1
Magma to launch US expansion from Miami
Magma, a property technology startup based in Paris will be opening an office in Miami to launch its US operations.
For CEO Matthieu Merchadou, it’s a homecoming of sorts, as he was here in MiamiTech’s early days. He told the South Florida Business Journal that Magma chose Miami because of the strength of South Florida’s property market and the tri-county region’s status as an emerging financial and technology hub.
By combining trusted building data, digital twins, and blockchain-based traceability, Magma is building a new layer of real estate digital infrastructure designed to help structure, verify, and activate building data for the next generation of real estate operations, AI, and investment. Merchadou said the company plans to hire 10 people locally to join its 15 existing employees, the Business Journal reported, and it will be Magma’s first US location, likely in Brickell. The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is assisting with the expansion.
“You have major real estate development, capital inflows and a rapidly growing tech Merchadou said. [That] makes Miami the perfect place to develop property technology,” he said.
2
Florida CEOs more bullish than the rest of the country
Florida’s leading CEOs are signaling continued confidence in the state’s economic trajectory. According to the Florida Council of 100’s Q1 2026 CEO Economic Outlook Index, Florida’s overall index measured 98, remaining well above the national index score of 89. The index tracks CEO expectations for sales, capital investment, and employment over the next six months.
The quarterly survey reflects the forward-looking perspectives of more than 100 CEOs representing some of Florida’s largest employers, offering an early signal of business sentiment across the state.
A notable finding is the continued strength in capital investment. Florida’s capital expenditure (capex) subindex rose from 88 to 91, the highest level recorded since the Council began tracking the index, signaling that companies are continuing to invest in expansion, infrastructure, and innovation.
“Florida CEOs are betting on the state’s future through continued investment and expansion,” said George LeMieux, Chair of The Florida Council of 100. “That confidence reflects the strength of Florida’s business environment and long-term economic outlook.”
While expectations for sales and employment have softened modestly this quarter, Florida CEOs continue to demonstrate a resilient outlook amid broader economic uncertainty. Florida’s employment subindex registered at 95, significantly outpacing the national score of 50, indicating continued confidence in hiring among the state’s top employers.
“What we’re seeing is alignment among Florida’s leading CEOs around continued investment and growth,” said Mike Simas, President and CEO of The Florida Council of 100. “When that many business leaders are moving in the same direction, it’s a strong signal about where the economy is heading.” Read more about the report findings here.
3
Iru signs for large Coconut Grove office space
Iru, formerly Kandji, is tripling its local office space.
The tech company, recently leased a total of 91,959 square-feet of new offices in Coconut Grove, according to Savills Q1 Miami Office Market report. That includes 78,000-square-feet at 3390 Mary Street and 13,959-square-feet at 2901 Florida Avenue, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Just over a year ago, Iru opened a 30,000-square-foot office at The Plaza in Coral Gables as its East Coast headquarters. It’s unclear if the company is keeping that space.
Founded in California, Iru is an AI-powered IT and security platform used by businesses to secure their users’ apps, and devices. In 2024, the firm secured $100 million in funding at an $850 million valuation.a
4
Citadel and Citadel Securities named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies
Two of the world’s leading financial firms, Citadel and Citadel Securities, have just been named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list — the only hedge fund manager on this year’s list and the first ever included, as well as the only market maker represented.
Unlike many workplace rankings, the list reflects how employees themselves report their experience across trust, leadership, and culture, and is considered one of the most rigorous benchmarks of workplace quality in the U.S. Eligible companies must be Great Place to Work Certified™ and have 1,000 or more U.S. employees.Winners are assessed on their ability to create a great employee experience that cuts across job level, business unit, demographic group, or geographic location.
Citadel, with $69 billion in investment capital under management and 3,200 employees across four continents, and Citadel Securities, with 1,800 employees, have been based in Miami since relocating its HQ from Chicago in 2022. Through philanthropic giving, Griffin continues to invest in South Florida education, helping create a talent pipeline that will have opportunities in their own backyard.
5
GoSprout founder chosen for Bravo Venture Fellowship
The Bravo Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of Puerto Rican leaders and led by Puerto Rican private equity leader Orlando Bravo, recently announced the two innovative founders competitively selected for this year’s Bravo Venture Fellowship, and one of them is here in Miami.
Carlos Vazquez, founder of GoSprout and the nonprofit Miami EdTech, is one of the fellows. GoSprout is an apprenticeship management platform that has digitized over 500,000 apprentice records to expand access to high-paying, debt-free career pathways all in one place. Originally from New York City and currently based in Miami, Carlos’ personal career path and passion for tech as well as trade and union work led him to mesh his interests into the GoSprout service, the Foundation said.
The other fellow is Nicole Gonzalez, of Raya Power, a women-owned and founded business with operations in Puerto Rico and California that provides “plug-and-play” solar energy for renters and low-income households that traditional rooftop solar panel companies have left behind.
As part of the Fellowship, the Fellows will receive direct equity investment in their companies and hands-on mentorship from founders and investors across networks of the Bravo Family Foundation and Thoma Bravo, the global private equity firm in Miami, over the course of this year.
