1
Palm Beach State College wins $5M grant to train students in quantum
Palm Beach State College has been awarded $4.95 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, recently announced by Governor Ron DeSantis. The funding will support the creation of a new workforce training program in computing and emerging quantum technologies, designed to strengthen Florida’s talent pipeline in national defense, cybersecurity, and financial services sectors. Palm Beach State College will lead the development of Florida’s first structured, public-access Quantum Systems Certification Program.
“Today’s investments will support high demand regional and statewide needs, including talent development needs in communities that are supporting high impact industries that align with many of Florida’s greatest pillars of investment,” said Gov. DeSantis, in a statement. “Communities such as Brevard and Palm Beach counties are critical for leading industry clusters in aerospace and aviation, military and defense, cybersecurity, financial services, and the investment in Broward College is focused on accelerated pathways to further support aviation workforce needs.”
The $4.9 million Florida Commerce allocation to PBSC represents the largest single investment among three recipients, which also include Melbourne Orlando International Airport ($2.5 million) and Broward College (more than $900,000).
“Every major technology shift creates two gaps: a skills gap and a timing gap,” said Matt Cimaglia, Founder & Managing Partner of Quantum Coast Capital and founding member of Florida Quantum. “Training a workforce in quantum-era security andcomputing today ensures our economy adapts smoothly rather than reactively.”
The funding builds on the 2025 announcement of plans to establish a Quantum Innovation Center at PBSC’s Historic Building in downtown West Palm Beach. The center is intended to attract startups and incubate emerging companies working in advanced computing, security and related industries, reinforcing the region’s growing role in the national technology economy.
2
London crypto company brings US HQ to Miami
Elektron Energy, a global cryptocurrency infrastructure company, will be bringing its US headquarters to Miami. It is leasing 2,243 square feet at 801 Brickell to start. Senior executives plan to relocate from London, where the company has a large contingent of employees, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Elektron Energy is a provider of digital infrastructure for Bitcoin networks, but isn’t itself a crypto brokerage.
The 28-story building, houses public companies such as BNP Paribas, Galderma and Mastercard, among others. In recent years, Brickell has solidified its position as one of Miami’s most expensive office markets. Read more here.
3
Endeavor Miami entrepreneurs named to global network
Endeavor Miami announces the selection of José Fernández, founder & CEO of Bankuish, and Marcos Franceschini, co-founder and President of Skyloom, as the newest Endeavor Entrepreneurs to join the global network. They will now join a global community of over 2,500 high-impact founders across 45+ markets, gaining access to strategic mentorship, capital, and market expansion opportunities.
Fernández’s company, Bankuish, helps over 1.5 billion independent workers access fair financing through gig-based data. Since its founding in 2020, Bankuish has originated over $600 million in financial products across five markets, using proprietary APIs that connect gig platforms like Uber, TikTok, and Upwork directly with financial institutions.
Franceschini is building the future of communications infrastructure in
orbit. As co-founder and President of Skyloom, Franceschini leads a Colorado-based SpaceTech company pioneering optical communications, laser terminals that enable satellites to transmit data at ultrahigh speeds.
“These founders remind us that great entrepreneurs do more than grow companies; they transform communities, strengthen societies, and rewrite the future with innovation and mission. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we’re proud to support at Endeavor,” said Claudia Duran, Regional Managing Director for North America & Managing Director at Endeavor Miami, in a statement.
Since 2013, Endeavor Miami has supported over 270 companies through its early-stage initiatives and selected over 40 Endeavor Entrepreneurs whose ventures have collectively generated over $983 million in annual revenue and created more than 6,000 jobs.
4
Miami-based Trubar acquired for $173M
Miami Beach-based protein bar brand Trubar has been acquired for $173 million in cash by ETİ Gıda, a 60+ year-old, family-owned global snack company headquartered in Turkey. The transaction is a 100% acquisition with no earn-out. Founder and CEO Erica Groussman and the leadership team will remain in place to continue running the brand from Miami Beach.
Founded in 2019, TRUBAR has built a cult following by combining dessert-inspired flavors with clean ingredients, an approach that has helped it scale rapidly in a crowded category. Over the past year alone, the company expanded from roughly 1,000 stores to more than 21,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, including Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Albertsons, and Erewhon, as well as on Amazon. The company surpassed $50 million in gross revenue in 2024, more than doubling the category’s five-year growth rate, and nearly $100 million in revenue in 2025.
Groussman says the acquisition positions the brand for accelerated international expansion, leveraging ETİ’s global manufacturing and distribution infrastructure while preserving TRUBAR’s brand DNA.
“By joining the ETi family, we’re not changing who we are – we’re doubling down on it,” said Groussman. “Our products, people, and values remain at the heart of everything we do. What changes is our ability to deliver with greater consistency, innovate faster, and reach more consumers around the world.”
5
Avenue Z acquiring Shopify development firm Varfaj
As e-commerce enters its most competitive era, with Shopify powering nearly 30% of U.S. online stores, Avenue Z, the AI-accelerated hybrid agency, is acquiring Varfaj, a top-tier Shopify development and optimization firm.
