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Florida Leaders Unveil New Partnership: A Global Gateway for Tech & Investment

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MIAMI, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today at the eMerge Americas Conference + Expo, Florida’s business and innovation leaders officially announced a new partnership aimed at establishing Florida as the premier entry point and hub for global technology, capital, and entrepreneurship. This initiative, anchored between Miami and West Palm Beach, will create a direct bridge between international investors, high-growth industries, and Florida’s regional markets, building upon the strong momentum in the area that has successfully attracted a significant number of firms primarily focused in the financial services industry.

Led by three founding partners—Florida Council of 100, eMerge Americas, and Related Ross—the initiative aims to enhance access for entrepreneurs, providing crucial support through strategic infrastructure developments and targeted accelerator programs.

A Bold Vision for Florida’s Future

“This is more than an economic development project—it’s a global statement that Florida is ready to lead in innovation,” said Michael Simas, President & CEO of the Florida Council of 100. “With this initiative, we are ensuring that companies landing here don’t just start in Florida—they scale here and expand across the entire state.”

The strategic initiative is designed to support Florida’s fastest-growing industries, including:

Finance & Insurance – Southeast Florida represents 38.7% of Florida’s finance GDP and nearly 94% of all venture capital raised statewide.Health Services & Medtech – A $114.6 billion industry, with over 419,000 jobs in Southeast Florida alone.IT & Tech – Florida’s tech sector continues to surge, with Southeast Florida capturing 65% of all venture capital raised in IT across the entire state.Aerospace, CleanTech, & Logistics – Expanding Florida’s innovation footprint beyond traditional industries, with 345,000 jobs in Southeast Florida within these emerging sectors.

Why Southeast Florida? Why Now?

“We’ve seen firsthand how South Florida has become a global hub for investment and innovation,” said Melissa Medina, CEO & Co-founder of eMerge Americas. “This new partnership harnesses this momentum, positioning Florida as the destination for tech-driven global business.”

The initiative, which includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, will coordinate with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and Miami-Dade Beacon Council, along with public and private sector partners throughout the region and state.

Southeast Florida is helping drive the state’s economic surge:

$4.13 billion in venture capital activity in 2024, placing Miami among the top 5 in the U.S. for venture deal count and 6th in the nation for venture deal value.$39 billion in new wealth and income in Palm Beach County post-pandemic, which is reported to be more than any other county in the country.Massive infrastructure investment in commercial real estate, talent recruitment, and digital connectivity.West Palm Beach has drawn financial institutions to its city, creating a foundation for a broader business ecosystem: Related Ross broke ground on 1 million square feet of office space in West Palm Beach in March, adding to an existing portfolio of 2 million square feet.The existing ecosystem of first class academic and healthcare institutions will be enhanced as Vanderbilt University and Cleveland Clinic are both launching new projects in West Palm Beach. Vanderbilt is constructing a new graduate campus expected to open in three years. Meanwhile, Cleveland Clinic has announced plans to build a 150-bed hospital and cancer research center, which is scheduled to open in the near future in West Palm Beach.

A Collaborative Effort to Scale Statewide

Unlike isolated business districts, this initiative is designed to enhance Florida’s entire economy. Through strategic partnerships with regional accelerators, business leaders, and policymakers, the initiative will:

Expand Market Access – Florida Council of 100 will ensure seamless entry into Florida’s broader business landscape.Attract Global Investment – eMerge Americas will leverage its international network to bring in venture capital, startups, and corporate partners.Develop Infrastructure – Related Ross is creating world-class commercial spaces and innovation hubs to support long-term growth in Palm Beach County.Ensure Transparency & Growth Metrics – A research component will track investment, job creation, and economic expansion.

“Great cities are not simply built; they emerge from the synergies between talent and partnerships,” said Stephen Ross, CEO and Chairman of Related Companies. “As we navigate an era of rapid change driven by technological advances, South Florida is poised to become an innovation hub. With initiatives like this, we can link educational institutions, entrepreneurial programs, and sources of capital to create a new environment for American businesses.”

