Newsletter September 4th, 2025

Happy Thursday! This is Mind Your Business, your weekly spark plug in Tampa Bay’s business engine… where hometown startups rev, investors refuel, and new ideas hit the open road.

This week, a century-old glassmaker gets a $100M shine, a biotech breakthrough pulls in federal backing, a cloud startup rockets skyward with Google on board, and a medtech player makes a comeback after a rough stretch.

🥂 $100M Recap: Tampa Glassmaker Clears Debt, Plans $1B Expansion
🧬 $2M NIH Boost: USF Biotech Startup Advances Drug Delivery Tech
🚀 AI for Disasters: Google Backs Tampa Startup SkyTL with $3.5M
💉 New Majority Owners: PainTEQ Rebounds After Layoffs and Funding Crunch

Scroll down to learn more…

🏭 MANUFACTURING

Anchor Glass Cuts Debt, Raises $100M to Fund $1B Expansion by 2030

Tampa-based Anchor Glass eliminated 60% of its debt and raised $100M from three investors to fund major expansion. The company, with $700M in annual revenue and 1,500 employees, supplies brands like Tito’s, Smucker’s, and Samuel Adams.

CEO Nipesh Shah said the deal sets Anchor up “to be significantly bigger than what we currently are” and creates an opportunity to shift the dynamics of an industry long dominated by two large public companies.

Anchor plans to invest $1B in operations by 2030, including a $70M expansion in Oklahoma already underway. The company produces over 5B bottles annually across five U.S. plants spanning 500 acres of manufacturing space.

⚡Why It Matters: 

Anchor Glass is one of Tampa Bay’s largest private employers, and its recapitalization secures stability for 1,500 local jobs while funding a billion-dollar growth plan. It also positions a Tampa-headquartered company to challenge national giants, proving that legacy manufacturers here can scale and compete globally.

🧬 BIOTECH

LifePulse Wins $2M NIH Grant to Advance Electric Field Drug Delivery Tech

Biotech startup LifePulse, spun out of USF’s Tampa Bay Tech Incubator, won a $2M NIH grant to advance its electric field–based drug delivery technology. The approach makes cells more permeable, allowing drugs, DNA, and RNA to enter tissue more effectively.

CEO Gary Strange said the grant “validates the science” and helps the company raise the capital needed to scale, hire, and reach “a place where we’re at critical mass and get acquired.”

Initial trials target oral melanoma in dogs, with data intended to support FDA approval and eventual human applications.

⚡Why It Matters:
Life Pulse represents the kind of high-value biotech startup that strengthens Tampa Bay’s reputation as a hub for medical innovation. NIH backing not only validates the science but also makes it easier to attract investors, researchers, and future biotech spinouts from USF.

🧠TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

Riddle of the Week:

I am worth little alone but grow stronger with every new friend.
I lock people in without locks and make small clubs feel like empires.
Investors cannot hold me, yet founders chase me.
What am I?

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

Pause for some deep thinking…

🤖 AI / DEEP TECH

SkyTL Raises $3.5M with Google Backing to Expand AI Disaster Platform

Climate intelligence startup SkyTL raised $3.5M in pre-seed funding to expand its AI-powered disaster prediction platform. The company, backed by Google for Startups and early funding from NASA, NOAA, and the Air Force, is running wildfire pilots in California and preparing hurricane pilots in Florida.

“This is a really big leap in the way that we're responding to disaster,” said founder and CEO Rocio Frej Vitalle, adding that the round will help SkyTL move beyond limited pilots to prove there is “a new way of doing things.”

Its platform uses real-time satellite, drone, and sensor data to forecast risks like wildfires, floods, and grid failures.

⚡Why It Matters:
With climate disasters becoming more frequent, SkyTL’s AI-driven platform positions Tampa Bay as a leader in climate tech and resilience innovation. Backing from Google, NASA, and the Air Force shows that local startups can win national recognition and tackle challenges with global impact.

💉 MEDTECH

PainTEQ Secures New Majority Investors After Layoffs and Funding Crunch

Tampa-based PainTEQ secured a majority recapitalization from Signet Healthcare Partners and Windham Capital, with MVolution Partners also participating. The company did not disclose how much capital was raised, but said the funds will support clinical trials, product development and commercial rollout.

“Partnering with experienced institutional healthcare investors at Signet and Windham marks an exciting chapter for PainTEQ,” said CEO Shanth Thiyagalingam, adding that the new ownership group leaves the company “well-positioned to deliver innovative solutions for patients suffering from SI joint dysfunction.”

The deal follows a turbulent year of layoffs and reimbursement hurdles but positions its LinQ implant, already used in 14,000 procedures, for renewed growth under new leadership.

PainTEQ previously raised $35M in 2023 from MVolution Partners.

⚡Why It Matters:
The investment rescues a once-struggling medtech firm while keeping high-skill jobs in Tampa. It also signals that even after setbacks, local startups can attract top-tier investors and rebound stronger.

😂MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

WORTHY MENTIONS: UPDATES, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ETC…

• ⚖️ Fear & Greed Index: 52 (NEUTRAL) per CNN

• 📉 NVIDIA sales slow, stock down 2% Read more

• ₿ Bitcoin Dominance at 57.42% See chart

• 🏆 Tampa Bay Tech Award Nominations Now Open Vote here

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RIDDLE ANSWER

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