Newsletter August 7th, 2025

Happy Thursday! Mind Your Business is your weekly spark in Tampa Bay’s startup wildfire, fanning the flames of innovation with must-know insights for founders, investors, and the curious.

Here’s what’s fueling the region’s AI, fintech, and beyond this week:

🤖AI and Climate Tech Startups Blaze New Trails in Innovation
📢 Media and AI Startups Make Bold Partnerships
🔄 The Reboot of a Local Accelerator
🚀 Tampa Bay’s AI and Business Ecosystem Skyrockets with $130M Investment
📈 Lean, High-Impact Funding: The New Trend For Local Startups

Scroll down to learn more…

🤖 CLIMATE TECH & AI

SkyTL and Certus Core Snag $900K NASA Deal to Revolutionize Wildfire Response

Tampa-based SkyTL (formerly Improving Aviation) and Certus Core have clinched a $900,000 Phase II NASA contract to empower firefighters with real-time, predictive data during wildfires. Spanning two years through June 2027, the deal builds on a successful Phase I prototype, combining SkyTL's AI-driven fire behavior modeling with Certus Core's data standardization and visualization tech.

The duo, who connected at Embarc Collective, aims to deliver testable tools by year one and full operational integration by year two, using examples like the Grand Canyon fire to highlight how better wind and spread forecasts could save lives and resources.

This isn't just a tech tweak, it's a blazing trail for collaborative innovation in disaster response. By taming messy data into actionable AI insights, SkyTL and Certus Core are proving that startup synergies can address NASA's urgent needs while opening doors to broader applications like hurricanes and humanitarian aid, outsmarting traditional siloed approaches.

⚡Why It Matters: 

This NASA nod amplifies Tampa Bay's role as an emerging powerhouse in AI and climate tech, showcasing how local hubs like Embarc Collective spark partnerships that attract federal funding. It fuels ecosystem growth with more jobs, investor interest, and scalable innovations, cementing the region's reputation as a go-to spot for solving real-world crises through entrepreneurship.

📢 MEDIA & ADVERTISING

Rumble Partners with Cumulus Media to Amplify Creator Content Nationwide

Rumble, the Longboat Key–based video and cloud platform, has signed a strategic partnership with media giant Cumulus Media. The deal brings together Rumble’s creator ecosystem with Cumulus’ podcasting and radio networks which includes Westwood One. This will enable Rumble to offer joint ad packages, content distribution, and new monetization opportunities across both platforms. It’s a major step in Rumble’s evolution beyond video hosting into full-scale media infrastructure.

This isn’t just another content collab… it’s a calculated media land grab. Rumble’s betting that fusing audio and video, anchored by creator-led ads, will carve out space beyond Big Tech’s walled gardens. While YouTube focuses on algorithmic scale, Rumble is leaning into trust, voice, and direct connection which is the stuff that advertisers crave and creators can’t fake.

⚡Why It Matters:
Rumble’s rise puts the Manatee-Sarasota corridor on the national media-tech radar. With partnerships like these, the Gulf Coast isn’t just building cool companies, it’s becoming a launchpad for the future of content distribution and monetization.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

Riddle of the Week:

I’m born in a spark, yet I’m not a flame,
I grow in your mind, but I’m not a game.
I’m shared with the world, through code or through pen,
In hubs of creation, I’m born now and then.

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

Pause for some deep thinking…

🚀STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

Strategic Overhaul at Tampa Bay Innovation Center

Accelerators used to be the gold standard for early-stage startup support, but the playbook is changing. The region’s oldest tech incubator is now signaling that founder support might not need to follow a rigid 12-week timeline. Instead, this could mark a shift toward a more flexible, founder-led model that puts capital, customers, and community at the center of its strategy.

In an ecosystem like St. Pete’s, which is still growing and evolving, TBIC’s pivot may allow for broader access points and deeper, more personalized founder engagement.

⚡Why It Matters:
This reboot could unlock a more modern, founder-first blueprint for support, one that evolves with the needs of startups rather than fitting them into legacy systems.

USF’s $130M Construction Surge to Bolster Tampa Bay’s Tech and Business Ecosystem

The University of South Florida is advancing two major construction projects in Tampa, with a combined investment of up to $130 million. The confirmed Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing will break ground on Lot One, while a potential expansion for the Muma College of Business is under consideration for Lot Two.

Each project will feature 80,000- to 110,000-square-foot facilities with cutting-edge teaching and research labs, classrooms, and spaces for growing programs. Backed by a $40 million gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini, plus a state contribution and a matching fund pledge, the Bellini College aims to enroll 3,000 students at its fall 2025 launch. The projects, set to be awarded by September 2, signal a major leap for Tampa’s innovation infrastructure.

This isn’t just about new buildings, it’s a catalyst for regional growth. By creating state-of-the-art hubs for AI, cybersecurity, and business, USF is equipping local talent to lead in high-demand fields, fostering partnerships that ripple across Tampa Bay’s booming tech and entrepreneurial scene.

⚡Why It Matters:
These projects supercharge Tampa Bay’s position as a tech and business innovation hub. The Bellini College will produce thousands of AI and cybersecurity experts, fueling local giants like KnowBe4 and ReliaQuest, while Muma’s potential expansion strengthens the pipeline for business leaders. This influx of talent, infrastructure, and investment draws startups, VCs, and industry partners, amplifying job creation and economic impact across the Gulf Coast.

😂MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

📈VENTURE CAPITAL

Tampa Bay Startups Thrive on Smaller Raises, Outpacing National VC Trends

While U.S. venture capital consolidates into fewer, larger deals, Tampa Bay startups are bucking the trend by securing sub-$5 million rounds that fuel efficient, industry-focused innovation, according to a recent PitchBook report. Local ventures like Iteright ($1.3M pre-seed for AI), BlockSpaces ($2M for blockchain), NeuroEM Therapeutics, and Optiversal are leveraging lean raises to build verticalized tech with real-world applications.

Tampa Bay Ventures’ Andreas Calabrese notes the region’s strength lies in applying infrastructure like AI to practical industries, not building it from scratch. This approach drove Slide, a Tampa insurtech, to a $402M IPO in June, which is one of Florida’s largest venture returns, proving disciplined funding can yield outsized results.

This isn’t about chasing mega-rounds, it’s about smart capital fueling targeted growth. Tampa Bay’s startups are grinding with smaller, strategic raises, assembling the right teams and investors to deliver high-impact solutions, sidestepping the bloat of bigger markets.

⚡Why It Matters:
Tampa Bay’s capital-efficient model is a magnet for founders and investors seeking sustainable growth over hype-driven bets. Successes like Slide’s IPO and smaller raises for AI and blockchain ventures signal a maturing ecosystem, drawing global talent, boosting job creation, and cementing the region as a hub for practical, scalable innovation that rivals coastal tech centers.

📢ANNOUNCEMENT

Pitch Your Health-Tech Startup in Front of Cathie Wood (Ark Invest) LIMITED 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: 54 (NEUTRAL) per CNN

• 🎤 Venture Atlanta 2025 Pitch Competition deadline August 8th. Apply here

• ✨ 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

An idea. It’s born as a spark of inspiration but isn’t a literal flame, it grows in your mind but isn’t a game, and it’s shared with the world through code or writing.

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