6
More news to note
- Endeavor Miami announced the selection of Hovhannes Avoyan, founder and CEO of Picsart, as its newest Endeavor Entrepreneur, following a multi-step selection process culminating in the International Selection Panel in March 2026. Picsart is an AI-powered design platform that enables users to create, edit, and generate visual content across photo, video, and design. Founded in 2011, Picsart has grown with and enabled the next generation of storytellers – Gen Z digital natives – to design, brand, and build at scale. Picart reports it has approximately 130+ million monthly active users and over 2.5 billion downloads. “I am grateful to join Endeavor and connect with an extraordinary group of founders who are building the future,” said Avoyan. “Entrepreneurship is a continuous learning journey, and I look forward to both contributing to and learning from this global network.” As an Endeavor Entrepreneur, Avoyan will gain access to a global network of founders, mentors, and investors, along with strategic support to further scale Picsart internationally.
- The Miami Fintech Club and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council have partnered up to launch the Miami Fintech Innovation Hub, which is designed to accelerate fintech innovation, attract global investment, and strengthen Miami’s role as a gateway for financial innovation across the Americas. The platform will connect fintech startups, financial institutions, investors, and public sector partners while positioning Miami as a preferred landing point for fintech companies expanding between Latin America, the United States, and global markets. The initiative aims to attract global fintech companies expanding between Latin America and the United States, positioning Miami as a strategic gateway for cross-border financial innovation.
7
Jobs, jobs, jobs
Acclaim – Sr Backend Developer
Betr – CRM Marketing Manager
Candex – Sales Development Representative
Iru – Customer Success Manager
Iru – Paid Social Marketing Manager
Kaseya – Sr Network Security Engineer
Lennar – Data Analyst II
Lennar – Data Engineer II
Mediafly – Marketing Creative Designer
Nubank – Global Marketing Expert
OpenFX – Client Success, Enterprise
Papa – Sr Backend Software Engineer
ResQ – Sales Representative
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
8-PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- Calling all South Florida students: Miami Dade College has partnered with Fortinet to host a Cybersecurity Hackathon on Friday, April 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., bringing together students, industry partners and South Florida’s tech community to engage in real-world cybersecurity challenges and develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing digital security issues. The event will be held at MDC’s North Campus and is free and open to all students, but pre-registration is required. Register here.
- Join the Alan B. Levan / NSU Broward Center of Innovation on April 30th at 5 PM for a Pitch Night in partnership with BioFlorida, featuring emerging companies building across biotech, digital health, medical devices, and more. The winner of the Pitch Competition advancing as a finalist into the BioFlorida Innovation Conference 2026 BIOPITCH competition in October. For more information on pitching or attending, go here.
- Join the eMerge AI Hackathon, a day of building AI solutions, on April 18. Judges from Meta, Lightship Capital and Haize Labs are already on board. Register here.
- Applications are now open for the Cade Prize for Inventivity, a national competition awarding over $100K in cash and in-kind support to early-stage inventors and entrepreneurs. The prize backs founders across industries like tech, healthcare, environment, and sports who are building innovative, real-world solutions and need support to move from idea to market. Apply here.
ICYMI – Catch up!
- Latest special report: Palm Beach County is turning inbound talent, AI trust, and institutional growth into a serious innovation ecosystem
- In West Palm, Related Ross sees a city of capital, talent … and tech
- Miami area startups snag $4.13B in VC in 2025. New eMerge Insights report has the details
- How Miami became a launchpad for cross-border pay XFX lands $17M to fix the messy middle between dollars ment startups
- Latest fundraise: OpenFX raises $94M on the premise that moving money should feel like sending a text
- Neurolief raises $6M to fuel U.S. rollout of at-home depression therapy
- Investor spotlight: Saxon Baum on Miami’s reset, Florida Funders’ next phase, and the work still left to do
- Relocation news: AI company Acclaim launches U.S. expansion, selects Miami for global HQ
- South Florida’s AMPERA lands major shipping deal as it opens new global headquarters
- ATTRUS sets up in Miami to rethink how money moves globally
- Stem cell opportunities expand – and so does GBI BioManufacturing in Plantation
- Full office, big plans: Simpro Group’s Miami growth story is just getting started
- Fetii, the Uber for groups, launches in Miami
- Latest guest post: I love AI, but it just got Taylor Swift wrong with total confidence. Imagine what we’re not catching.
- Much more paywall-free #MiamiTech news here.
Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at [email protected] and follow her on X @ndahlberg and on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Refresh Miami’s free weekly newsletter here featuring startup news, tech job opportunities and events.
- 8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News from Magma, Florida Council of 100, Iru, Citadel, GoSprout, Endeavor Miami, Picsart, Beacon Council, Miami Fintech Club & more – April 9, 2026
- Fetii, the Uber for groups, launches in Miami – April 9, 2026
- AI company Acclaim launches U.S. expansion, selects Miami for global HQ – March 31, 2026
