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Vocodia to acquire PrivacyPal
Publicly traded Vocodia Holdings, a Boca Raton-based pioneer in AI-driven customer engagement solutions, announced it has entered into a commitment letter to acquire 51% of Privacy Pal LLC, the developer of AI privacy solution PrivacyPal.
PrivacyPal AI runs in your web browser and protects your sensitive data when using ChatGPT, Claude, and any AI tool. The strategic transaction aims to integrate Web3 Rex’s advanced AI data protection capabilities with Vocodia’s proprietary conversational AI technology, creating a powerhouse solution for the next generation of secure, automated enterprise engagement, Vocodia said in a press announcement.
Upon the closing of the transaction, Jason Melo, Privacy Pal’s founder, will become CEO of Vocodia. Current CEO and Co-founder Brian Podolak will transition to the role of Chief Visionary Officer, focusing on long-term product innovation and R&D strategy.
Melo brings experience across financial technology, open-source development, and enterprise AI. As the co-founder and CTO of Paxos, the first regulated crypto exchange in the US with FDIC insurance, Melo helped create the capital markets crypto movement on Wall Street, Vocodia said in its press release. His experience includes Nearform, where he led the team that developed the widely used open-source developer code Node.js, as well as Liquidnet, Exactera and ADP.
“True data privacy is long overdue. More importantly businesses require an opportunity to take advantage of the latest innovations across AI in a way that is safe for their customers, employees, and shareholders without compromising on the accuracy and user experience their organizations demand. The belief and determination is so strong that we are taking PrivacyPal to the public markets in a big way – Privacy and AI must live in public, with transparency and accountability,” Melo shared on LinkedIn.
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Digital bank Inter can open U.S. branch in Miami
Inter, Brazil’s first digital bank, received approval from the Federal Reserve and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation to establish a state-licensed international banking Florida branch in Miami, the company announced today.
The approval enables Inter to expand the company’s cross-border capabilities and broaden its range of financial services for individuals and businesses. It leverages technology to offer mortgages, credit, gift cards, investments and international payments through a broad network of companies in multiple countries, including Banco Inter S.A., Brazil’s first digital bank. “The U.S. branch allows us to scale our offering, deliver greater value to our clients, and strengthen Inter’s position in the international financial system,” said João Vitor Menin, Global CEO of Inter.
Inter’s ties to Miami are not new – and they are growing. In recent years, the publicly traded fintech established a US HQ in Miami, and recently employed about 60 employees here as part of Inter’s global workforce of 4,000. The company’s current US offering centers on a super app that combines traditional banking services with features designed to stretch across a customer’s daily life.
READ MORE: Inter bets on Miami as it brings its super app to the US
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REGENT Craft lures large Seaglider order
REGENT Craft, the developer and manufacturer of all-electric Seaglider vessels, recently announced a Seaglider order from ‘XXV,’ a private members club that offers experiences in premier coastal destinations.
XXV’s order totals 30 of the 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider vessels for U.S. deployment. The Viceroy is designed for convenient, comfortable dock-to-dock travel. Passengers board directly at the water’s edge, then the craft rises onto hydrofoils to offer a high-speed, smooth ride through busy ports, before flying just above the water at speeds up to 180 miles per hour for routes up to 180 miles.
XXV plans to begin Seaglider operations on the U.S. East Coast, focusing first on Florida and the Northeast by serving routes including New York to the Hamptons, Boston to Nantucket, Palm Beach to Miami, and Miami to the Bahamas. REGENT plans to deliver the first Seaglider vessels to XXV as early as 2027.
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Pillr Health to expand with new investment
Pillr Health, a Boca Raton -based provider of software and tech-enabled services for health care delivery organizations, received an investment from Water Street Healthcare Partners to expand operations. The amount of the deal was not disclosed.
Pillr Health specializes in 340B program administration, helping hospitals and health systems maximize performance in the federal outpatient drug pricing program, which provides discounts to organizations serving uninsured, low-income, and vulnerable patient populations. “With Water Street’s industry expertise, network, and capital, we will focus on accelerating development of new solutions that enable our clients to optimize clinical care while capturing meaningful economic value from their pharmacy operations, said Skip Devanny, Pillr Health’s CEO, in a statement.
Devanny and the management team will continue to lead Pillr Health. Pillr Health serves more than 300 health care organizations nationwide through its platform of software, analytics, and managed pharmacy offerings.
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Eir Partners raises $1B fund
Eir Partners Capital, a Miami-based private-equity firm that invests in healthcare technology and tech-enabled services, closed its third fund at $1 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported. The sum exceeded the fund’s $800 million target as well as the $496 million gathered by its 2024 predecessor fund.
Eir Partners founder and CEO Brett Carlson said Eir aims “to build disruptive companies in a disciplined way.” Placement agent Lazard Frères and the law firm Cooley assisted with the fundraise, Eir Partners said. Read more here.
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Jobs, jobs, jobs
Blue Frontier –Manufacturing Process Engineer
Cast AI – Solutions Architect
Chewy – Analytics Engineer III
Clai –Sr Frontend Designer / JavaScript Engineer
DoorLoop –AI Automation Engineer
DoorLoop –Go-To-Market Engineer
eMed – Marketing Manager
eMed – Web Developer
Kaseya – Internal AI Innovation Analyst
Kaseya – Sr Analyst GTM Strategy & Operations
Insightec – Commercial Digital Application Analyst
Insightec – Data Analyst Lead
Neocis – Sr IT Helpdesk/Network Analyst
Neocis – Systems Engineer – Integration & Test
Related Ross – Digital Marketing Manager
Royal Caribbean Group – Cybersecurity Engineer
Simpro – SR IT Support Administrator
Vultr – AI Cluster Architect
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- Seaworthy Collective has opened applications for Cohort 7 of its flagship Startup Program, The Continuum Ocean Enterprise Studio and Incubator. Learn more and apply here by Jan. 28.
- 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, empowes 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.
- 6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: PrivacyPal to be acquired, Brazilian digital bank can open Miami branch, plus news from Regent Craft, Pillr Health, Eir Partners, job opportunities & more – January 20, 2026
- Miami area startups raised $613M in Q4, PitchBook reports. What were the top deals? – January 15, 2026
- 8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: Yes, the Larry Page news, plus a new defense-tech company is making 2 big moves, and the latest from Florida Council of 100, FII, ServiceNow, Panther Coffee, job opportunities & more – January 9, 2026
