Newsletter August 21st, 2025

Happy Thursday! Mind Your Business is your weekly spark plug in Tampa Bay’s business engine, firing up the stories that keep our region’s innovation machine running at full speed.

From exits to expansions, from AI to ocean tech, here’s what’s powering the momentum right now:

💰 A $14M Exit Adds to Tampa Bay’s Investment Wins
🤖 Clearwater AI Firm Levels Up with New HQ
🛡️ From Startup to Global Player: A Tampa Cybersecurity Story
🧬 Federal Grant Freezes Put Local Biotech on Pause
🧪 A South Tampa Clinic Raises the Bar on Longevity Care
🌊 Tampa Bay’s Next Big Role: Leading in Ocean Tech

Scroll down to learn more…

💰VENTURE CAPITAL

Seedfunders Scores $14M Exit with Intelligent Observation Sale

St. Pete-based Seedfunders just logged a win: portfolio company Intelligent Observation Inc. (Miami healthtech startup) was acquired by HID Global Corp. for $14M cash.

Founded by Seth Freedman, Intelligent Observation builds software + devices to track hygiene compliance in hospitals which is a critical factor in patient safety and meeting regulatory standards.

Seedfunders first invested in 2019, doubled down in 2020, and helped guide the company from MVP to acquisition. Since 2018, the group has grown to 70+ partners and nearly 50 investments, with several portfolio companies later raising capital at 10x Seedfunders’ entry valuation.

⚡Why It Matters: 

The exit reinforces Tampa Bay’s role as a launchpad for early-stage startups, showing that strategic local capital can help turn MVPs into meaningful outcomes and real returns.

🤖ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI Firm Equitus Opens Clearwater HQ, Plans Major Growth

Clearwater-based Equitus, an AI company specializing in data unification + computer vision, is kicking off a big new phase. This month, Mark Rigney stepped in as CEO just as the firm opened a 4,500-sq-ft HQ on Tech Data Drive, putting it closer to partners like TD Synnex + IBM.

Equitus helps organizations turn raw, fragmented data into structured intelligence for AI, analytics, and decisions. Its flagship tools, Video Sentinel and Knowledge Graph Neural Network, streamline data management with built-in traceability and security.

Already adopted + resold by IBM, Equitus is balancing deep defense roots with fast-growing commercial traction in retail, grocery, and legal. The team of 30 is hiring now, with plans to triple HQ space within two years.

⚡Why It Matters:
Equitus shows how defense-grade AI is crossing into commercial markets, further cementing Tampa Bay’s role as a rising hub for enterprise AI.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

Riddle of the Week:

I pour through wires and rest in clouds,
I’m cleaned and labeled, noisy and loud.
I train the minds that never sleep,
Copied for pennies, yet costs run deep.
I reveal your habits, your wants, your route…
Feed me well and answers come out.

What am I? 🤔
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

Pause for some deep thinking…

🛡️CYBERSECURITY

Tampa Cyber Firm ConnectSecure Scales from 3 to 70 with Global Reach

When Peter Bellini took over ConnectSecure in 2022, it was a three-person startup. Just three years later, it’s a 70-person company with global reach, powering 2,500 MSPs, protecting 70,000 businesses and 2M devices worldwide.

Instead of chasing enterprise giants, ConnectSecure built its niche by giving MSPs proactive vulnerability management tools to stop threats before they happen. Partnerships with Pax8 and other distributors have accelerated international scale, while local hiring from USF + Saint Leo keeps roots in Tampa strong.

This year, the company is layering on professional services and rolling out AI-driven reporting which is aiming to become the next household name in MSP cybersecurity, following Tampa’s ConnectWise and KnowBe4.

⚡Why It Matters:
ConnectSecure’s rapid rise highlights Tampa’s emergence as a hub for MSP-focused cybersecurity innovation, building on the city’s legacy of ConnectWise, KnowBe4, and other industry leaders.

🧬BIOTECH

Grant Freezes Stall Growth for Tampa Biotech Startup Asante Bio

Tampa entrepreneur + USF professor Michael Francis (who co-founded an orthopedic startup that sold for $270M) is hitting roadblocks with his new venture, Asante Bio.

