Happy Thursday! This is Masterminds Tampa Bay - the newsletter that's like a USB flash drive of startup knowledge – small, but mighty.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• $1.8 Million goes to this St. Pete-based startup

• This Tampa-based education company just got acquired.

• New event app out of St. Pete secures $100K

• PayPal invests in this Florida Funder’s backed company

• The tech event you need to be at this month

STARTUPS

St. Pete Yacht Charters Startup, Anchor Yacht Charters, Raises $1.8M in Seed Funding

St. Petersburg-based startup Anchor secured $1.8 million in seed funding, reaching a total of over $4 million across two funding rounds.

The round included participation from existing investor Silverton Partners and welcomed new investors, including marine entrepreneur John Giglio. The funds will fuel the expansion of Anchor's platform globally.

The company, previously named Anchor Yacht Rentals, facilitates private yacht trips by connecting users, yacht owners, and captains. The ongoing offering targets $2.17 million and supports Anchor's strategic growth and revenue diversification.

Follett School Solutions Acquires Tampa-Based Edtech Startup Livingtree

Illinois-based Follett School Solutions, a leading K-12 educational software provider, has acquired Tampa-based edtech startup Livingtree, led by serial entrepreneur Gary Hensley.

The acquisition, finalized in December, aims to strengthen fundraising management and community connections. Livingtree's platform, now named Follett Destiny Fundraising Manager, enhances fundraising transparency and efficiency. Hensley, with a successful history in edtech ventures, will contribute to Follett's mergers and acquisitions team.

The move aligns with Follett's commitment to providing comprehensive educational solutions, and Hensley emphasizes supporting K-12 educators in the evolving landscape.

COMMUNITY

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FUNDRAISING

St. Pete Entrepreneur Secures $100K Pre-Seed Investment For Event App

St. Petersburg-based entrepreneur Dustin Rowe, along with co-founders Megan Rowe and Mahmud Ahsan, has received a $100,000 pre-seed investment for their community aggregator platform, What's Good.

Launched in late 2023, the platform helps users discover local events and activities. The funding, from undisclosed angel investors and the founders' resources, will support expansion beyond the initial markets of St. Petersburg and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Rowe aims to raise $250,000, join an accelerator, and expand What's Good to other Florida cities, emphasizing scalability for future growth.

TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

I'm the value assigned to a prospect's name, In the business game, I'm part of the fame. From a click or a form, I emerge and shine. A metric that tells how well you align.

What am I?

(Pause for some deep thinking...)

TECH

PayPal Ventures Invests in Florida Funder’s Mesh, with PYUSD Stablecoin

Mesh, a leading embedded finance solution, has secured an investment from PayPal Ventures, reinforcing its position in the embedded finance sector.

The investment, made using PayPal USD (PYUSD), an Ethereum-based stablecoin, signifies PayPal's commitment to fostering innovation in digital payments.

Notably, this marks the first use of PYUSD as a funding instrument for PayPal Ventures. Mesh, following a recent $22 million Series A funding round, enables businesses to seamlessly integrate crypto transfers and payments into existing platforms.

MEME STREET

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NONPROFIT

Synapse Summit 2024: What to Expect at Tampa Bay's Premier Tech Conference

Tampa Bay's thriving tech community is gearing up for the Synapse Summit, a pivotal annual event since 2018, scheduled for February 28 at Amalie Arena.

The day will feature diverse seminars covering investment and founder perspectives, culminating in an after-party on the arena's rooftop. Highlights include the Innovation Awards showcase, the Synapse Innovation Challenge presentations, and a speed networking session (hosted by us at Masterminds Tampa Bay!)

Keynote speakers include Shirl Penney, CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners, and Lauren Weiner, founder and CRO of WWC Global. The event will delve into emerging technologies, capital and investing trends, and strategies for improving company practices, offering valuable insights for the region's tech enthusiasts and innovators.

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WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, TOOLS, RESOURCES

• 🤖 Can you make your team better? Well, with a AI you can…

• 🎯Top digital marketing tips for 2024… there’s some good stuff in here

• 📈 Staying on top of your funnel metrics can be tough but this tool makes it easy to see all your important metrics, from one dashboard.

Brain Teaser Answer:

Earnings per lead (EPL). In marketing and business, earnings per lead is a metric that measures the revenue generated for each potential customer lead. It reflects the financial value associated with acquiring and converting leads in a marketing campaign.

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