6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: Miami & TIME team up on NFT drops; InfiniteWorld buys gaming studio; plus news by Airium, Eight Sleep, HealthGigJobs, RECUR, Hello Kitty & more

1

TIME and City of Miami team up on NFT sale to help businesses, nonprofits

TIME announced a new partnership with Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez, Mastercard and Salesforce to bring an innovative NFT initiative to the City of Miami designed to drive revenue to local businesses and non-profits through exclusive rewards offerings. City Commissioners unanimously authorized program administrators to finalize the plan.

Through the collaboration, the City of Miami will unveil a  collection of nearly 5,000 NFTs designed by 56 local Miami artists, representing the city’s 56 square mile area and focused on the history and culture of the city. Bakehouse Art Complex will help with identifying the artists. Holders of these NFTs will benefit from access to Mastercard’s Priceless Miami program, which provides experiences, from one-of-a-kind events at local Miami restaurants to curated private tours of Miami cultural institutions and other memorable activities.

This initiative will launch once the Ethereum blockchain moves from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, and is anticipated for December 2022, a change that will reduce the initiative’s carbon emissions by an estimated 99% or more, according to the news announcement. Application details for interested artists and more information on the NFT drop will be announced in the coming months.

TIME, which has generated $10 million in profit over the last year from NFT sales, will be responsible for guiding the strategy, developing the creative, and launching the initiative. According to the Miami Herald, proceeds from the NFTs will be divided up, with the city getting 50%, local Miami artists receiving 25%, Time getting 15% (and will be reimbursed for the expense of setting up the program) and 10% to a local charity  that has not yet been identified. A 10% royalty will be collected if original buyer sell the NFTs, and proceeds will be split the same way.

This new partnership is also the first move in a new venture for TIME to bring other brands and organizations successfully and authentically into web3. TIME says it has developed a community of 50,000 artists and collectors.

“The City of Miami has been on the vanguard of the web3 revolution and we will continue to employ these new technologies to support our existing businesses while attracting new ones, raise capital and provide experiences for our citizens and those visiting this great City. At the same time, we can also use this novel approach to support local artists and charities,” the mayor said in a statement.

2

InfiniteWorld acquires gaming studio Super Bit Machine

InfiniteWorld, a Web3 and Metaverse infrastructure company that enables brands and creators to create, monetize, and drive consumer engagement with digital content, announced its strategic acquisition of Super Bit Machine, an independent gaming studio and Armajet developer founded by industry veterans with experience running massive multiplayer “Top 10” grossing games on iOS and Android. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

InfiniteWorld, run by CEO Brad Allen, says this acquisition will further bolster its ability to bring best-in-class Web3 and Metaverse experiences to brands and creators, with the addition of real-time multiplayer game development capabilities, which will now be part of its core offerings portfolio. This acquisition also signals the continued crossover between blockchain and gaming platforms and connects traditional gamer experiences that are currently delivered through mobile devices, PCs, and consoles with dynamic Web3 functionality, the company said.

 InfiniteWorld is based in Miami. The company says its 100-member workforce is distributed but nine employees work in Miami. InfiniteWorld may soon become a publicly traded company through a business combination with Aries I Acquisition Corp.

3

Airiam opens HQ in Miami Beach

Airiam, a managed IT software company with a strong focus on cybersecurity, announced the opening of its new headquarters in Miami Beach.

The 118-person company, with an existing presence in Houston, Washington DC, Milwaukee, and Central Pennsylvania, has chosen to base its CEO and the company’s sales and marketing team at 1111 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach as Airiam rapidly expands managed IT and cybersecurity services to small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the United States.

“The decision to open our headquarters in Miami Beach was a logical step in broadening Airiam’s footprint in a $60 billion industry,” said Ohad Jehassi, Airiam’s CEO.

4

 #MiamiTech’s favorite sleep fitness company launches Pod 3

The Sleep fitness company Eight Sleep introduced Pod 3, a new version of its award-winning sleep technology. Pod 3 features a new quad-core CPU as well as upgrades to its sensor system, powering more accurate biometric and health tracking with twice the number of sensors and 4000x greater resolution, the company said. The new sensor system achieves 99% heart rate sensing accuracy.

