1
Change at the top of Florida Funders
Florida Funders (FLF), one of the Southeast’s leading venture capital firms, appointed Saxon Baum as Managing Partner. Tom Wallace, co-founder and former Managing Partner, will assume the role of Executive Chairman.
Over the past eight years, Baum has played a key role in the firm’s strategy, investor relations, fundraising, and portfolio support. In his new role, Baum will lead the firm’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations as Florida Funders enters its next phase of growth and impact, FLF said in its announcement.
Wallace will remain actively involved with the firm, focusing on supporting the leadership transition, working closely with portfolio company founders, and continuing to serve on the Investment Committee.
“After eight years of building Florida Funders together with our other partners, this transition is both a natural and exciting next step for the firm,” said Wallace, in a statement . “Saxon has been absolutely instrumental in our success. His strategic vision, leadership, and commitment to our investors and founders make him the right leader to take Florida Funders to the next level. I have complete confidence in Saxon and am thrilled to support him as we continue building a firm positioned for long-term growth and impact.”
FLF’s AUM now approaches $300 million, and it has investments in over 110 companies. Founded in 2016, FLF is closing its third fund, a $60 million fund focused on AI, cybersecurity, and FinTech that has already invested in 12 startups. “We have always pushed the limits of what has been possible in early-stage VC and technology in Florida and the Southeast. We want to push even harder and become one of the best VC firms in the country,” says Baum.
READ MORE: 2026, according to the VCs writing the checks
2
Exowatt launches data center development business
Miami-based Exowatt recently announced the launch of ExoRise, a new business arm, to enter the data center development industry. The renewable energy startup plans to acquire land, develop data centers and equip them with Exowatt’s P3, a proprietary dispatchable s energy technology that stores energy as heat and converts it to electricity on demand.
“Hyperscalers should not have to piece together land, power, and infrastructure on their own,” said Hannan Happi, founder and CEO of Exowatt. “ExoRise delivers everything together so customers can focus on compute while we handle the power.”
Nic Bustamante will lead ExoRise’s work as chief data center officer. Bustamante comes from Corscale, a Texas-based data center developer where he served as CTO. Exowatt has already acquired its first parcel of land, with plans to develop a 10-20 megawatt pilot data center by the end of this year. Bustamante told the South Florida Business Journal the project’s location was “between Texas and Arizona.”
Unlike traditional data center development that strains urban and suburban grids, ExoRise supports behind-the-meter and off-grid deployment on remote land. This approach delivers large-scale power without burdening local ratepayers while supporting national priorities around energy resilience and domestic AI growth, the company said.
READ MORE: Exowatt pulls in $50M to keep the AI boom from blowing a fuse
3
The 33RD Team raises ‘eight-figure’ funding
The 33rd Team, a football intelligence and technology company founded by veteran NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum and based in Boca Raton, recently announced the closing of its “eight-figure” Series B funding round. The amount of the funding was not disclosed.
Investors in the funding round included Liberty Media, FORTA Advisors, Autumn Road, Dan Senor, Nick Gross, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ryan Moore, Greg Ciongoli, George Pyne, John Low, and Silver Falcon Capital. “It’s a powerful validation of our vision and the new direction we’re embarking on as a company. The guidance from our investors – spanning across elite coaching, global media, technology innovation, and more – is an invaluable asset as we build the future of football,” said Tannenbaum, in a statement.
The round, initiated in early 2024, signaled the company’s strategic pivot away from content and media, toward technology innovation. The 33rd Team’s Zenith platform is used by four NFL teams. These collaborations provide advanced on-field metrics and analytics, while positioning the company to accelerate its technology roadmap and expand its footprint across the league.
4
Formula E’s all-electric races coming this weekend
Formula E, the all-electric international racing series, will return to Miami on Saturday for its first competitive race at Hard Rock Stadium’s Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens. The Miami E-Prix will serve as Round 3 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s 12th season, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Home teams including Andretti, CUPRA Kiro and DS PENSKE are expected to compete in front of local fans as the championship continues its early-season North American stretch. Event materials show the Miami E-Prix will also feature a musical performance and educational programming focused on science, technology, engineering and sustainability. Read more here.
5
Larry Page snaps up more bayfront property
A trust linked to Google co-founder and billionaire Larry Page paid $14.97 million for a home in Miami’s Coconut Grove – right next to a big estate the same trust acquired for $101.5 million a few weeks ago, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Banyan Canopy Revocable Trust has been linked to Page, co-founder and former CEO of Google. The trust recently acquired a 4.09-acre property at 3585 and 3575 Anchorage Way, plus 3301, 3303 and 3330 Devon Court. It has 11,855 square feet of residential space. A few days before that, another trust tied to Page bought the home at 3085 Munroe Drive for $71.9 million. With the new deal, Page’s trust owns 5.24 acres along Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove.
