{"id":353624,"date":"2026-07-27T13:20:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T13:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/353624\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T13:20:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T13:20:41","slug":"mana-tech-thinks-miamis-next-chapter-needs-more-than-networking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/353624\/","title":{"rendered":"Mana Tech thinks Miami\u2019s next chapter needs more than networking"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, our startup scene became known for packed events, visiting founders, and growing attention from investors. But after working with hundreds of companies, Mana Tech<\/a> came to a simple conclusion: founders do not need another happy hour. They need customers, capital, and people who can help them grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat they needed was customers or they needed investors or they needed trusted interactions,\u201d Charly Esnal, CEO of Mana Tech, told Refresh Miami. \u201cThe events are good. Again, they\u2019re a key element of what we do, but they just don\u2019t need another event.\u201d<\/p>\n

That realization is reshaping one of Miami\u2019s best-known startup groups.<\/p>\n

This year, Mana Tech has hosted 94 events. Its programs have brought roughly 65 startups from countries including Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Peru, India, and Israel to Miami. Its downtown space now spans two fully booked floors, while around 180 members take part in mentoring, office hours, peer sessions, and introductions.<\/p>\n

But Esnal said those activities are now the starting point rather than the goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few years ago, the focus was more on creating community, on bringing founders together, hosting events, building energy around the Miami tech ecosystem,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was very important because the ecosystem was maturing.\u201d<\/p>\n

After watching founders face the same problems again and again, Mana Tech began asking a different question: what does Miami need to help companies succeed once they arrive?<\/p>\n

One answer is Scale to Miami, a program focused on helping international startups secure their first US investment. Its latest cohort drew 240 applicants. Twenty companies were selected, with six traveling to Miami for an in-person program centered on fundraising, investor access, and US expansion.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiami has already won the battle for attention. Now it has to win the battle for outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Esnal, Miami is becoming a more credible entry point into the American market. \u201cI think Miami is positioning itself now as the landing pad,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He believes many founders abroad still underestimate the depth of the local ecosystem. That perception often changes once they arrive.<\/p>\n

\u2713<\/p>\n

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\u201cMiami sits between one of the world\u2019s most dynamic innovation regions \u2013\u00a0Latin America \u2013\u00a0and the deepest capital market in the world. That is a structural advantage, but geography alone doesn\u2019t create opportunity. You need institutions that connect both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been pitching Miami\u2019s tech scene for ten years,\u201d Esnal continued. \u201cNow we have some substance to what we offer. We see real companies moving to Miami. We see VCs coming and setting up shop in Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city still has gaps. The current focus on artificial intelligence has pulled many founders toward Silicon Valley, while growth-stage capital remains harder to access locally.<\/p>\n

Mana Tech is responding by working more closely with venture firms, particularly those focused on Latin America. The aim is to move beyond one-off visits and create stronger ties between investors and companies building from Miami.<\/p>\n

\u201cInfrastructure is when those investors have a reason to be here throughout the year,\u201d Esnal said. \u201cWhen they get to know the ecosystem, when they get to meet founders more consistently and build relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next chapter of Miami tech won\u2019t be written by conferences,\u201d he added. \u201cIt will be written by the permanent institutions that help companies access capital, customers, and markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talent is another focus. Esnal said Miami has benefited from experienced operators moving to the city and working as advisors or fractional executives. Technical talent remains less visible, however, prompting Mana Tech to work on ways to connect startups with local developers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of things are happening under the radar and a little bit disconnected,\u201d he said. That\u2019s part of the reason why Mana Tech is involved in plans for the Nikola Tesla Innovation Hub<\/a> in downtown Miami, which is expected to include two floors and roughly 20,000 square feet of space for startups, corporations, and international groups.<\/p>\n

For Esnal, the larger aim is clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not our job to be the hero,\u201d he said. \u201cOur job is to make everyone else more successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:<\/p>\n

\"Riley<\/a> <\/p>\n

I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.<\/p>\n

\"Riley<\/a>Latest posts by Riley Kaminer (see all<\/a>) \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For years, our startup scene became known for packed events, visiting founders, and growing attention from investors. But…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353625,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-353624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353624","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=353624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/353625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=353624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=353624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}