Happy Thursday! This is Mind Your Business.

The last few weeks delivered a clear signal in Tampa Bay. Capital moved faster. Infrastructure plays got real. Health systems leaned in. And a new set of companies quietly positioned themselves for what comes next. This isn’t noise or hype. It’s directional.

🔔 WHAT JUST MOVED
Recent news from the last 2–3 weeks shaping Tampa Bay right now.

Here’s what’s on the board:

🦾 Robotics steps into hospitals as autonomous systems move from pilots to real floors
💰 Capital continues flowing into specialized fintech and advanced manufacturing
🛡️ Non-dilutive funding ramps up for early-stage cyber and AI builders
🏢 International firms choose Tampa Bay as their North American launch point
📦 A logistics firm doubles down locally with new HQ and seven-figure investment
🤖 Quiet AI acquisitions strengthen enterprise software moats
🚀 Defense, robotics, and space infrastructure gain real traction locally
📈 Florida-based venture firms signal a shift toward institutional scale
💸 New fintech models aim to unlock liquidity in previously illiquid markets

Scroll down for the signal…

🦾HEALTH / ROBOTICS

Gainesville-based Rovex Technologies is establishing a presence at spARK Labs in downtown St. Petersburg as it expands across Florida’s healthcare systems. Rovex builds autonomous mobile robots designed to handle hospital logistics, reduce staff workload, and improve operational flow.

The company is also part of the NVIDIA Inception Program, giving it access to advanced AI tooling and a global investor network. While its headquarters remain in Gainesville, the St. Pete footprint positions Rovex closer to hospital buyers and innovation partners.

⚡Why It Matters: Healthcare automation is moving from pilot programs to real deployment. Rovex’s move signals Tampa Bay’s growing role as a proving ground for applied robotics inside live hospital environments.

💰 FUNDING

Sarasota-based Confianza closed a new Series Seed 2 round as investor interest continues to concentrate around niche fintech platforms solving specific operational pain points. In parallel, South Tampa’s Lithium Battery Company raised $4.3M to build a fully automated lithium-ion manufacturing facility aimed at a domestic supply chain and long-term job creation.

⚡Why It Matters: Capital is still flowing, but it’s selective. Investors are backing infrastructure, manufacturing, and fintech models with near-term revenue paths and clear operational leverage.

🛡️CYBER / AI

CyberBay, backed by Bellini Capital, rolled out a $100,000 innovation challenge targeting early-stage cybersecurity solutions. The program is structured to fund both idea-stage concepts and working prototypes, reinforcing Tampa Bay’s positioning as a national cyber and defense corridor.

⚡Why It Matters: This is how ecosystems compound. Non-dilutive capital plus real-world validation accelerates founders faster than pitch decks ever will.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

I can triple your runway without raising a dollar.
I make investors relax and founders sleep.
I’m hated by ego and loved by operators.

What am I?

(Answers at the bottom of the newsletter)

Pause for some deep thinking…

🏢 NEW IN TOWN

Madic Group established its North American headquarters inside ARK Invest’s spARK Labs in downtown St. Petersburg, while Canadian firm Oncore Cloud Services relocated its U.S. HQ to St. Pete to support sovereign and hybrid cloud services. Both moves cite talent density and ecosystem access as key drivers.

⚡Why It Matters: This is no longer about cost arbitrage. Companies are choosing Tampa Bay for proximity to capital, customers, and applied innovation.

📦 LOGISTICS / SOFTWARE

Tech-enabled logistics company The Fulfillment Lab has relocated its headquarters to Pasco County, investing more than $2 million into equipment and warehouse automation at Sunlake Business Center. The move follows rapid growth after an initial 35,000-square-foot lease in 2025, with an additional 10,000 square feet added as demand accelerated.

Founded by Rick Nelson, the company runs proprietary fulfillment software that integrates directly with Shopify, Amazon, and TikTok, giving eCommerce sellers full visibility from order to delivery. The Pasco facility now anchors operations alongside a second location in Salt Lake City.

⚡Why It Matters: This is software quietly reshaping physical infrastructure. Pasco County is increasingly landing companies that blend automation, logistics, and proprietary tech, keeping headquarters, jobs, and capital rooted in the region.

🤖 M&A / SOFTWARE

Tampa-based ConnectWise acquired Canadian AI company zofiQ to strengthen its automation stack. The platform reportedly delivers 90–97% accuracy in ticket triage, cutting minutes off every support interaction across large MSP environments.

⚡Why It Matters: This is quiet, compounding leverage. AI acquisitions like this don’t make headlines, but they reshape margins, workflows, and competitive moats.

😂MEME STREET

🚀DEFENSE TECH / DEEP TECH

Israeli defense tech firm XTEND continues expanding its Tampa operations as a U.S. base for autonomous robotics, while Seagate Space secured approval for a modular offshore rocket launch platform aimed at relieving global launch bottlenecks.

⚡Why It Matters: These are not pilot projects. Tampa Bay is increasingly where defense-grade and space-grade systems are built, tested, and scaled.

📈 CAPITAL / LEADERSHIP

FLF appointed Saxon Baum as Managing Partner, marking a leadership transition as the firm expands nationally and deploys capital from its newest fund. The move formalizes a shift from community-driven investing toward institutional scale.

⚡Why It Matters: VC firms mature just like startups. This is a signal that Florida-based capital is preparing to compete on a bigger stage.

💸FINTECH

Tampa fintech Receivabull is pursuing a $5M bridge round to scale a secondary marketplace for revenue-based finance contracts. The platform aims to bring liquidity to a historically illiquid asset class by enabling verified trading of future revenue streams.

⚡Why It Matters: If successful, this turns alternative finance into a tradable market. That’s a structural shift, not just a startup feature.

WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ETC…

RIDDLE ANSWER

Answer: A smaller burn rate. Lower burn means you need less cash each month, so your existing money lasts longer.

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