For CEO Matthieu Merchadou, it\u2019s a homecoming of sorts, as he was here in MiamiTech\u2019s early days. He told the South Florida Business Journal<\/a> that Magma chose Miami because of the strength of South Florida\u2019s property market and the tri-county region\u2019s status as an emerging financial and technology hub.<\/p>\n By combining trusted building data, digital twins, and blockchain-based traceability, Magma is building a new layer of real estate digital infrastructure designed to help structure, verify, and activate building data for the next generation of real estate operations, AI, and investment. Merchadou said the company plans to hire 10 people locally to join its 15 existing employees, the Business Journal reported, and it will be Magma\u2019s first US location, likely in Brickell.\u00a0 The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is assisting with the expansion.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have major real estate development, capital inflows and a rapidly growing tech Merchadou said. [That] makes Miami the perfect place to develop property technology,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Florida CEOs more bullish than the rest of the country<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s leading CEOs are signaling continued confidence in the state\u2019s economic trajectory. According to the Florida Council of 100<\/a>\u2019s Q1 2026 CEO Economic Outlook Index, Florida\u2019s overall index measured 98, remaining well above the national index score of 89. The index tracks CEO expectations for sales, capital investment, and employment over the next six months.<\/p>\n The quarterly survey reflects the forward-looking perspectives of more than 100 CEOs representing some of Florida\u2019s largest employers, offering an early signal of business sentiment across the state.<\/p>\n A notable finding is the continued strength in capital investment. Florida\u2019s capital expenditure (capex) subindex rose from 88 to 91, the highest level recorded since the Council began tracking the index, signaling that companies are continuing to invest in expansion, infrastructure, and innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorida CEOs are betting on the state\u2019s future through continued investment and expansion,\u201d said George LeMieux, Chair of The Florida Council of 100. \u201cThat confidence reflects the strength of Florida\u2019s business environment and long-term economic outlook.\u201d<\/p>\n While expectations for sales and employment have softened modestly this quarter, Florida CEOs continue to demonstrate a resilient outlook amid broader economic uncertainty. Florida\u2019s employment subindex registered at 95, significantly outpacing the national score of 50, indicating continued confidence in hiring among the state\u2019s top employers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is alignment among Florida\u2019s leading CEOs around continued investment and growth,\u201d said Mike Simas, President and CEO of The Florida Council of 100. \u201cWhen that many business leaders are moving in the same direction, it\u2019s a strong signal about where the economy is heading.\u201d Read more about the report findings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Iru signs for large Coconut Grove office space<\/p>\n Iru, formerly Kandji, is tripling its local office space.<\/p>\n The tech company, recently leased a total of 91,959 square-feet of new offices in Coconut Grove, according to Savills Q1 Miami Office Market report. That includes 78,000-square-feet at 3390 Mary Street and 13,959-square-feet at 2901 Florida Avenue, the South Florida Business Journal reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just over a year ago, Iru opened a 30,000-square-foot office<\/a> at The Plaza in Coral Gables as its East Coast headquarters. It\u2019s unclear if the company is keeping that space.<\/p>\n Founded in California, Iru is an AI-powered IT and security platform used by businesses to secure their users\u2019 apps, and devices. In 2024, the firm secured $100 million in funding at an $850 million valuation.a<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Citadel and Citadel Securities named to Fortune\u2019s 100 Best Companies <\/p>\n Two of the world\u2019s leading financial firms, Citadel<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Citadel\u00a0Securities<\/a>,\u00a0have just been\u00a0named to\u00a0Fortune\u2019s 100\u00a0Best Companies to Work For<\/a> list \u2014 the only hedge fund\u00a0manager\u00a0on this year\u2019s list and the first ever included, as well as the only market maker represented.<\/p>\n Unlike many workplace rankings, the list reflects how employees themselves report their experience across trust, leadership, and culture, and is considered one of the most rigorous benchmarks of workplace quality in the U.S. \u00a0Eligible companies must be\u00a0Great Place to Work Certified\u2122<\/a>\u00a0and have 1,000 or more U.S. employees.Winners are assessed on their ability to create a great employee experience that cuts across job level, business unit, demographic group, or geographic location.