Magic Leap’s extraordinary funding of $2 billion aside, South Florida entrepreneurs have historically had difficulty raising startup capital.
That’s because the tricounty region wasn’t recognized among the nation’s innovation centers.
But that has begun to change and, as a result, startup capital — the hardest to find — is becoming more accessible. Investors from Silicon Valley are seeing innovation in South Florida, more funds are being raised in the region for startup capital and angel investors continue to seek early entry to the next big thing.
Miami entrepreneur Brian Brackeen said when he was seeking capital for his facial recognition company Kairos in 2012 and 2013, “it was pretty early in the innovation economy. Mostly angels were here, and there was limited to zero venture capital.”