Technology

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

Published

1 year ago

March 28, 2025

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

Technology

Luxor Expands LuxOS to MicroBT WhatsMiner, and MicroBT Intends for a Strategic Investment

Published

44 minutes ago

April 27, 2026

SEATTLE, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Luxor Technology Corporation (“Luxor”) announces the expansion of LuxOS firmware support to MicroBT WhatsMiner series miners, growing the LuxOS ecosystem. In addition, MicroBT, via its investment manager Inflection Technology Limited (“ITL”), has signed a term sheet to make a strategic investment into Luxor. Luxor has also committed to a US$100,000,000 purchase of MicroBT WhatsMiner hardware.

Luxor is working directly with a select group of mining partners to deploy and expand model support over time. With more than 300,000 Bitcoin mining machines already running LuxOS globally, Luxor brings to the WhatsMiner ecosystem the same enterprise-grade firmware infrastructure that large-scale mining operators rely on. MicroBT hardware represents a significant share of global Bitcoin mining capacity, and with this expansion, those operators now have access to flexible firmware features.

WhatsMiner fleets running LuxOS gain access to Power Targeting, Advanced Thermal Management, safe rapid curtailment, and faster ramp-up time — unlocking new capabilities beyond stock settings. Power Targeting delivers consistent, predictable performance across individual machines and makes infrastructure planning easier at scale. When shifting power targets, LuxOS completes the transition in 30-60 seconds while continuing to hash at higher hashrates — capturing additional hashrate. LuxOS also improves ramp-up time across curtailment events, reaching full capacity faster and reducing the unharvested hashrate lost every time machines cycle. Initial support spans select models in the M50 series. For the full list of supported models, visit docs.luxor.tech.

“We are excited to build on the MicroBT WhatsMiner platform. We are consistently impressed by their ability to execute with high-quality machines. Our clients have been asking for WhatsMiner firmware for years, and we have shipped a product that is going to help deliver significant profitability and usability benefits. We are also excited to welcome MicroBT as a strategic investor.”

— Lauren Lin, Head of Hardware and Software of Luxor

“Luxor has continued to be one of MicroBT’s trusted global partners. With their talented engineering team, we are excited they are building on top of the Whatsminer platform. We are happy to be taking a strategic position in Luxor and supporting their continued growth through this hardware partnership.”

— Dr.Yang, CEO and Co-Founder of MicroBT

Operators running LuxOS have access to Luxor’s full-stack mining experience: pool, hashrate derivatives, energy services, and Luxor Commander for fleet management — unified under a single platform. Commander includes Intelligent Miner, which keeps fleets running at peak profitability by continuously adjusting power settings based on real-time hashprice and energy prices.

Luxor is rolling out LuxOS for WhatsMiner in a phased approach, onboarding operations directly to ensure a high-quality deployment experience. Mining operations running WhatsMiner hardware can express interest in access at luxor.tech/contact.

About Luxor Technology Corporation

Luxor delivers hardware, software, and financial services that power the global compute and energy industry. Its product suite spans Bitcoin Mining Pools, ASIC Firmware, Hardware trading, Hashrate Derivatives, Energy services, a Miner Management software, Commander, and a bitcoin mining data platform, Hashrate Index.

If you are interested in contacting Luxor, please email sales@luxor.tech.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luxor-expands-luxos-to-microbt-whatsminer-and-microbt-intends-for-a-strategic-investment-302753797.html

SOURCE Luxor Technology

Technology

GLN Connects to Vietnam’s National QR Network, Enabling Nationwide QR Payments

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2026

Direct access to Vietnam’s nationwide QR payment networkEnabling payments via partners’ home-market banking and fintech apps without currency exchange

SEOUL, South Korea, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GLN International has launched a nationwide QR payment service in Vietnam in partnership with NAPAS, marking its direct integration into the country’s national QR payment infrastructure.

The service was introduced at a launch ceremony on April 23 in Vietnam, attended by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), NAPAS, BIDV, and Hana Bank.

GLN leads the operation of the payment system connected to Vietnam’s national QR network and has driven its technical integration, as part of Hana Financial Group’s cross-border initiatives. Hana Bank participates as the only Korean financial institution designated as a settlement bank under SBV approval.

Vietnam’s payment infrastructure is built on the VietQR Global system operated by NAPAS, linking banks and merchants nationwide. Through this integration, GLN enables users of partner apps to access the network, expanding acceptance. The partnership is also expected to support inbound use cases, allowing Vietnamese users to make QR payments in Korea via their local apps.

The service is available across tourist destinations, including Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City, across everyday merchants. Payments can be made through GLN-connected partner applications, including major Korean fintech apps such as Toss, PurpleGLN, Hana OneQ, Hana Money, and Hana Card, without currency exchange. The service is expected to expand to platforms, including Naver Pay and KB Banking App.

