Startup World Cup Miami 2024: The winning startup that will compete for $1M is … – Refresh Miami

One Miami-based startup made history Saturday at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Sargassum Eco Lumber, a company dedicated to removing excess seaweed from the environment, was crowned Miami’s Startup World Cup first-time-ever Regional winner.

The four-month-long competition hosted by The Source, Miami’s Black-owned tech hub, opened applications in April and is now sending Raquel de Antonio, Sargassum Eco Lumber’s founder, to the Startup World Cup Finals in San Francisco Oct. 2-4 for the chance to take home a $1 million investment.

The Regional Finals event featured 10 startup pitches, expert panels, and an appearance by Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo. Let’s dive in.

And the winner is …

De Antonio’s founder journey started last year when she entered the Miami Dade Innovation Authority public innovation challenge seeking solutions for South Florida’s sargassum crisis. Along with her father, Andrés, a mechanical engineer, she developed a new sustainable alternative material for lumber. The material is a mixture of sargassum seaweed and recycled plastic transformed into eco-friendly lumber.

“I can’t believe I’m sitting next to the trophy!“ she said excitedly and explained how the competition process happened rapidly — from being chosen a Top 60 startup to showcasing at Demo Day, and participating in The Source’s Mentoring Week, where she perfected her pitch and presentation.

Her hard work is not over yet, as she is now focused on bringing home the gold.

“Winning the Startup World Cup in San Francisco will help build our proprietary technology to start selling our product,” she said.

READ MORE ABOUT THE WINNING STARTUP: Seaweed SOS: Turning beach blight into eco lumber gold

Panelists share their insights

Various experts joined the stage to share their thoughts on Miami’s Tech ecosystem. On “The Latest on AI” panel, experts Noelle Russell and Grant Kurz emphasized the importance of implementing AI tools into everyday life.

“Anyone working as an individual needs to figure out how to use these tools for their own productivity,” Kurz said. Russell added to his point stating the most important thing anyone can do is practice and interact with AI systems.

 A fireside chat featured Jeff Ransdell, founding partner of Miami-based Fuel Venture Capital, a global investment with $550 million in assets under management. Ransdell touched on “The Future of Miami Tech Funding” stating Miami is viewed as the place to be for technology investments. He attributed Miami’s success to its traditional scarcity of capital. He believes this creates a better businessperson. “We have stronger and better business people in our market,” he said.

The impact

Startup World Cup set out to unite Miami’s tech ecosystem. The competition brought together communities, venture capitalists, businesses and founders. “What we found is this has allowed us to get to know one another, partner with each other, and to take that experience as an ecosystem and continue beyond, “  said Hilmon Sorey, co-founder of The Source.

Judge Amy Peck, CEO of Endeavor XR, highlighted that the more communities cross-pollinate the better it is for the startup ecosystem.

Expect more to see from Startup World Cup. Sorey shared that the competition will be ten times bigger next year. “Who knows, maybe we’ll take over the Miami Heat arena,” he said.

Startup World Cup Miami Judges, from left: Michael Farace (Principal at Pegasus Tech Ventures),  Salo Sredni (Managing Director, Ocean Azul), Ayal Stern (COO, ThriveD), Amy Peck (CEO Endeavor XR), Maggie Vo (Chief Investment Office, Fuel Venture), Kevin Cadette (Investment Partner, The Source)

Pictured at top of post: The 2024 Startup World Cup Miami Winner Raquel de Antonio, with Source Co-founders Hilmon Sorey, left, and Ted Lucas, at right.

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I am a University of Florida graduate and Miami native who is passionate about writing stories that highlight Miami’s thriving tech ecosystem. I especially enjoy writing stories about technologies creating a social impact, digital assets, and EdTech. Have a story to share? Contact me via Twitter @anathemarketer or
[email protected].

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