Florida Funders

Lula, a Miami-based insurance infrastructure startup, announced today it has raised $18 million in a Series A round of funding. Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures co-led the round, which also included participation from SoftBank, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, Shrug Capital, Steve Pagliuca (Bain Capital co-chairman and Boston Celtics owner), Tiny Capital's Andrew Wilkinson. Existing [...]

During a time when many offices are still working remotely, July was the month several organizations began teaming up with one another. We've got all the partnerships announced last month below, along with the promotions within Tampa Bay's tech scene and even a new tech company coming to town. Partnerships • Seedfunders Opportunity Fund, the newest fund with a focus on diversity, has appointed St. Petersburg College President Tonjua Williams and longtime corporate executive Bridgette Heller to its Opportunity Fund Board. The fund spun out of early-stage investment fund Seedfunders. Heller has spent 35 years as a business executive for various companies and now heads the local nonprofit M.A.S.T.R. Kids, which combines literacy and STEAM curriculum for children. And with Williams' SPC connection, the fund has also promised it will make at least one investment in an SPC-student-led company. • Florida Funders, the venture capital fund and angel investor network, has partnered with Florida

A Tampa alcohol software startup has exited after an acquisition by a New York City-based company. Bridge, which rebranded from Proof Network Ventures in October, has been acquired from SevenFifty Technologies for an undisclosed amount. Since its founding in October 2018, the company has undergone a rebrand, acquired a similar business named Tipsi and secured funding from Florida Funders. It was also included in Tampa Bay Inno's Startups to Watch in 2020 list. "Florida Funders celebrates Bridge's acquisition by SevenFifty as it marks a notably successful exit for our firm," Tom Wallace, managing partner for Florida Funders, said in a statement. "Bridge brought an invaluable service to companies and made them a key player in the beverage alcohol space." Florida Funders invested $917,000 in Bridge in November 2019. Since SevenFifty Technologies operates remotely, the Bridge team will remain in Tampa Bay. "We are fortunate to have received the level of ongoing support and guidance that we