Dreamit Partners with Jeff Vinik to Launch Urban Technology Accelerator in Tampa

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., May 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global startup accelerator, Dreamit, announced today it will launch its newest "urban technology" vertical ? dubbed UrbanTech ? in Tampa, Florida. The program will begin in September of 2017. Dreamit's partner in the venture is renowned investor and owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jeff Vinik.

Dreamit's program will accelerate companies with technology solutions in the areas of real estate, city infrastructure and urban living. Participating startups will engage in a 14-week program designed to prepare companies for growth. Already recognized as a leader in healthcare (HealthTech) and education (EdTech) acceleration, Dreamit enters the UrbanTech vertical at a time of unparalleled urban growth and regeneration.

"This is demand-driven innovation at its best," said Avi Savar, Chief Executive Officer of Dreamit. "Working in partnership with stakeholders in Tampa, Dreamit UrbanTech will empower entrepreneurs to create disruptive products while connecting them to key players in growing industries. In fact, the current conditions of UrbanTech remind us of where digital health was back in 2012, when we entered that vertical. From company formation and funding levels to the state of specific technologies, this market is ripe for disruption. We are thrilled to bring our proven approach of acceleration to Tampa Bay."

The first-of-its-kind partnership and program will expose visionary entrepreneurs to community stakeholders throughout Tampa Bay, including Strategic Property Partners, LLC ("SPP"), of which Vinik is a part-owner alongside Cascade Investment, LLC. SPP plans to invest more than $3 billion over the next 10 years in downtown Tampa and develop a vibrant urban, mixed-use district on its 50 acres of land. SPP intends to integrate technology-connected services throughout the project, offering on-demand, customized experiences for the district's visitors, workers, and residents. Dreamit's UrbanTech startups will gain exposure to leaders in the real estate development, design, construction, and management industries.

"As our city develops and prepares for a bright future, I am pleased to partner with Dreamit in this UrbanTech initiative," said Jeff Vinik. "I am confident we will identify and create avenues of success for startups dedicated to building and enriching cities."

Florida, and especially the Tampa Bay area, is experiencing record growth. Over 60,000 new residents moved to the region in the last year alone, underscoring the importance of cutting-edge technology as a pillar of building resilient cities.

"Bringing innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs into our urban core strengthens Tampa's economic competitiveness on the global stage," said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. "Dreamit's choice to partner with Jeff Vinik and locate their UrbanTech accelerator in Tampa not only reinforces our ongoing renaissance but bolsters our emerging tech scene."

A national leader in the accelerator sector, Dreamit removes barriers to innovation and appeals to a broad range of entrepreneurs, including later-stage companies that would not typically consider an accelerator. Participating companies will not only have renowned investor, Jeff Vinik, on their capitalization table, but also enjoy the opportunity to access additional capital from the Dreamit Fund toward their next round of financing. Companies will spend three weeks in Tampa Bay and four weeks on the road for customer and investor meetings.

UrbanTech is designed for startups focused on SaaS / cloud-based software, IoT, IP heavy software enabled hardware, data and analytics, machine learning and AI, mobile applications and frontier technologies such as-- VR and /AR. In the United States, alone there are more than 9,000 startups working in the UrbanTech field.

The opportunity has never been better to enter this burgeoning new vertical. Startups can apply now at http://www.dreamit.com/urbantech

About Dreamit
Dreamit is a top-10 ranked global accelerator and venture capital firm. We drive traction and business velocity by providing startups with access to investors, a sales pipeline and a network of resources. Founded in 2008, Dreamit portfolio includes over 300 breakthrough technology companies across a variety of industry verticals. Our founders have gone on to raise over $500M in follow-on funding and include companies like: SeatGeek, HouseParty, LevelUp, Adaptly, BioBots, Biomeme, Elevate, and more.

About Strategic Property Partners
Strategic Property Partners ("SPP") is a real estate development joint venture between Cascade Investment, LLC, and Jeff Vinik. SPP owns and controls more than 50 acres in downtown Tampa along the southern waterfront.  The phased development project intends to revitalize the surrounding area and create an urban, mixed-use waterfront district consisting of over 9 million square feet of new commercial, residential, hospitality, cultural, entertainment, education, and retail uses, totaling approximately $3 billion of investment.  Integrating design and planning principals focused on walkability, sustainability, connectivity, and wellness, SPP intends to create a world-class development in downtown Tampa.

Media Contacts:
Seth Berk
CMO
Dreamit
+1.917.439.4277
[email protected]

Ali Glisson
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Strategic Property Partners, LLC
Office | +1.813.993.0055  ?  Mobile | +1.515.864.8431
[email protected]

Bill Wickett
EVP of Communications
Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment
Office +1.813.301.6875 | c +1.813.352.9167
[email protected]

SOURCE Dreamit