Founded in 2022, the startup is building biomanufactured implants for soft tissue repair. But a pause in nearly $4M of expected NIH + NSF grants has slowed progress, forcing layoffs and a shift toward dilutive private capital.

Asante Bio, fresh out of Tampa Bay Wave’s healthtech accelerator, estimates it’s a year from human use once new funding lands but the gap highlights a tough reality.

⚡Why It Matters:
Biotech breakthroughs often hinge on federal research dollars. With grant delays piling up and investor dollars tilting toward AI startups like Asante Bio face an uphill climb despite massive potential.

😂MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

🧪HEALTHCARE / BIOHACKING

Heim Regenerative Health Launches $2.5M Flagship Clinic in South Tampa

South Tampa physician Dr. Michael Heim has teamed up with hospitality exec Jack Murray III (Tastes Pretty Good) and developer Tim Vining (Bluewater Development) to scale his regenerative medicine practice into a flagship 4,000-sq-ft clinic.

The reimagined space (a converted bank) combines primary care with cutting-edge longevity services: cold plunge, sauna, cryotherapy, IV labs, stem cell + PRP injections, and more.

Dr. Heim has already served 8,000+ patients (3,000 active), but this new partnership—mixing medicine, hospitality, and real estate—signals an ambitious move toward regional expansion.

⚡Why It Matters:
This isn’t just another wellness trend. By blending clinical oversight with lifestyle therapies, Heim Regenerative Health is betting on Tampa Bay as a hub for longevity innovation where extending healthspan is as important as treating illness.

🌊SUSTAINABILITY / CLIMATE TECH

Tampa Bay Tapped to Lead in Bluetech and Hurricane Resilience

Tampa Bay is carving out a global niche in the blue economy: the intersection of ocean science and technology fueling climate resilience, hurricane modeling, and maritime defense.

Former NOAA chief Richard Spinrad spotlighted the region’s momentum during his visit this month. Programs like The Continuum ($14M in funding for Tampa Bay Wave + St. Pete Innovation District) are fueling a new wave of startups.

What sets Tampa Bay apart?

• Deep science: USF’s world-class marine research

• Entrepreneurial drive: A fast-growing startup ecosystem

• Market urgency: Rising demand for climate resilience and national security solutions

Spinrad’s message was clear: Tampa Bay has the ingredients to lead the world in bluetec, if it scales responsibly and avoids the hype trap.

⚡Why It Matters:
Smarter hurricane models could cut insurance costs nationwide. Stronger maritime tech could bolster national security and agriculture. And Tampa Bay could cement itself as the credibility capital of bluetech.

📢ANNOUNCEMENT

Pitch Your Health-Tech Startup in Front of Cathie Wood (Ark Invest) ONLY 2 SPOTS REMAINING!

Got What It Takes to Pitch in Front of a $40B Titan?

This November 13th, we're hosting a landmark event featuring Cathie Wood, legendary founder of Ark Invest and visionary leader managing over $40 billion in assets.

We're selecting 5 standout health-tech startups to pitch live on stage, in front of Cathie and a room full of investors, operators, and key decision-makers in tech and venture.

🎤 What’s at stake?
The prize is still under wraps, but the real win is who you’ll be pitching in front of.

To apply:
Reply to this email with 1 short paragraph about your startup and what you’re aiming to achieve. Think of it as your elevator pitch – concise, bold, and clear.

📅 Event Date: Wednesday, November 13
📍 Location: Ark Innovation Center

Space is limited! Don’t miss the chance to put your startup in front of one of the most influential investors in the world.

WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ETC…

• ⚖️ Fear & Greed Index: 53 (NEUTRAL) per CNN

• 📈 Controversial celeb Kanye West launches YZY cryptocurrency, reaches $3B in just 40 minutes Read more

• Go from prompt to PDF in seconds with ReadyBase

• Create stunning product videos in minutes with Clueso

• Want a front-row seat to our biggest events and a chance to connect with Tampa Bay’s top founders, investors and innovators? Apply to join our team!

• 🚀 We’re growing our private Masterminds Slack community — and we want you in it! Connect with top entrepreneurs, founders, and techies building big things in Tampa Bay and beyond. Join now

• 📅 Want to sponsor an upcoming Masterminds event? Apply here!

RIDDLE ANSWER

Data. Clean it, label it, and it powers smarter decisions.

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