Next Steps & Engagement

The launch of this new partnership marks the beginning of a statewide movement to position Florida as the ultimate destination for global business expansion. In the coming weeks and months, the initiative’s partners will be working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to drive continued engagement and investment—including new efforts to market the region, accelerator programs and sources of capital.

About Florida Council of 100
The Florida Council of 100 is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of business leaders dedicated to improving Florida’s quality of life and economic well-being. Founded in 1961 at the request of Governor Farris Bryant, the Council serves as a trusted advisor to Florida’s elected officials and policymakers. Its membership represents over 200 companies employing more than 1.3 million Floridians, collectively shaping the state’s future through business-driven policy solutions and direct economic impact initiatives. For more information about the Florida Council of 100, visit www.fc100.org.

About eMerge Americas
eMerge Americas is the premier global tech event held annually in Miami, shaping the future of tech and innovation. The eMerge signature event, launched in 2014, attracts over 20,000 attendees from 60 countries and over 4,300 unique participating organizations. In addition to the annual conference, eMerge organizes and hosts year-round executive summits, a startup accelerator program, startup pitch competitions, community events, masterclasses, and webinars, and publishes venture activity and investment insights reports. For the last decade, eMerge has served as a global catalyst for innovation and investment, working at the forefront of building the South Florida and Florida tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

About Related Ross
Led by visionary developer Stephen Ross, Related Ross is a fully integrated real estate firm with unparalleled expertise in mixed-use development. For more than 25 years, Related has led the transformation of West Palm Beach into one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities to live, work, and visit. Related Ross leads the market in Class A office with over 2.8M square feet of existing commercial holdings built and under construction. Known for luxury residential buildings, Related Ross is introducing a new class of rentals and condos to the market, including The Laurel and South Flagler House. The company also developed and owns the most celebrated destinations in the region including CityPlace – the most visited neighborhood in the City, fostering culture and enriching the community with lush green spaces, a diverse mix of experiential retail and culinary offerings, the largest concentration of public art installed by a private company in Palm Beach County, educational programming and modern residences; as well as Hilton West Palm Beach, RH West Palm and the historic Harriet Himmel Theater. For more information about Related Ross, please visit www.relatedross.com

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SOURCE eMerge Americas

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EcoFlow Reveals OCEAN 2 at Solar & Storage Live London 2026 as Demand Grows for Smarter, Scalable Home Energy

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Next-generation EcoFlow OCEAN 2 Plus Single-Phase system unveiled, designed for a new era of scalable, whole-home energy, supporting up to 12kw AC outputStorage capacity expandable up to 300 kWh, with 10,000 cell-cycle battery lifespanEngineered for faster installation and lower ongoing energy lossAdvanced solar optimisation with triple MPPT architecture for complex UK rooftopsExclusive preview of upcoming OCEAN 2 products and EcoFlow STREAM technology at the event

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EcoFlow is set to unveil OCEAN 2 Plus, its next-generation home battery system, at Solar & Storage Live London 2026, taking place at ExCeL London from 29–30 April.

Positioned at the intersection of performance, scalability and intelligent energy management, OCEAN 2 represents a significant step forward for residential energy systems in the UK – designed not just to meet today’s demand, but to evolve alongside it. As the market shifts towards more flexible, decentralised energy models, EcoFlow is delivering systems that scale from everyday households through to high-demand, fully electrified homes.

At the event, EcoFlow will also offer attendees an exclusive first look at upcoming additions to the OCEAN 2 series, alongside a showcase of its STREAM technology, reflecting growing momentum behind small-scale and emerging solar solutions in the UK.

EcoFlow OCEAN 2 Plus Single-Phase has been designed with long-term flexibility at its core. A single system can start small and expand over time, supporting up to 300 kWh of storage capacity when configured in parallel. This enables the system to move beyond traditional residential use cases, supporting larger homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, and increasing electrification demands. With a 10,000-cycle battery lifespan, the system is built to deliver consistent performance and savings over many years of operation.

