Miami's tech ecosystem is burgeoning, and at this point, it's clear that it's not just hype. The region is experiencing significant growth, building an engaging community of entrepreneurs, investors, and organizations. With such a dynamic scenario, the need to create a more supportive and innovative tech culture becomes evident.
That's why two key players in South Florida’s tech scene have teamed up in a game-changing merger that promises to revolutionize the region, turning Miami into a tech hub for Latin American and Caribbean companies. Base Miami and Moishe Mana's Mana Tech are merging. And our founder, Charly Esnal, is leading the initiative as the Managing Director for the technology platform.
No wonder, this is a significant milestone toward innovation that entails numerous benefits for entrepreneurs and the region’s development. However, such a move didn’t happen overnight. So, how did we get here?
Building A Tech Gateway For Latam And The Caribbean Entrepreneurs
By the end of 2020, after a rough year for the economy globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a few characters on Twitter put Miami in the spotlight. High profile investor Delian Asparouhov posted, "ok guys, hear me out, what if we move Silicon Valley to Miami." The tweet soon got countless replies and impressions, but indeed, the most relevant one came from Miami Mayor Francis Suarez with its now-famous "How can I help?".
Related Read: Miami Tech Boom Beyond The Hype: A Recap Of 2021 Top Startup Ecosystem Moments
This social media interaction ignited a movement that, at first glance, it seemed just hype. However, South Florida's Magic City was already working on building a tech gateway for LATAM companies long before December 2020. Key actors like Moishe Mana's division Mana Tech and Base Miami as a leading startup accelerator were already contributing to the growing tech scene.
On the one hand, Mana Tech was created as a division of Mana Common. The company had been investing more than $600 million in revitalizing the business Flager District since 2001. According to Moishe Mana, "Miami's innovative culture, robust investment, venture communities, highly skilled workforce, and impressive infrastructure create a fertile environment for continued growth." Therefore, that's when the Mana Tech initiative came to life, helping develop a culture of innovation within the tech community.
On the other hand, with such a fertile environment to build a tech hub, Base Miami became a key partner for founders as a leading startup accelerator. The company, led by Charly Esnal and Fernando Cariello, embarked on the mission to support Latin American companies to expand into the bustling US market.
That way, through a wide array of programs, webinars, events, and bootcamps, Base Miami has been helping LATAM tech companies successfully scale their operation in South Florida. In fact, it’s not the first time that Base Miami and Mana Tech team-up. In the past years, these two companies had partnered to host many programs and events like Base Miami’s Market Entry Bootcamp.
Therefore, now after years of hard work, these two companies have taken the leap by joining forces to keep building the next tech hub of The Americas.
The Benefits Behind The Merger: Creating More Opportunities For Entrepreneurs
So, what does this merger brings to the Miami tech community? First and foremost, it combines Base Miami's team expertise working in the US, Asia, South America, Africa, and Europe with Mana Tech's digital platform and thriving tech community.
The merger comes at a strategic time, with both companies well positioned in Miami's tech scene. The coalition aims to develop more programs and the necessary infrastructure to lead to more investment opportunities.
Some of the programs that entrepreneurs will be able to access are the Market Entry Bootcamp, Market Fit one-on-one program, and the Miami Immersion Week. All of them are expertly designed to support LATAM founders in their expansion process into the US market while saving time and money. That way, incoming companies from Latin America and the Caribbean will learn to avoid the most common pitfalls and succeed when scaling up in the US market.
Are You Ready For What’s Coming? We Are!
Base Miami and Mana Tech merger, certainly it's a significant leap for Miami's tech scene development. Though there's still so much work to do to build the next tech gateway for Latin American companies, this alignment creates more investment and growth opportunities for entrepreneurs. So are you ready to revolutionize Florida's Magic City and turn it into the next tech hub? We are!
