Miami, FL
Seedfunders launches in Miami, makes first local investment: HeartOut – Refresh Miami
By Nancy Dahlberg
A Florida funding agency that goals to be the primary test in for very early-stage startups has expanded to Miami and has made its first native funding.
Seedfunders sometimes invests a mean of $150,000 in Florida-based scalable know-how startups which have an MVP however are sometimes pre-revenue. Together with the funding, the Seedfunder companions assist the startups go-to-market and put together to draw bigger rounds.
Dave Chitester, Seedfunders founder and managing companion, launched in St Petersburg 4 years in the past. Immediately, Seedfunders St Pete has made 40 investments and has 44 native companions, with the newest funding being Archslate, a market for job seekers within the structure trade. A pair years in the past, Seedfunders Orlando launched and already has 14 companions and has made 12 investments thus far, together with Kalogon, which makes a sensible cushion for wheelchair customers.
Now Chitester and his spouse have moved to Miami to launch and run Seedfunders Miami, and he’s impressed with the deal stream, already seeing lots of edtech, medtech and fintech startups.
To date, Seedfunders Miami has eight companions within the Miami space and hopes to construct the companion workforce to twenty by the tip of the 12 months, Chitester stated. The three cities are separate entities however they share offers.
HeartOut, Seedfunders Miami’s first funding, was based by Ciro Fodere, a live performance pianist. HeartOut is a web-based recording certification platform that’s designed to supply organizations with an answer to each see and listen to an applicant’s “reside” efficiency digitally. HeartOut’s platform can host auditions, contests and reside performances.
For example, the musician coming into a contest wouldn’t have the ability to take a number of tries till he will get a recording he likes; nor might he make technical modifications to the recording. Everybody data as soon as underneath the identical situations. Everybody performs their coronary heart out as in the event that they have been in particular person.
“I all the time thought that recording sucks. Your psychological course of is so totally different than if you find yourself on stage. If you find yourself on stage, there isn’t any second alternative,” stated Fodere.
HeartOut launched simply earlier than the pandemic, after a 12 months and a half of improvement, and lots of organizations started utilizing the platform throughout the pandemic since many organizations couldn’t do auditions in particular person. Fodere stated a lot of his prospects are persevering with to make use of HeartOut.
“We are able to now supply hybrid performances. Our hope is that our purchasers of the longer term can use us whether or not they do on-line or in-person auditions,” he stated. The app’s registration and judging options can be utilized even when the performances are in particular person. “This know-how is right here to remain.”
Fodere stated Some HeartOut purchasers are seeing increased turnouts of their competitions once they can draw entrants from wherever. Orchestras are utilizing the app to fill musician positions, as a result of candidates can audition nearly from around the globe. To date, HeartOut has hosted 60,000 auditions and its app has been utilized in 75 nations.
Entrepreneurs wishing to achieve out to Seedfunders Miami or discover out extra about it could go to seedfunders.com and click on “Apply.”
Comply with Nancy Dahlberg on Twitter @ndahlberg and electronic mail her at ndahlberbiz@gmail.com
Miami, FL
Stephen A. Smith Once Referred To Ex-Miami Heat Player As ‘Steal Of The Draft’
Let’s be honest: no one is perfect when it comes to making predictions.
You win some, and you lose some.
So cut media personality Stephen A. Smith some slack for his now cold take during the 2015 NBA draft. While ripping the New York Knicks for drafting Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick, Smith rattled off three players they should have taken instead.
They were Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow, who he all called “NBA ready.”
Smith boldly called Winslow “the steal of the draft.” He was taken by the Heat at No. 10. Fans fell for it, too, because they cheered loudly at Kaseya Center when the pick was announced. The result was Winslow having five forgetful seasons in Miami before he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Heat fans forever link him with All-Star Devin Booker, who was taken three spots after at No. 13. Others drafted later were Kelly Oubre Jr., and Terry Rozier.
Smith was actually wrong about all the players he mentioned who should have been taken ahead of Porzingis. Cauley-Stein was out of the league after seven seasons, averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds for his career. Johnson made it eight seasons before exiting to play overseas.
Meanwhile, Porzingis is still going strong as a key cog for the defending champion Boston Celtics. And Heat fans are still sulking about Winslow never panning out.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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Miami, FL
Agent Sheds Light on Hill Situation
Four days ago after Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s headline-grabbing comment “I’m out” that followed his pulling himself out of the season finale against the New York Jets, his agent shed some light on his client’s mind-set but left unanswered the biggest question of all.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Drew Rosenhaus said Hill showed his dedication and commitment to the Dolphins in 2024 by playing the entire season through a wrist injury that doctors said required surgery, but declined to say whether Hill did or did not want to be traded because he hasn’t spoken to the wide receiver yet.
Hill hasn’t written anything on X in the past couple of days that would indicate his preference, though he did change back his avatar to a picture of himself in a Dolphins uniform after having for one day his head shot superimposed on the barechested Antonio Brown as he walking out on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of a game at MetLife Stadium.
What Rosenhaus did say from Hard Rock Stadium is that Hill broke his wrist during a joint practice with the Washington Commanders.
“We have top-risk doctors saying to Tyreek, ‘You need to get this operated on, you’re going to miss the season,’ ” Rosenhaus said. “Tyreek says to me and the Dolphins, ‘I’m not going to miss the season. I’m going to play, I want to be here for my team.’ The doctors all said it’s going to be painful. It could impact your entire career. If you don’t get it done now, you may not be able to fix it all the way. Tyreek said, hey, the heck with it. I’m a team guy. I’m going for it. This hampered him all year long. He deserves a lot of credit.
“Tyreek is very passionate. Anyone I’ve ever represented that was great was passionate. They cared. What you see with Tyreek is very genuine. He wants to win. It’s not good enough for him not to make the playoffs. He’s very passionate. I think at the end of the day, he’s committed to this Dolphins football team. He had an excellent meeting with Chris Grier, Mike McDaniel. I believe that Tyreek is a great asset to the Dolphins. And I think he’s the least guy that people should be worried about for this organization. They have many more worries. Tyreek Hill is not one of them.”
GM Chris Grier said during the Dolphins’ end-of-season press conference that both he and head coach Mike McDaniel had productive conversations with Hill the previous day in their exit meetings and that Hill never asked to be traded, even though he didn’t take back anything he said after the game.
This was a really tough year all around for Hill, with off-the-field turmoil (most notably being detained by police officers outside Hard Rock Stadium on the day of the season opener), the wrist injury, and on-field results that included his first season without being selected to the Pro Bowl (though Rosenhaus said Hill was a second alternate), his first season without 1,000 receiving yards when making at least 13 starts, and his first time missing the playoffs since he entered the NFL in 2016.
For the Dolphins, having a healthy and happy Hill is the best thing for them in 2025.
Trading him would be a last resort because they would not get equal value in return because of Hill’s age, recent injuries, salary and checkered past. Check out suggested trades online over the past couple of days and they usually involve something like a third-round pick.
More importantly, for the Dolphins to rebound and return to the playoffs in 2025, having Hill would make that task a lot easier to accomplish.
Miami, FL
Alberto M. Carvalho on the fires in Los Angeles
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