Happy Thursday! This is Masterminds Tampa Bay. We’re like that feeling you get when you jump into a tub full of ice… except we promise the brain freeze comes with a side of genius!

Here’s what we have for you today:

• This St. Pete drone company launched a new service to track hurricane damage.

• A St. Pete mom is creating a life-saving app.

• Which startup just secured $3.5 Million in funding

• “Non-Player Characters” are something worth investing in

St. Pete Drone Company Revolutionizes Repair Quotes

St. Petersburg's PayPixl is rewriting the storm damage recovery rulebook with its ingenious StormView feature.

Imagine having a wizard-like tool at your fingertips after a storm hits, helping you sail through property damage assessment and insurance claims like a pro.

StormView is an interactive dashboard, part of PayPixl's app, that turns homeowners into savvy navigators in the face of storm-related chaos.

Armed with just their smartphones, they can snap and upload images of damage, setting the stage for precise repair quotes that make insurance claims a breeze.

Bobby Quinn, the brain behind this innovation, is merging technology and practicality. He's connecting storm-snapped images to roofing and restoration companies, turning visual data into dollars.

Storms, like Hurricane Ian, often leave homeowners grappling with insurance claims. In Florida alone, 70% of over 708,000 claims were disputed, with carriers sometimes shortchanging claims by a staggering 80%.

StormView swoops in with its arsenal of aerial images, speeding up the claim process. Turnaround time is a mere 24 to 36 hours, thanks to PayPixl's network of 3,300 licensed drone pilots – an army mainly stationed in Florida and searchable on a live map.

Scaling up is on the horizon, with thoughts of an office opening in Colorado. PayPixl aims high, targeting a 90 to 100% fulfillment rate for storm-related image requests.

Despite being a bootstrapped startup, PayPixl is aiming for the stars. They're gearing up to raise $2 to $3 million in seed funding from seasoned investors who see the potential in storm-battled homeowners armed with smartphones and StormView.

Our V.C. & Tech Founder Social Was A Success!

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us at our VC & Tech Founder Social last Thursday, August 24th, 2023. It was fantastic having you there, and the energy of the event truly resonated.

The night was a dynamic blend of networking, profound funding discussions, and collaborative synergy, making it an unforgettable gathering.

A special shoutout goes to our incredible sponsors, without whom this event wouldn't have been possible:

• Tampa Bay Ventures

• Thrive Downtown St. Pete

• Codeboxx

• Spontivley

Your support played a pivotal role in making this event a resounding success, and we're genuinely grateful for your partnership.

Mark your calendars and keep your eyes peeled, as our next exciting event is already on the horizon!

Because Running A Business Isn’t Complicated Enough….

Imagine you're launching a new app that helps people learn a foreign language. You're deciding on the pricing plans for your app. Which option do you think would attract more users?

Option A: A one-time payment of $50 for unlimited access to all language courses.

Option B: A monthly subscription of $10 that gives access to all language courses.

Transforming Tragedy: St. Pete’s Carolyn Bradfield Is On A Mission to Prevent Overdoses

In 2017, Carolyn Bradfield, faced a heart-wrenching loss when her daughter Laura fell victim to a fatal overdose. Instead of succumbing to grief, Bradfield channeled her pain into a powerful mission to save lives in similar circumstances.

Her brainchild, InterAct Lifeline, is now a beacon of hope, aiming to combat the high relapse rates that follow rehabilitation.

At the heart of this initiative lies the LifeLine Connect mobile app.

This ingenious creation utilizes data from wearable devices to detect potential overdoses. By monitoring biometric indicators like heart rate changes, the app is designed to provide an early warning system.

When signs of overdose are detected, LifeLine Connect swiftly notifies emergency contacts and guides first responders, ensuring rapid intervention.

Bradfield's app breaks through silent modes, guaranteeing that alerts are never missed, resembling an Amber Alert for potential overdose situations.

Beyond its life-saving potential, LifeLine Connect offers a comprehensive approach. Users can input emergency contacts, while irregular biometrics trigger a thought-out outreach protocol.

Additionally, the app's online portal provides educational content, focusing on the fentanyl crisis and effective communication strategies.

With a launch expected in early 2024, Carolyn Bradfield's dedication to preventing overdose-related deaths stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

Irys Insurtech Secures $3.5M to Revolutionize Insurance Management with AI

Tampa-based startup Irys Insurtech is rewriting the insurance management playbook with a groundbreaking infusion of $3.5 million in funding, led by the venture capital heavyweight Markd, hailing from the tech hub of Boulder, Colorado.

Armed with a cloud-based platform turbocharged by AI and machine learning, Irys has set its sights on overhauling the antiquated insurance agency management systems that have held the industry hostage for too long.

The brainchild of CEO Margeaux Giles, Irys plans to leverage this investment to supercharge their software platform, creating a seamless ecosystem for data sharing among agents and brokers alike.

Beyond Markd, the funding roster boasts Brokertech Ventures, Cofounders Capital, Mtech Capital, and tech accelerator RevTech Labs, a coalition of forward-thinkers equally passionate about Irys' vision.

According to Markd's Managing Partner Parker Beauchamp, the time for change is now. Outdated agency management systems have cast a shadow over growth, profitability, and innovation in the insurance landscape. Markd, with its $100 million fund established just last year, is determined to usher in the winds of transformation.

With this hefty investment in Irys Insurtech, the horizon of insurance management looks brighter than ever before, with AI at the helm and innovation steering the ship towards more efficient waters.

Tampa Bay Startup NPCx Scores $3M Investment for AI-Powered Innovations

Tampa Bay's NPCx, a gaming tech startup, just scored a major win with a $3 million investment from Kakao Investment Co Ltd. NPCx is leveling up the gaming world by using AI to revolutionize non-player character (NPC) animations.

This investment will supercharge NPCx's AI-powered products, aiming to enhance character movements in games and entertainment. One of their recent releases, TrackerX, uses AI to streamline motion capture, eliminating manual tracking of 3D data and making character animation more realistic.

This is going to have a huge impact on an already massive market.

The funding will support the development of BehaviorX, a technology capturing real-time player data to create lifelike behavioral clones for NPCs. NPCx's upcoming products, including RetargetX and AIMX, use neural networks to enhance motion capture animation and predict the next frames for smoother character movements.

Before this investment, NPCx had already raised $540,000 on the Republic crowdfunding platform, showcasing the growing interest in AI applications in gaming.

NPCx's suite of AI products is disrupting traditional character creation and animation processes, offering more lifelike experiences for users in gaming, film, XR, and the metaverse.

The $3 million boost will help them accelerate their journey toward transforming digital entertainment.

Brain Teaser Answer:

In most cases, Option B: A monthly subscription of $10 that gives access to all language courses, would likely be more appealing to potential users.

The subscription model provides users with lower upfront costs and a sense of flexibility. They can try out the app without committing to a large payment, and they can cancel the subscription if they're not satisfied. This can attract a wider audience, including those who might be hesitant to make a larger one-time payment.

Additionally, the subscription model generates a steady stream of income for your startup, which can be beneficial for long-term sustainability and continuous improvements to the app.

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