FLORIDA’S NEWEST VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM PARTNERS WITH INNOVATION CENTER

Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC), a tech incubator and accelerator has announced its newest partner in the mission to support and grow the region’s tech ecosystem. Tampa Bay Ventures, a newly minted venture capital fund for early-stage technology startups based in Tampa Bay, has added their support to TBIC’s programs.

"The Tampa Bay Innovation Center provides the ideal launchpad for local entrepreneurs to professionalize their concepts. The team at the center provides both the guidance and operational structures to founders, which often can be the most challenging component of building a company. We at TampaBay.Ventures share TBIC's vision of making the Tampa Bay region one of the best places in the world to found a technology company and are excited to support their work in the ecosystem" said Andreas Calabrese, General Partner at Tampa Bay Ventures.

“TBIC is pleased to welcome TampaBay.Ventures as a strategic partner.  Both organizations are focused on growing and developing scalable ventures launched in our region.” said Tonya Elmore, president & CEO, TBIC.  According to the International Business Association, incubator businesses have an 87% survival rate and 84% go on to do business in their local regions.

The Tampa Bay Innovation Center has a successful track record of working with early-stage tech founders and accelerating entrepreneurial growth.  For 18+ years, driven by a mission to serve as the focal point of innovation for Tampa Bay, TBIC accelerates entrepreneurial success by supporting founders that are building innovative products, starting new ventures, and engaging the region’s growing technical workforce. A finalist for Powderkeg’s 2020 National Tech Culture Awards, TBIC was recognized as having one of the best cultures in tech in communities beyond Silicon Valley. 

About Tampa Bay Innovation Center:

Tampa Bay Innovation Center supports entrepreneurial success, fosters the creation of high-tech jobs and develops new sources of technology and manufacturing capabilities by nurturing early-stage ventures as they grow and launch their products into the marketplace. The Innovation Center offers programs that are tailored to the innovator/entrepreneur and address business intelligence, planning and business formation, strategy execution and technology transition.

Pinellas County and TBIC has partnered to break ground on the construction of a state-of-the-art Innovation Center. The new facility will be located within the St. Pete Innovation District with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Johns Hopkins Research All Children’s Hospital, SRI International and the Poynter Institute. The 45,000-square-foot building will offer resources for startup companies including leasable space and will be the first building in Pinellas County purposely constructed to focus on entrepreneurs and technology startups.  It was made possible through the investment and partnership of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Pinellas County, and the City of St. Petersburg.

The Innovation Center is conducting a fundraising effort to support the project and create new programs and services for entrepreneurs at the Center. The building is scheduled for completion in mid-2023.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, naming rights or leasing, please contact Tonya Elmore at (727) 547-7340 or elmoret@tbinnovates.com.

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