8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News From MDC, Children’s Trust, Humanz, Blue Biofuels, Zulu Pods, fundings, jobs, massage robots & more - Refresh Mi

[Nancy Dahlberg]

1​

Miami Dade College awarded $2M to pave way for AI opportunities​

Miami Dade College has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a national framework for Artificial Intelligence Entry Pathways. In collaboration with Houston Community College and Maricopa County Community College District, this investment aims to pave the way for expanding AI education and creating new opportunities for students nationwide.

Housed under the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium, the project aims to increase high school students and adult learners’ access to AI degrees at community colleges by developing scalable strategies and best practices on how to recruit, retain, complete and transition students in AI programs.

The project is funded by NSF directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and STEM Education as part of the EducateAI initiative to prepare the next generation of talent for a diverse, well-trained AI workforce. The three colleges will leverage the industry partners and the outreach of the National Applied AI Consortium to align with the latest trends in AI workforce and to disseminate results to community colleges nationally.

Set to start on January 2025, the grant already counts with a network of school districts, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools to develop and disseminate an AI framework for high school students to be adequately engaged and prepared for a two-year AI degree program at a community college; and to implement an AI Teacher Academy to train high school teachers on properly preparing students for educational pathways and careers in AI.

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The Children’s Trust launches $1.6M Innovation Fund​

The Children’s Trust has launched a $1.6 million Innovation Fund to support projects aimed at improving the lives of children and families across the county.

Among the 21 funded projects, NABU Global is using tech to produce children’s books in Creole and English, fostering literacy in underserved communities. Another standout is Create Kids, Inc.’s project ‘Take-Pause’, a Virtual Reality stress-reduction tool designed for children undergoing medical treatments. Additionally, the University of Miami’s Linda Ray Center is expanding the use of LENA technology to track language development in young children, including those with developmental delays.

To learn which projects were funded, click here.

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Creator/influencer platform chooses Wynwood for HQ​

Humanz, a creator marketing platform founded in Israel, matches online influencers with major companies to help those ventures market their brands. Humanz says it has facilitated more than 15 million creator collaborations with brands including McDonalds, Google and L’Oréal.

The company recently selected Wynwood as its HQ.

“The U.S. is a critical hub for the creator economy, and our platform is uniquely positioned to address the evolving needs of this dynamic industry by driving greater outcomes for both brands and creators,” Humanz U.S. CEO Roee Zelcer told the South Florida Business Journal, adding that Miami’s population of entrepreneurs and its emerging technology ecosystem made it an attractive location for Humanz.

Humanz says its platform provides real-time insights into a campaign to track engagement. The company can match brands with a variety of creators, from social media celebrities to nano-influencers with niche followings. Read more here.

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Blue Biofuels secures grant to turn plants into jet fuel​

Blue Biofuels was awarded a $1.15 million Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Palm Beach Gardens-based startup has developed a patented process that converts cellulose, a component found in plants, into sugars that are fermented into a bioethanol used for sustainable fuels. That includes sustainable aviation fuel and renewable gasoline.

EO Ben Slager expressed his enthusiasm for this milestone, stating, “We are very grateful to the Department of Energy for their continued support and confidence in our CTS technology. “This grant will allow us to accelerate the commercialization of our process, bringing us closer to providing a sustainable and economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. Our goal is to play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy independence, and this funding is crucial in helping us achieve that vision,” said CEO Ben Slager, in a statement.

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Zulu Pods awarded Phase 2 SBIR grant​

Zulu Pods has been awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research award by the Office of Naval Research, part of the Department of the Navy. The award will focus on continued efforts to develop novel, innovative fluid delivery systems for next generation jet engines used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The amount of the award has not been disclosed.

The technology will support broader Department of Defense initiatives aimed at rapidly developing and deploying thousands of affordable autonomous systems across various warfighting domains within 18 to 24 months.

In June, Zulu Pods leased a new production facility located in Northampton, Mass., with over 5,800 sq/ft of space for R&D, engineering, and manufacturing.