\u00a0<\/p>\n Citadel, with $69 billion in investment capital under management and 3,200 employees across four continents, and Citadel Securities, with 1,800 employees, have been based in Miami since relocating its HQ from Chicago in 2022. Through philanthropic giving, Griffin continues to invest in South Florida education, helping create a talent pipeline that will have opportunities in their own backyard.<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n GoSprout founder chosen for Bravo Venture Fellowship <\/p>\n The\u00a0Bravo Family Foundation<\/a>, a philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of Puerto Rican leaders and led by Puerto Rican private equity leader\u00a0Orlando Bravo, recently announced the two innovative founders competitively selected for this year\u2019s Bravo Venture Fellowship, and one of them is here in Miami.<\/p>\n Carlos Vazquez, founder of GoSprout and the nonprofit Miami EdTech, is one of the fellows. GoSprout<\/a> is an apprenticeship management platform that has digitized over 500,000 apprentice records to expand access to high-paying, debt-free career pathways all in one place. Originally from New York City and currently based in Miami, Carlos\u2019 personal career path and passion for tech as well as trade and union work led him to mesh his interests into the GoSprout service, the Foundation said.<\/p>\n The other fellow is Nicole Gonzalez, of Raya Power, a women-owned and founded business with operations in Puerto Rico and California that provides \u201cplug-and-play\u201d solar energy for renters and low-income households that traditional rooftop solar panel companies have left behind.<\/p>\n As part of the Fellowship, the Fellows will receive direct equity investment in their companies and hands-on mentorship from founders and investors across networks of the Bravo Family Foundation and Thoma Bravo, the global private equity firm in Miami, over the course of this year.<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Picsart founder selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur<\/p>\n Endeavor Miami<\/a> announced the selection of Hovhannes Avoyan, founder and CEO of Picsart<\/a>, as its newest Endeavor Entrepreneur, following a multi-step selection process culminating in the International Selection Panel in March 2026. Picsart is an AI-powered design platform that enables users to create, edit, and generate visual content across photo, video, and design. <\/p>\n Founded in 2011, Picsart has grown with and enabled the next generation of storytellers \u2013 Gen Z digital natives \u2013 to design, brand, and build at scale. Picart reports it has approximately 130+ million monthly active users and over 2.5 billion downloads. \u201cI am grateful to join Endeavor and connect with an extraordinary group of founders who are building the future,\u201d said Avoyan. \u201cEntrepreneurship is a continuous learning journey, and I look forward to both contributing to and learning from this global network.\u201d <\/p>\n As an Endeavor Entrepreneur, Avoyan will gain access to a global network of founders, mentors, and investors, along with strategic support to further scale Picsart internationally. \u00a0In parallel, he will contribute to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of high-impact entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n More news to note<\/p>\n Swiss private equity firm\u00a0Ufenau Capital Partners is establishing its first U.S. headquarters at 777 Brickell Avenue in Miami, bringing over \u20ac5 billion in assets to South Florida. This move highlights a growing trend of Swiss financial firms, including Partners Group and Empira, relocating to or expanding in Miami, solidifying the city\u2019s reputation as \u201cWall Street South.\u201d<\/p>\n The Miami Fintech Club and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council have partnered up \u00a0to launch the Miami Fintech Innovation Hub, which is designed to accelerate fintech innovation, attract global investment, and strengthen Miami\u2019s role as a gateway for financial innovation across the Americas. The platform will connect fintech startups, financial institutions, investors, and public sector partners while positioning Miami as a preferred landing point for fintech companies expanding between Latin America, the United States, and global markets. The initiative aims to attract global fintech companies expanding between Latin America and the United States, positioning Miami as a strategic gateway for cross-border financial innovation.<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Jobs, jobs, jobs<\/p>\n Acclaim \u2013\u00a0Sr Backend Developer<\/a> Find more jobs on Refresh Miami\u2019s job board\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n PLUS<\/p>\n Opportunity knocks<\/p>\n Calling all South Florida students: Miami Dade College\u00a0 has partnered with Fortinet to host a Cybersecurity Hackathon \u00a0on Friday, April 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., bringing together students, industry partners and South Florida\u2019s tech community to engage in real-world cybersecurity challenges and develop innovative solutions to today\u2019s most pressing digital security issues. The event will be held at MDC\u2019s North Campus and is free and open to all students, but pre-registration is required.