Newsletter October 9th, 2025

Happy Thursday! This is Mind Your Business, the pulse of Tampa Bay’s innovation economy… quick, sharp, and built for those who move fast.

This week, a Canadian cloud firm picks St. Pete for its U.S. base, Tampa General builds an innovation hub that’s already attracting global players, a real estate mogul launches a startup to kill junk mail, Moffitt wins a major federal research grant, Florida investors fuel a Tampa AI company, and a new venture studio in Sarasota wants to flip the startup playbook.

☁️ A Canadian cloud company plants roots in St. Pete
🏥 Tampa General launches a new hub for innovation and Palantir moves in
📬 A Tampa real estate developer takes on junk mail
🧬 Moffitt Cancer Center lands $22.4M for rare cancer research
🤖 Florida investors back a Tampa AI startup reimagining manufacturing
🚀 A Sarasota venture studio is flipping the startup formula

Scroll down to see how Tampa Bay’s innovators are making waves this week…

🤖ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Florida Investors Back Tampa AI Startup Circuitry.ai

Tampa-based Circuitry.ai raised seed funding led by DeepWork Capital, with support from the Florida Opportunity Fund and other investors. The company’s AI “decision intelligence” software helps manufacturers automate service operations, improve parts accuracy, and optimize warranties. CEO Ashok Kartham says the round will help scale engineering and go-to-market efforts.

⚡Why It Matters: 
AI-driven productivity is reshaping traditional industries, and Tampa startups are right in the mix. Backing from DeepWork and Florida investors shows growing confidence in local AI innovation with real industrial applications.

🧬LIFE SCIENCES

Moffitt Cancer Center Wins $22.4M Federal Grant

Moffitt Cancer Center secured $22.4M from the U.S. Department of Defense to lead research and clinical trials for leptomeningeal disease, a rare and deadly complication of breast and other cancers that affects the brain and spinal cord. Led by Dr. Peter Forsyth, the project will test immune-based therapies and targeted antibody drugs to extend survival rates for patients who currently live only months after diagnosis.

⚡Why It Matters:
Moffitt continues to attract top-tier federal funding, reinforcing its role as one of the nation’s premier cancer research institutions. The grant could lead to breakthroughs in one of oncology’s most challenging areas.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

Trying something different this week…
Founder Math Challenge:

A SaaS startup has:

• 5% monthly logo churn

• +8% monthly ARPU expansion among retained customers

• $1,200 CAC

• $100 MRR per new customer

• 80% gross margin

Questions:
1. What are GRR and NRR for the month?
2. What is CAC payback in months on a gross margin basis?

What are the answers? 🤔
(Answers at the bottom of the newsletter)

Pause for some deep thinking…

🚀VENTURE & STARTUPS

Sarasota Venture Studio Flips the Startup Formula

Suncoast Venture Studio is betting big on building companies from the ground up. Instead of waiting for founders, it generates ideas internally, recruits co-founders, and provides seed capital. CEO Travis Priest says Sarasota’s advantage is an abundance of capital and experienced advisers compared to its small founder pool. The studio plans to launch up to four startups a year focused on AI and SaaS solutions.

⚡Why It Matters:
The venture studio model is gaining momentum nationwide, and Sarasota’s approach could make it a surprising startup hotspot. By keeping companies local and capital-light, Suncoast aims to create 20 startups and over 200 high-tech jobs within five years.

📬STARTUPS

Tampa Developer Launches Startup to Eliminate Junk Mail

Real estate developer Steve Gianfilippo, best known for projects like Station House and Hyde House, is tackling a new challenge: your mailbox. His new tech startup, DOMI Labs, aims to digitize mail and let users block junk entirely. Users get a verified “DOMI ID” tied to their address, can scan unwanted mail to unsubscribe, and may one day get paid “digital postage” by advertisers to view messages.

⚡Why It Matters:
It’s an ambitious leap from real estate to tech, but Gianfilippo sees a massive opportunity to modernize the postal system. If DOMI succeeds, Tampa could be home to one of the first companies to digitize physical mail at scale.

😂MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

📍NEW IN TOWN

Canadian Cloud Firm Chooses St. Pete for U.S. HQ

Ontario-based Oncore Cloud Services is setting up its U.S. headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg to expand its hybrid and sovereign cloud offerings. CEO Adam Kupsta said the move “embeds us in one of the nation’s most exciting tech ecosystems.”

St. Pete’s skilled workforce, strong business community, and airport access sealed the deal. The company plans to partner locally on workforce development and innovation projects.

⚡Why It Matters:
The move strengthens St. Pete’s growing reputation as a magnet for international tech firms. Oncore’s arrival adds another layer to the region’s evolving cloud and data infrastructure ecosystem.

🏥HEALTH INNOVATION

Tampa General Opens Ybor Innovation Hub and Palantir Moves In

Tampa General Hospital is opening a 32,000-square-foot Innovation Hub in Ybor City to anchor the growing Tampa Medical and Research District. The new facility will house TGH’s venture arm, analytics teams, and even a “hospital room of the future.”

Its first anchor tenant? Palantir Technologies, the global data analytics giant known for its work with NASA, the U.S. military, and Fortune 500 companies. Palantir will use the space as its Tampa headquarters and partner with TGH to build AI tools that improve patient outcomes and hospital operations.

⚡Why It Matters:
This move positions Tampa General as one of the most forward-thinking hospitals in the country and puts Tampa Bay on the map as a hub for healthcare AI. Partnering with Palantir connects local researchers and startups to world-class data infrastructure and real-time healthcare innovation.

WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ETC…

• ⚖️ Fear & Greed Index: 49 (NEUTRAL) per CNN

• ₿ Bitcoin Dominance at 58.5% 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: CyberBay 2025
  🗓 October 13-15 | Tampa Marriott Water Street | Learn more

• 🤗 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

GRR = 95%, NRR = 102.6% [(1 − 0.05) × 1.08].
Payback = $1,200 ÷ ($100 × 0.80) = 15 months.

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