Performance has also been optimised for real-world UK conditions. With three independent MPPTs, OCEAN 2 is able to maximise solar generation across rooftops with multiple orientations or partial shading, ensuring more consistent energy capture throughout the day. Each string supports high input capacity, enabling installers to design more efficient, higher-yield systems without compromise.

Efficiency extends beyond generation. OCEAN 2 has been engineered to minimise its own energy consumption, operating at just 50W during light-load discharge. While often overlooked, this reduction in baseline energy use contributes to meaningful long-term savings, with estimated lifetime energy savings reaching up to 6,000 kWh over a 15-year period.

Installation has been streamlined throughout. With a compact form factor, integrated components and reduced on-site complexity, OCEAN 2 is designed to save time at every stage, from handling and positioning through to commissioning. At 46kg per battery pack, and with support for both indoor and outdoor installation, the system provides practical flexibility for installers working across a wide range of property types.

Whole-home backup functionality is built in as standard, with seamless switching designed to maintain power continuity across essential systems. This is complemented by a multi-layered safety architecture, combining both passive and active protection mechanisms across the battery system, alongside a 15-year warranty designed to support long-term peace of mind.

At the system level, OCEAN 2 integrates into EcoFlow’s wider Home Energy Ecosystem, connecting solar generation, storage, and smart home technologies into a single intelligent platform. Through its Home Energy Management System, the system can automatically optimise when to store and use energy based on demand and dynamic electricity tariffs, helping households reduce reliance on the grid while improving overall energy efficiency.

Craig Bilboe, Head of Residential UK&ANZ for EcoFlow said:

“UK homes are changing quickly. We’re seeing more electric vehicles, more heat pumps, and more people wanting to use their own solar more effectively. OCEAN 2 Plus Single-Phase has been built for that reality. It gives installers a system that’s quicker to work with, and gives households the ability to store more, use more, and expand over time without replacing what they already have. Alongside that, technologies like STREAM are opening the door for people who want to start smaller, making solar more accessible in a way we haven’t really seen in the UK before.”

Visitors to the EcoFlow stand will be able to experience live demonstrations of OCEAN 2 Plus Single-Phase, explore upcoming product developments, and speak directly with EcoFlow’s technical and commercial teams.

To register or learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/g6RxBPmB

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ecoflow-reveals-ocean-2-at-solar–storage-live-london-2026-as-demand-grows-for-smarter-scalable-home-energy-302754188.html

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XTM International Appoints New CMO and VP of Engineering to Accelerate AI-Driven Growth

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Niki Sotiropoulou joins as Chief Marketing Officer and Sean Mooney as Vice President of Engineering, reinforcing XTM’s commitment to AI-driven product innovation and global enterprise growth.

LONDON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XTM International, a global leader in AI-driven localisation technology, today announced two strategic additions to its executive leadership team. Niki Sotiropoulou has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Sean Mooney joins as Vice President of Engineering, leading engineering execution across XTM’s expanded product portfolio.

“Adding leaders of Niki’s and Sean’s calibre is a clear signal of XTM’s ambitions for the next phase of growth,” said Lorcan Malone, Chief Executive Officer of XTM International. “Niki brings the strategic marketing leadership to amplify the value our platform delivers to enterprise customers, while Sean brings the engineering depth to accelerate how quickly we ship that innovation. Together, they will help us extend our lead in AI-driven localisation.”

Niki Sotiropoulou — Chief Marketing Officer

Niki Sotiropoulou is a marketing leader focused on the intersection of AI, data and enterprise growth. Across more than two decades in both B2B and B2C, including pivotal roles at market-leading companies such as viva.com and eSHARE, she has built a reputation for aligning marketing strategy with overarching business objectives, and for using data and modern marketing technology to deliver measurable commercial impact. Her contribution to the field has been recognised through her inclusion among the industry’s top marketing influencers.

As CMO, Niki will lead XTM’s global marketing organisation, embedding AI and data across brand strategy, demand generation and customer-facing communications as the company delivers on its composable, AI platform mission.