“This acquisition makes us a complete growth engine in ecommerce,” said Jeffrey Herzog, CEO of Avenue Z. “Brands don’t have time to chase different partners. They need performance media and ecommerce development under one roof, enabling us to literally manufacture revenue for our clients.”
“We’ve always believed that design, tech, and performance media must operate as one system,” said Varfaj CEO David Confortij. “Our mission is to scale brands from startup to nine figures in revenue.”
Varfaj will rebrand under Avenue Z, with founder Conforti stepping in as Chief Growth Officer. The combined team plans to build on Miami’s momentum as a hub for next-generation commerce and Shopify innovation.
5
Exowatt expands executive team
Exowatt, a next-generation renewable energy company, recently announced executive appointments for supporting Exowatt’s P3 technology. P3 converts solar energy into heat for long-duration storage and on-demand dispatch, providing data centers with a reliable, sustainable alternative to a power grid. The appointments:
- Nic Bustamante, as Chief Data Center Officer, will lead ExoRise, Exowatt’s recently announced turnkey-powered land solution. With more than 25 years of global hyperscale data center development experience across over 100 markets, Bustamante brings expertise in development, operations, and scaling. His leadership background spans Corscale Data Centers, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Rackspace.
- Bill Flood, Head of Engineering, brings over 35 years of aerospace and advanced technology leadership to accelerate Exowatt’s manufacturing and deployment. He was most recently Vice President of Space Vehicles at Moog Space and Defense Group, and former VP of Engineering, Advanced Technology and New Business Ventures at Moog Aircraft Group.
- Kalyan Bhamidi, Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing, brings over a decade of scaling breakthrough technologies at Apple, where he led OLED technology for devices and played a pivotal role in establishing the manufacturing supply chain for Vision Pro Display. Previously, Bhamidi championed lean manufacturing practices at Caterpillar Inc.,
- Pierson Stoecklein, General Counsel & Head of Government Affairs, brings more than 15 years of experience navigating complex regulatory landscapes in energy, data centers, and critical infrastructure, most recently Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Stoecklein led global regulatory advocacy on issues including artificial intelligence, environmental policy, data center performance standards, product safety, and trade.
“As the demand for AI infrastructure outpaces the available power supply, Exowatt is scaling to fill the gap,” said Hannan Happi, CEO of Exowatt. “Nic, Bill, Kalyan and Pierson bring the seasoned leadership necessary to deploy our dispatchable solar technology at the speed the market requires.”
7
Registration open for eMerge National Security Demo Day
eMerge Americas has opened registration for eMerge National Security Demo Day, a live showcase of dual-use technologies transforming national security. The event on April 21 promises to deliver real-world demonstrations across air, land, surface, and subsurface domains.
Top-vetted startups will deploy autonomous vessels, submersibles, advanced drones, integrated sensing systems, and more directly to over 400 senior decision-makers from government (Federal/State/Local), DoW, DHS, DoJ, public safety, defense investors, industry, and academia. Registration is limited and requires approval. RSVP here.
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New World Angels forms Space & Defense Ventures Group
New World Angels recently formed a Space & Defense Ventures Group, and the Boca Raton-based angel network has made its first capital deployment within the new group.
“When we launched the Space & Defense Ventures Group, our intent was clear: deploy smart capital into companies solving real, strategic problems,” NWA’s Space & Defense Ventures Group Co-Chairman Richard Greco said in a statement. “Launch access is now a matter of national resilience, not convenience. Seagate Space is building infrastructure that directly strengthens U.S. and allied space capabilities, and that is exactly where we want to lead.”
Seagate Space, based in St. Petersburg, is the new group’s first investment. Emerging from stealth in early 2025, Seagate Space was founded by Michael Anderson and Sean Fortener. Unlike traditional land-based launch sites, the startup is developing a semi-submersible offshore launch platform to expand U.S. launch capacity and ease congestion at coastal sites. Read more in the Tampa Bay Business Journal here.
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Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Iru – Principal MacOS Engineer
Kaseya – Sr Network Engineer
Lennar – Data Engineer II
Matia – Data Advocate/Developer Relations
OpenFX – Head of Design
OpenFX – Head of Marketing
Papa – Sr Product Designer
Proto – Sr Community Manager
Synthbee Inc – Sr DevOps Engineer
Vultr – Sr Product Marketing Manager
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
10-PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- Deadline soon: The Ventures Global Startup Award 2026 is again coming to Miami and is now open for applications. The Ventures is an international startup awards and venture club, originally launched in Silicon Valley. Selected startups will pitch to top-tier investors at a Miami event on Feb. 25. The deadline is Feb. 20. Apply here.
- 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.
- Join the eMerge AI Hackathon, a day of building AI solutions, on April 18. Judges from Meta, Lightship Capital and Haize Labs are already on board. Register 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.
- 10+ things to know in #MiamiTech: A local college wins $5M in quantum funding, plus news from Elektron Energy, Endeavor Miami, Trubar, Avenue Z, Exowatt, eMerge, New World Angels, tech jobs & more – February 18, 2026
- CodePath & Anthropic partner up for economic mobility in AI era – February 16, 2026
- ILiAD Biotechnologies of Weston raises $115M to advance whooping cough vaccine – February 11, 2026