6
Omni Public launches civic tech platform
Omni Public Consulting Group announced the opening of its Omni | X headquarters in Miami, establishing a permanent base for its civic technology operations and unveiling its first platform designed to help governments build more resilient, responsive, and accountable urban systems. From its Miami headquarters, Omni | X will deploy agentic AI to support infrastructure management, utilities, traffic operations, crisis response, and autonomous drone navigation, marking Omni Public’s evolution from a public affairs advisory firm to civic technology company.
The Miami headquarters will serve as the hub for Omni | X, housing product development, public-sector partnerships, and pilot initiatives with cities and regional stakeholders. Omni Public was also recently accepted into Harvard Innovation Labs, Harvard University’s flagship ecosystem for student and alumni entrepreneurship. “Miami is becoming a global testbed for civic innovation, and this city gives us the diversity, urgency, and forward momentum needed to build AI systems that make governments more adaptive, transparent, and human-centered,” said Cesar R. Hernandez, Omni Public Founder and CEO, in a statement.
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More #MiamiTech news to note
NEXA completes key acquisition: NEXA (formerly Social Mobile) has completed its acquisition of Sonim Technologies, the US-based leader in ultra-rugged, mission-critical communication devices for enterprise, government, and public safety markets. The acquisition is a milestone in NEXA’s strategy to expand its leadership in purpose-built enterprise mobility solutions and deliver innovative, scalable offerings to customers worldwide. “Sonim’s reputation for rugged, mission-critical mobile communications aligns seamlessly with NEXA’s expertise in delivering purpose-built enterprise solutions. Now with approximately 250 team members, we are uniquely positioned to help customers operate more securely, scale with confidence, and perform in the most demanding environments. This combination strengthens our ability to innovate faster and deliver even greater value to our global customer base,” NEXA CEO Robert Morcos said. Read more here.
Deadline nears for military founders to apply: If you’re a veteran, service member, mil-spouse, or first responder leading a startup in the national security, AI / quantum, energy, health, or finance spaces, eMerge Americas will have a dedicated fast-track into the eMerge Global Startup Accelerator + Showcase. Ten qualifying companies will be selected and fast-tracked. Being selected includes a 6-week virtual training series for fundraising, go-to-market, and growth strategy; a Founders’ Day for pitch sessions and networking; a booth at eMerge Americas to showcase your solution to investors, corporates, and partners; and access to compete in the Startup Pitch Competition with $125K in funding/prizes. Participation is free. Apply by Feb. 3 here.
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Jobs, jobs, jobs – in #MiamiTech
Clai – Senior Full Stack Engineer
Exowatt – Lead Receiver Design Engineer
Félix – Business Operations Senior Manager
Iru – Senior Product Manager, Identity
Kaseya – Director, Technical Program Management
Lennar – Graphic Designer
Playbypoint – Customer Support Specialist
Neocis – Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering
Slalom – Azure Cloud Architect
Titl – Senior Full Stack Engineer
Total Wine & More – Lead, Software Engineer
Transak – Senior Manager, Recruitment
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
PLUS
Opportunity knocks
Apply to catapult your startup at the 2026 eMerge Americas Conference + Expo April 23–24 in Miami, where 100 startups will be selected to learn from class mentors, connect with investors and partners, showcase in front of thousands, and potentially pitch for $125K in funding and prizes in the grand finale. Learn more and apply by Feb. 3 (deadline extended).
The SMB Growth Lab, hosted by eMerge Americas, JPMorganChase + Momentum Miami, empowers Miami-Dade small and mid-sized businesses to embrace digital transformation, strengthen operations, and unlock sustainable growth opportunities. Apply here by Feb. 3 (deadline extended).
Startup Grind’s Pitch Battle – Miami Venture Week 2026 at The LAB Miami is your chance to showcase your startup, connect with top investors, and gain global recognition. Find out more and apply by Feb. 20.
Israeli founders can showcase their startup, product, or breakthrough solution to global investors, partners and media at Israel Tech Week Miami 2026 next April. Apply by March 15 here.
ICYMI – Catch up!
Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on X @ndahlberg and on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Refresh Miami’s free weekly newsletter here featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events.
I am a writer and editor with extensive media experience and a passion for journalism and serving the community. Most of my career has been spent with the Miami Herald in business news, and my expertise is writing about tech and entrepreneurs. I love hosting this blog for Refresh Miami and we aim to be the go-to site for South Florida startup and tech news, features and views. Have news? Contact me at [email protected]. Thanks for reading! Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all) 8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News from FLF, Exowatt, The 33rd Team, Formula E, Larry Page, Omni Public, NEXA, jobs & more – January 30, 2026 Indigo raises a $50M Series B to modernize malpractice insurance – January 29, 2026 Who’s presenting at the upcoming Florida Venture Capital Conference? We’ve got the lowdown – January 29, 2026