\u00a0 Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Join the Alan B. Levan \/ NSU Broward Center of Innovation on April 30th at 5 PM for a Pitch Night in partnership with BioFlorida, featuring emerging companies building across biotech, digital health, medical devices, and more. The winner of the Pitch Competition advancing as a finalist into the BioFlorida Innovation Conference 2026 BIOPITCH competition in October. For more information on pitching or attending, go here.<\/a><\/p>\n Join the\u00a0eMerge AI Hackathon, a day of building AI solutions, on April 18. Judges from Meta, Lightship Capital and Haize Labs are already on board.\u00a0Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Applications are now open for the Cade Prize for Inventivity, a national competition awarding over $100K in cash and in-kind support to early-stage inventors and entrepreneurs. The prize backs founders across industries like tech, healthcare, environment, and sports who are building innovative, real-world solutions and need support to move from idea to market. Apply\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n ICYMI \u2013 Catch up!<\/p>\n Latest special report: Palm Beach County is turning inbound talent, AI trust, and institutional growth into a serious innovation ecosystem<\/a><\/p>\n In West Palm, Related Ross sees a city of capital, talent \u2026 and tech<\/a><\/p>\n Miami area startups snag $4.13B in VC in 2025. New eMerge Insights report has the details<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0How Miami became a launchpad for cross-border pay XFX lands $17M to fix the messy middle between dollars ment startups<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Latest fundraise:\u00a0OpenFX raises $94M on the premise that moving money should feel like sending a text<\/a><\/p>\n Neurolief raises $6M to fuel U.S. rollout of at-home depression therapy<\/a><\/p>\n Investor spotlight: Saxon Baum on Miami\u2019s reset, Florida Funders\u2019 next phase, and the work still left to do<\/a><\/p>\n Relocation news: AI company Acclaim launches U.S. expansion, selects Miami for global HQ<\/a><\/p>\n South Florida\u2019s AMPERA lands major shipping deal as it opens new global headquarters<\/a><\/p>\n ATTRUS sets up in Miami to rethink how money moves globally<\/a><\/p>\n Stem cell opportunities expand \u2013 and so does GBI BioManufacturing in Plantation<\/a><\/p>\n Full office, big plans: Simpro Group\u2019s Miami growth story is just getting started<\/a><\/p>\n Fetii, the Uber for groups, launches in Miami<\/a><\/p>\n Latest guest post:\u00a0I love AI, but it just got Taylor Swift wrong with total confidence. Imagine what we\u2019re not catching \u2013 By Maxeme Tuchman.<\/a><\/p>\n Much more paywall-free #MiamiTech news\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\u00a0and follow her on X @ndahlberg and\u00a0on LinkedIn<\/a>.\u00a0Subscribe to Refresh Miami\u2019s free weekly newsletter\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Betr \u2013\u00a0CRM Marketing Manager<\/a>
Candex \u2013\u00a0Sales Development Representative<\/a>
Iru \u2013\u00a0Customer Success Manager<\/a>
Iru \u2013\u00a0Paid Social Marketing Manager<\/a>
Kaseya \u2013\u00a0Sr Network Security Engineer<\/a>
Lennar \u2013\u00a0Data Analyst II<\/a>
Lennar \u2013\u00a0Data Engineer II<\/a>
Mediafly \u2013\u00a0Marketing Creative Designer<\/a>
Nubank \u2013\u00a0Global Marketing Expert<\/a>
OpenFX \u2013\u00a0Client Success, Enterprise<\/a>
Papa \u2013\u00a0Sr Backend Software Engineer<\/a>
ResQ\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Sales Representative<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Nancy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/60b7851ea3a84-bpfull.jpg\")
<\/a> 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\u00a0protected]<\/a>. Thanks for reading! <\/a>Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all<\/a>)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News from Magma, Florida Council of 100, Iru, Citadel, GoSprout, Endeavor Miami, Picsart, Beacon Council, Miami Fintech Club & more<\/a> – April 9, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFetii, the Uber for groups, launches in Miami<\/a> – April 9, 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAI company Acclaim launches U.S. expansion, selects Miami for global HQ<\/a> – March 31, 2026\t\t\t\t \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1 Magma to launch US expansion from Miami Magma, a property technology startup based in Paris will be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":{"0":"post-226030","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hialeah","8":"tag-hialeah","9":"tag-hialeah-headlines","10":"tag-hialeah-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}