“Marketing is most effective when it is grounded in data and amplified by AI,” said Sotiropoulou. “XTM is doing genuinely category-defining work in AI-driven globalisation platform, and my focus is on bringing the same rigour to how we tell that story, by building a marketing organisation that is data-driven, AI-augmented, and clearly tied to the outcomes our customers care about.”

Sean Mooney — Vice President of Engineering

Sean Mooney is a highly experienced technology leader specialising in cloud, connected services, technical architecture, systems integration and product modernisation. He brings 25 years of industry experience and a proven track record of delivering complex, concurrent strategic programmes on time, on budget and to specification. Sean will lead engineering execution across XTM’s R&D function, including development, QA, support and architecture teams in Ireland and across XTM’s global hubs.

“Great products are built by great teams,” said Mooney. “XTM has a clear AI-driven product vision, an exceptional engineering culture, and a customer base that depends on us to deliver. My role is to make sure our R&D organisation operates at the standard our customers expect : combining engineering excellence, modern architecture and a culture of continuous improvement so we can ship innovation at the pace this market demands.”

About XTM International

XTM International is your AI globalisation platform that transforms language from a barrier into an opportunity. We bring translation management, business management, software localisation, and video creation together into a composable system, giving enterprises the flexibility to adopt the solutions they need, when they need them. Trusted by over 1,300 global companies, supporting more than 880 languages and over 80 ready-to-go integrations, XTM enables teams to scale global content with accuracy, speed, and absolute trust.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xtm-international-appoints-new-cmo-and-vp-of-engineering-to-accelerate-ai-driven-growth-302754951.html

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Loftie Launches Loftie+ Habit System to Help People Put Their Phones Down

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LONDON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Loftie, maker of the award-winning alarm clock that replaces the smartphone on the nightstand, today launches Loftie+ — a behaviour-change system built to change habits, not track data.

Over half of UK and Irish adults stay up later than planned because of their phones — rising to 73% of 18- to 24-year-olds in the UK (Deloitte, 2024). The sleep industry’s answer: sell people a tracker and a score.

“The sleep industry is obsessed with measurement,” said Matt Hassett, founder and CEO of Loftie. “People are staring at a dozen numbers every morning trying to figure out why they feel terrible — while the phone that’s wrecking their sleep is the same device giving them the score. We’re not interested in adding more data. We’re interested in helping you put the phone down.”

Loftie+ is a mobile app (£9.99/€9.99 monthly or £59.99/€59.99 yearly) that works on its own — no Loftie hardware required. It combines nightly app blocking, daytime focus tools, and screen-time challenges, plus a credit card-sized Loftie Card for your wallet and a free browser extension.

At night: the app schedules blocking around sleep in three phases — Relax, Sleep, and Rise — guiding users from wind-down to wake-up with minimal phone interference.

During the day: the Loftie Card triggers Focus mode with a single tap — at your desk, before a meeting, when the kids get home. Unlike screen-time apps that stay on a shelf at home, the Card lives in your wallet, with you wherever you need to focus.

A free home screen widget, Flip, replaces your phone’s app grid with just the apps you choose — no icons, no distractions.

Loftie+ builds on a platform serving over 15,000 members across curated audio, personalised bedtime stories, and wind-down routines. For Loftie hardware owners, an optional feature called Loftie Drift blocks selected apps automatically when you enter the bedroom, using Bluetooth from your Clock or Lamp.

Loftie+ is available now on iOS and Android across the UK and EU. The browser extension and Flip are free.

About Loftie

Loftie is a sleep wellness brand designing products that help people put their phones down — for deeper sleep at night and better focus by day. The line includes the Loftie Clock, Loftie Lamp, and Loftie+. The Loftie Clock has been named a TIME Best Invention, recommended by Wirecutter five years running, and is carried at MoMA Design Store, Goop, and URBN.

Website: loftie.com

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/loftie-launches-loftie-habit-system-to-help-people-put-their-phones-down-302753395.html

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