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Two South Florida tech companies receive PSG investments​

Verity IQ, a Boca Raton-based customer relationship management and student information system provider, received a strategic investment from growth equity firm PSG. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. The company intends to use the funds to expand its existing offerings with additional features and functionality, as well as to strengthen the integration of its solutions.

Led by Cornelia Anderson, co-founder and CEO, and Aaron Anderson, co-founder and CTO, Verity IQ is an education technology SaaS company providing student life-cycle management solutions, including “Verity Dialog CRM” and “Verity Student SIS”, which focus on recruitment, retention, and placement. They use modern channels for communication designed to deliver an enhanced student experience, and innovative analytics, as well as to lower cost of ownership.

Campus Ivy, a Sunrise-based provider of financial aid solutions for education institutions, also received an undisclosed, strategic investment from PSG. Campus Ivy plans to use the funds to expand its existing offerings with additional features and functionality, as well as to strengthen the integration of their solutions. Led by CEO Cid Yousefi and COO Siana Stewart, Campus Ivy provides student centric outsourced financial aid services and cloud-based financial aid automation software to education institutions.

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Relax! The massage robots have arrived​

New York tech company Aescape believes its robots are the future of massage and they are now available in Miami. After launching at New York fitness clubs and hotels earlier this year, Aescape expanded to Miami’s Kimpton EPIC Hotel in late August. It is the company’s first installation outside New York, according to a report in Axios Miami.

“I built Aescape, really, to be a solution for all the people out there who want to self-direct their massages — who want to be in control,” founder and CEO Eric Litman told Axios.

Litman says he created the company to provide on-demand massages at an affordable price. Customers can book online or through the app. Massages at the Kimpton start at $40 for a 15-minute appointment or $60 for half an hour. Litman claims his robots do twice the work in half the time because both robot arms are working simultaneously.

Miami Heat’s own Kevin Love is an investor in Aescape alongside Valor Equity Partners (an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX) and others.

Read more about the experience – no nudity, no small talk, no human interaction – here.

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Jobs, jobs, jobs​

Here are a few of the hundreds of job opportunities on Refresh Miami’s job board. Go get one!

Kaseya – Software Asset Management Manager
HealthBird – Marketing Coordinator
HealthSnap – Director of Demand Generation
HealthSnap – Director of Security
Millennium Management – Security Engineer
Muck Rack – Chief of Staff
Muck Rack – Sr Full Stack Engineer
Novo – Sr TPRM & Compliance Process Lead
Pipe – Sr Business Development Manager
REEF – UI/UX Mobile Designer
Slalom – Strategy & Operations Consultant

Want job alerts delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to our free Miami Tech Jobs newsletter here.

PLUS​

Opportunity knocks​

• eMerge Americas is accepting applications from early-stage startups with Hispanic/Latin American founders for its CELEBRAR! pitch competition Oct. 16 at Arlo Wynwood. The winner will receive a $2,500 grant and will be fast-tracked to the 2025 eMerge accelerator and showcase. Apply here; deadline is Sept. 26.
• The Florida Venture Forum is now accepting presenter applications for the 2025 Florida Venture Capital Conference March 3-5, 2025at the Loews Coral Gables. Apply here.
• Endeavor Miami is accepting applications for its next ScaleUp Program. Apply for ScaleUp here.
• The Miami Downtown Development Authority is offering $1.1 million in incentives to attract businesses seeking to move to or expand their operations to Downtown Miami’s Central Business District, Arts & Entertainment District or Brickell. The program offers grants up to $25,000 per business for startups, and is flexible to allow businesses to either operate out of a co-working space or lease their own dedicated office space. Grants up to $50,000 are available for mid-size businesses and ground floor retail operators moving into downtown. Learn more here.
• As part of its 100 Startup Project Scholarship Program, The Levan Center of Innovation is offering 10 entrepreneurs a one-year membership to the Levan Center of Innovation, thanks to the support of Memorial Healthcare System. Apply here.

ICYMI​

Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on X @ndahlberg. Subscribe to Refresh Miami’s free weekly newsletter here featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events. Thank you for supporting Refresh Miami.






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!




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