Seok Lee, CEO of GLN, said, “This launch marks a significant step in connecting Korea and Vietnam through a unified QR payment infrastructure. By integrating with Vietnam’s national QR network, we enable a simple payment experience for travelers using the apps they already use in their home market, without currency exchange. We will continue to lead overseas payments and cash withdrawals without physical cards.”

Meanwhile, GLN, a subsidiary of Hana Bank under Hana Financial Group, provides QR payment and QR withdrawal services across 14 countries in Asia, including Vietnam, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, and Japan, with access to more than 200 million QR merchants globally. The company is a leading cross-border payment infrastructure provider in Asia, connecting users and merchants across markets. It has also established partnerships with overseas financial platforms, including Moreta Pay (North America), DeCard App (Singapore), and Taishin Bank (Taiwan).

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SOURCE GLN International

Technology

VARON Celebrates 5 Years Supporting Easier Breathing for Customers Worldwide

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2026

NEW YORK, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VARON is celebrating a meaningful milestone, its 5th anniversary, and is taking this moment to thank customers around the world who have trusted its oxygen therapy solutions over the years. What started as a mission to make breathing support more accessible has grown into a global community of users relying on VARON’s advanced oxygen machines in their daily lives.

This anniversary is not just about the company’s growth, but about the people behind it—the individuals and families who have chosen VARON for comfort, independence, and peace of mind.

Five Years of Supporting Easier Breathing and Everyday Living

Over the past five years, VARON has focused on one simple idea: making oxygen therapy easier to use, easier to move with, and easier to trust. From home use to travel needs, the brand has continued improving its range of oxygen machines to support different lifestyles and health needs.

Today, VARON offers a full lineup that includes compact portable oxygen concentrator models and reliable at home oxygen concentrator systems designed for long-term use. Many users also prefer VARON’s lightweight oxygen concentrator options, which allow more freedom of movement without sacrificing performance.

“Our customers are at the center of everything we do,” VARON CEO shared in a message marking the anniversary. “We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us over the past five years. Every device we create is built with real people and real daily needs in mind.”

Designed for Real Life: Home and On-the-Go Oxygen Support

VARON’s oxygen solutions are designed to fit into everyday routines—whether at home, during travel, or while staying active.

At home users continue to rely on models like the Serene 5 Home Oxygen Concentrator, which delivers steady medical-grade oxygen with quiet operation and simple controls. The Serene 3 offers a compact option for those who want efficient oxygen support in a smaller footprint.

For users needing flexibility, the VH-2 Pro Home Oxygen Concentrator provides adjustable flow settings and added features like nebulization support, making it a practical choice for daily home use.

On the portable side, VARON continues to expand independence for users who need oxygen on the move. The VP-8G Ultra Portable Oxygen Concentrator stands out for its ultra-lightweight design at just 4.37 lbs, making it easy to carry while traveling or running errands. The VP-6 Continuous Portable Oxygen Concentrator and VP-2 Portable Oxygen Concentrator offer additional options with adjustable flow settings and dependable oxygen delivery.

Each portable oxygen concentrator is designed with user comfort in mind—lightweight, easy to operate, and built for mobility without stress.

A Simple Way to Say Thank You: Anniversary Discounts and Free Gifts

To celebrate its 5th year, VARON is launching a limited-time global appreciation event with special savings across its entire product range.

Customers can enjoy featured anniversary offers:

18% OFF sitewide across all oxygen machinesFree VARON gifts, including a $30 store gift card and extra nasal cannulas with every machine purchaseUp to 40% OFF selected featured productsAutomatic discounts applied at checkout—no codes needed

Customers can also save more with bundle options such as the VP-8G Super Bundle and extra battery packages for VP-6 and VP-2 models.

“These anniversary offers are our way of saying thank you,” VARON CEO shared. “We want to make it easier for more people to access reliable oxygen support at home and on the go.”

Looking Ahead with Customers at the Center

As VARON moves into its sixth year, the company remains focused on improving its oxygen therapy technology and expanding accessibility worldwide. Future development will continue to focus on making portable oxygen concentrator devices lighter, more efficient, and easier to use in everyday life.

The goal remains simple: to help more people breathe easier and live with greater confidence and independence.

About VARON

VARON is a trusted provider of oxygen therapy solutions, offering a wide range of at home oxygen concentrator systems, portable oxygen concentrator devices, and advanced oxygen machines designed for home, travel, and personal use. The company is committed to creating lightweight oxygen concentrator technology that supports comfort, mobility, and better quality of life.

For more information on VARON’s 5th anniversary offers and full product lineup, customers are encouraged to visit the official VARON website.

Media Contact:
VARON Oxygen Concentrator
Email: support@varoninc.com
Website: https://varoninc.com/

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SOURCE Varon oxygen concentrator