to expand one of their 2019 goals of getting in the government contracting sector.
ProjectMQ
ProjectMQ is an indie video game platform that helps users discover new games across 24 countries. The company cites itself as the "social media app for indie gaming fans," and aims to connect users with one another and new games.
It was founded in 2013 and is headed by twin brothers Marcus and Malcom Howard. The company is bootstrapped from the brothers while working full-time.
ProjectMQ was in the first class for the Tampa Bay Wave's TechDiversity Accelerator cohort. Marcus Howard not only helped bring the University of South Florida eSports Summit to life, but presented at it and is eyeing new partnerships for 2020.
SavvyPhone
SavvyPhone, the St. Petersburg technology firm behind SavvyCard, lets users create customized web apps to bridge the mobile gap between businesses and consumers.
The company has a focus on helping business professionals develop sales leads. In November 2018, it landed the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, the nation's largest multiple listing service.
It most recently received $1.5 million on June 14. The latest funding amount was raised by 23 investors, according to an SEC filing. This follows $200,000 SavvyCard received in April 2018 and $1 million in 2016.
SKUxchange
SKUxchange is a St. Petersburg-based startup that uses blockchain and its own patent-pending technology to streamline promotional offers and avoid offer fraud.
In November, the company received $360,000 from five investors, according to SEC reports. The company was seeking $3 million.
The company has many top former executives on its advisory board, including representation from JP Morgan, P&G, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Inmar to join their advisory board.
SoleVenture
SoleVenture is a St. Petersburg startup that created a platform which automates portable benefits, cashflow and projects for independent professionals. The company was founded by Eve Epstein and Robyn Rusignuolo in February 2019.
It is one of nine companies in the Tampa Bay Wave’s fall cohort. In the last year, it raised $650,000 in July and an additional $250,000 in August.
The company also partnered with a Texas health tech startup in September. SoleVenture's partnership with Austin-based KindHealth will allow SoleVenture’s clients to have access to health insurance plans for affordable rates.
Top Inc.
Top Inc. is a startup that collects data from its voting platform, TopVote.
TopVote allows users to vote across all advertisers and helps brands engage and collect data from consumers through the real-time voting. Voters can turn their votes into branded shopping rights. Users can also create private polls between friends.
The company was founded in 2018 by Terra Ingalls and Will Cohen, both University of South Florida graduates. It is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale.
Trash Butler
Trash Butler is a trash and recycling valet service for apartment communities. It is part of College Hunks Hauling Junks, which is an Inc. 500 company founded by Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman.
On April 5, Tampa-based Trash Butler raised $4.1 million from Florida Funders from 100 investors. At the time, it was Florida Funders’ largest single investment to date with the most participation by a target group of investors.
Venuetize
Venuetize is a Tampa-based technology company with a specialty in streamlining sports fans' experiences.
Venuetize currently has 20 clients, including the PGA Tour, Miami Dolphins, Amalie Arena and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Craig Duncan, chief revenue officer, previously told Tampa Bay Inno by the end of 2020, Venuetize plans to double that number.
It also raised $250,000 in April. In July, it hired Nick Curcuru to be its new senior vice president of analytics and customer engagement. He was named by Enterprise Magazine 360 as the No. 3 data futurist in the world.