 “Three years after the launch of the original Pod, it is rewarding to see how our innovations are improving people’s lives, with clinically validated results that prove better recovery night after night.” said Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep.

5

HealthGigJobs expands benefit offerings for contract workers

HealthGigJobs of West Palm Beach launched a benefits initiative that will grant members of its Marketplace access to a customized offering of health coverages, financial services and professional support services designed for the needs of independent contractors.

Partnering with the ICBA (Independent Contractors Benefits Association), the new offering allows healthcare professionals to view gig work as a viable alternative to full-time or part-time employment by providing access to affordable quality benefits. The new package will give HealthGigJobs members access to telehealth, basic health plans, major medical and short-term medical plans, banking services and contractor  advantage plans.

“Loss of benefits is the number one concern of gig workers, but with today’s launch of its new initiative, HealthGigJobs continues to provide gig workers with the tools to embrace the gig economy as a true alternative to full-time employment,” said Leon de Jerez, co-founder and CEO.

6

RECUR to power Hello Kitty NFT experience

Miami-based RECUR, the platform for creating innovative, multi-chain NFT experiences, is announcing the introduction of Hello Kitty and Friends World. an NFT experience that brings the iconic character and her five friends to Web3 for the first time.

Launching on August 25 in partnership with Sanrio, creator of the Hello Kitty brand, Hello Kitty and her five friends will embark on a journey around the world, traveling to eight iconic cities, acting as tour guides for fans through the 10,000 NFTs for sale. Fans will be able to collect Hello Kitty characters and earn new digital collectables by comleteing challenges all the the way. Characters and cities are to be announced leading up to launch.

PLUS

Opportunity Knocks

• LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR BAPTIST-KNIGHT FELLOWSHIP: The 2022 Knight Foundation Fellowship in Healthcare Technology at Baptist Health Innovations is designed to attract, train and empower healthcare visionaries and entrepreneurs to develop a diverse and connected community of innovators at Baptist Health and in South Florida. The yearlong fellowship has been adapted from distinguished programs that include the Stanford BioDesign program and graduate and professional courses taught by a world-renowned educator from Case Western Reserve University and Henry Ford Health System. The application submission process is now open through Aug. 5, 2022. Find out about eligibility requirements and apply here.
• The FIU-Venture Miami Opportunity Program is recruiting for its second cohort of female founders of color to scale in the #MiamiTech ecosystem. With support from JPMorgan Chase, and in partnership with the City of Miami’s Venture Miami team, the FIU-Venture Miami Opportunity Program is a 14-week training program that focuses on talent, technology, social network, and access to capital. Cohort participants will get exclusive access to venture capitalist mentors, #MiamiTech conferences and events, and workshops that will help them prepare their businesses for venture-level funding. The deadline to apply has been extended to Aug, 12, 2022. Find out about eligibility requirements, application details and more here.
• Founder Institute (FI.co) is accepting applications for their upcoming cohort launching on Sept 28. The deadline to apply is Sept 18th. The Fall 2022 cohort will be held virtually online allowing anyone to build a business alongside some of Florida’s top entrepreneurs and investors from the comfort of home. Apply here.
• Endeavor Miami’s six-month ScaleUP Program is taking applications for its Fall Cohort. Applying companies must be tech-enabled, have a minimum of two employees in addition to co-founders, must be based in Florida, have product-market fit, and be generating $800,000 to 2.5 million in annual revenues; the four-month program costs $6,000 (tax deductible). The deadline is Aug. 17.  Find out more and apply here.
• Black Founder’s Demo Day, Aug. 20: Pitch for up to $1M. Each of the 16 selected companies will receive $3,000 for travel, planning, and accommodations. All startups will be provided a demo booth to display their products or services, as well as a stage to pitch to nationally recognized brands and a panel of active venture capital investors. Learn more here.
• NSU Levan Center of Innovation Accelerate Program is a 12-week program to increase your company’s funding, customers, and revenue streams. You will build upon your brand recognition and engage with a network of experts and stakeholders to support further innovation. Applications open July 6. Find out more here.

ICYMI (don’t!):

Got news? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ndahlberg