Newsletter October 23rd, 2025

Happy Thursday! This is Mind Your Business, your compass for Tampa Bay’s innovation landscape: where startups grow up, capital levels up, and collaboration powers what’s next.

This week, a local fintech makes investing feel effortless, a healthtech startup tackles one of medicine’s biggest cost headaches, and Tampa’s startup hub lands a major corporate partner. Elsewhere across the region, a university launches a hands-on cybersecurity program, an edtech favorite enters a new chapter, and new data reveals just how much capital Tampa Bay startups have pulled in.

💸 Fintech app hits $11M Series A and 1M downloads
💊 Tampa healthtech startup takes on rising GLP-1 drug costs
🤝 $500K Partnership and $600M Milestone Propel Tampa’s Startup Hub Forward
🧠 Florida Poly opens live cybersecurity ops center with Lakeland firm
🎓 Edtech platform closes Series B and transitions leadership

Scroll down for the week’s biggest moves in Tampa Bay innovation.

💼FINTECH

Grifin Raises $11M to Make Investing “Fun”

Tampa-based Grifin, a fintech app that automatically invests spare change from daily purchases into the companies users buy from, has raised $11M in Series A funding. The app has surpassed 1 million downloads, 500K registered users, and 100K new installs per month, generating $4M in annual revenue. CEO Aaron Froug says the company’s goal is to “make investing social and emotional, not intimidating,” with plans to expand subscription models, gamified education, and family investing tools.

⚡Why It Matters: 
Grifin’s success puts Tampa Bay on the map as a rising fintech center. By blending behavioral finance with everyday transactions, the startup is cracking the code to reach the 178 million Americans still uninvested.

💊HEALTHCARE / PHARMA

Apaly Targets Soaring GLP-1 Drug Costs

Healthtech firm Apaly, founded by Dr. Jerry Beinhauer, has launched Apaly Rx, a platform that helps employers control skyrocketing costs for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound. The system automatically routes prescriptions to the lowest-cost, plan-approved providers while keeping copays intact. With GLP-1s now representing 13% of total drug spending and costs up 500% in five years, Apaly’s software can cut employer expenses by up to 60%.

⚡Why It Matters:
As employers face unsustainable prescription costs, Apaly’s timing is perfect. Fresh off a $2.4M seed raise, the company is tackling one of healthcare’s most expensive pain points and helping Tampa Bay emerge as a healthtech problem-solver.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

I can double your valuation without a single new customer.
I’m not revenue, not profit… but investors chase me anyway.
What am I?

(Answers at the bottom of the newsletter)

Pause for some deep thinking…

📍ECOSYSTEM

Embarc Collective Expands Reach With $500K A-LIGN Partnership and $600M Impact Report

Tampa’s startup hub Embarc Collective is on a roll. This week, cybersecurity leader A-LIGN committed $500K over five years to help launch a dedicated cybersecurity startup track focused on compliance and risk readiness. The new program joins existing partnerships with ReliaQuest ($200K) and USF ($600K over three years) which is part of a growing effort to embed local enterprise expertise into early-stage startup support.

At the same time, Embarc released its five-year impact report, revealing that its 140 member startups have raised over $600M, created 1,200+ jobs, and contribute $100M in annual economic impact. The report also highlights a key challenge: 60% of all capital still comes from outside Florida, underscoring the region’s need for more in-state institutional investors.

⚡Why It Matters:
Embarc Collective has become the backbone of Tampa Bay’s startup ecosystem by connecting founders, corporations, and investors in one loop. The A-LIGN partnership deepens its specialization in cybersecurity, while the new data confirms Tampa Bay’s tech scene has reached a scale that demands national attention.

🎓CYBERSECURITY & EDUCATION

Florida Poly Launches Cybersecurity Ops Center with Sittadel

Lakeland-based Sittadel has teamed up with Florida Polytechnic University to open an on-campus Security Operations Center (SOC). Students will monitor live security incidents alongside professionals, participate in internships, and work on capstone projects. The SOC will also influence Florida Poly’s curriculum and create a direct hiring pipeline for regional employers.

⚡Why It Matters:
The partnership gives students real-world experience while filling a major talent gap in Florida’s cybersecurity workforce, one of the fastest-growing fields in the state.

😂MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

💰VENTURE CAPITAL

Knack Closes Series B, Welcomes New CEO

Edtech startup Knack, which helps universities run peer-tutoring programs, closed a Series B round led by New Markets Venture Partners. Founder Samyr Qureshi will transition to executive chairman, with higher-ed veteran Megan Dusenbery taking over as CEO. Qureshi says the company is “default alive” after achieving profitability and stability.

⚡Why It Matters:
Knack’s continued growth and leadership shift mark a new era for one of Tampa Bay’s earliest breakout edtechs. The company’s partnerships now span hundreds of campuses, creating real impact on student outcomes and workforce readiness.

WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ETC…

• ⚖️ Fear & Greed Index: 28 (EXTREME FEAR) per CNN

• ₿ Bitcoin Dominance at 59.3% See chart

• Event: Venture Capital & Growth Equity Summit
  🗓 October 29-30 | Tampa | Learn more

• Event: Tampa Bay Tech Awards 2025
  🗓 November 7 | Tampa | Learn more

• Event: Disrupt The Bay’s Health Innovation Summit w/ Cathie Wood
  🗓 November 13 | St. Pete | Get Your Tickets

• 🤗 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!

• 🚀 Connect with top entrepreneurs, founders, and techies building big things in Tampa Bay and beyond. Join our private Slack now and make some noise!

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

RIDDLE ANSWER

Answer: Growth Rate or ARR Growth

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