We just logged another big week for #MiamiTech news: A merger, multiple fundraises (one of them valued at $15 billion) and much more (see ICYMI below for all these headlines!). But as we start another week, we catch up on additional developments.
1
Ondas acquires 3 defense tech companies
Ondas, a provider of autonomous systems, robotics, and mission-critical technologies for defense, homeland security, public safety, critical infrastructure, and industrial markets, recently announced the West Palm Beach-based company’s acquisition of three defense technology businesses. The businesses bring technologies such as systems already deployed in active conflict environments and capabilities positioned for near-term mission integration across Ondas’ existing platforms and will strengthen Ondas’ existing and future autonomous platforms, accelerate the development of integrated solutions and create new opportunities for growth across the defense and autonomous systems markets, said Ondas’ Chairman and CEO Eric Brock, Chairman d in its announcement.
The acquired companies are:
- Insignito, with technology that creates a passive acoustic sensing layer designed to detect, classify, track and localize drones by their acoustic signatures, including small drones, FPV systems, low-altitude threats and autonomous or RF-silent platforms that can challenge traditional radar and radio-frequency detection. Its system has been successfully deployed in conflict zones.
- Ottopia Defense, which provides software and communications infrastructure connecting unmanned maneuvering platforms with remote operators and command centers. The technology is designed to maintain the continuous, real-time flow of video, telemetry, mission data and commands in remote, harsh, bandwidth-constrained, degraded and mission-critical environments.
- Caribou Labs, a deep-tech, dual-use company specializing in EW environments providing resilient communications and deterministic identification. Caribou’s mission is to deliver GPS-independent positioning timing and visibility when digital infrastructure fails.
Ondas, a publicly traded tech company, plans to integrate these technologies across its existing portfolio.
2
Visium names new CEO
Visium, a West Palm Beach-based company focused on healthier indoor environments through Far-UVC technology, today announced a new CEO as the company enters its next phase of growth. Visium offers continuous, science-backed indoor air and surface protection across commercial real estate, healthcare, education, sports, and other sectors.
Jason DiBona brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning medtech, health sciences, and global business operations. He most recently served as CEO of Molekule, where he advanced the company’s mission to make clean, healthy air accessible to everyone and advanced its vision of indoor air quality as a foundational pillar of well-being. He currently serves as a commissioner on the International WELL Building Institute’s Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air, joining leaders from around the world working toward a shared vision for healthier indoor environments.
“Visium has built something the world urgently needs: technology that makes healthy indoor air an invisible, everyday reality instead of an aspiration,” said DiBona.
“Once people understand the power of Far-UVC to continuously inactivate airborne viruses in occupied indoor spaces, the question I hear most often is: Why isn’t this everywhere?” said Matt Higgins, Co-Founder of Visium. “We should not have to wait for the next pandemic to build a more resilient society. Under Jason’s leadership, our goal is to make this technology part of the infrastructure of everyday life.”
DiBona succeeds Visium co-founder and CEO John Rajchert, who has led the company since its formation. Rajchert will remain an adviser.
3
Misfit Labs, Black Mountain Strategies partner up
Miami-based Misfit Labs, an AI-native venture studio founded by a team of former Apple engineers that launched earlier this year, and Black Mountain Strategies of Fort Myers are partnering up to build and scale companies at the intersection of defense, dual-use technology, and commercial innovation. The partnership combines AI-native venture-building and product development capabilities with BMS’s deep expertise and relationships across federal, defense, and national security markets.
“We believe some of the most consequential companies of the next decade will be built across the increasingly blurred line between commercial and defense technology. Together, we’re looking forward to identifying and building ventures across AI, cybersecurity, energy and resilience, communications, health/human performance, and logistics/operational technology,” MisFit Labs’ Linkedin post said.
The two firms will hold their first event together later this month. The event, titled “Building Dual-Use Companies in the AI Era,” will be Sept. 29 from 6 pm -9 pm. You can register here.
READ MORE ON REFRESH: Misfit Labs unveils its AI-native venture studio
4
OBE Power and The Xtreme Group raise funding
OBE Power, a leading owner and operator of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, announced the closing of a strategic equity investment from North Sky Capital, a pioneer in impact investing in the United States. The funding – the amount was not disclosed – will support OBE Power’s ambitious expansion goals across the U.S. and Canada over the next three to five years.
Complementing OBE Power’s existing credit facility with Gresham House, the new capital will strengthen OBE Power’s ability to accelerate deployment of EV charging infrastructure, with a focus on multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, commercial, and other destination-based properties. The transaction is designed to optimize OBE Power’s capital structure while providing the financial capacity required to support the company’s aggressive expansion plan over the next several years.
OBE Power, based in Miami, deploys, owns, operates, and managesg EV charging infrastructure for property owners and institutional partners.
Also,The Xtreme Group, a Miami-based provider of an aviation MRO platform, received an investment from Heartwood Partners. The amount of the deal was also not disclosed. The company intends to use the funds to expand into new geographies, service lines, and additional capacity, both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions.
The Xtreme Group provides an independent aviation MRO platform with capabilities spanning airframe heavy maintenance, engine MRO, line maintenance, aircraft on ground services, and the sale and lease of aircraft and engines. The solution operates through primary subsidiaries including Xtreme Aviation, Ignite Aero Engines, and Aventus Air Leasing II. Customers include cargo, commercial, and charter operators.
5
Sign up for the Merge Hackathon at The LAB Miami Oct. 17
Now’s the time to sign up for the eMerge AI Hackathon. The hackathon is bringing together developers, designers, data scientists, and entrepreneurs together at The LAB Miami on Oct. 17 for the one-day event. Turn your idea into a working AI prototype, with mentors that help you build and a panel of judges ready to see what you create. There are three tracks: Healthcare, Enterprise AI, and Finance. The Hackathon promises cash prizes for the top three teams. Join here.
6
Stephen Ross gifts $100M for new Pine Crest School
Stephen Ross, together with the Stephen M. Ross Foundation, gifted $100 million to Fort Lauderdale-based Pine Crest School over the summer, the school announced. Pine Crest School, which already has locations in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, seeks to develop a new PreK-12 school on 57 acres of land owned by the city of West Palm Beach, at 6800 Roebuck Road.
“I believe in West Palm Beach’s future, and my commitment to Pine Crest reflects my long-term belief in this city. World-class education is foundational social infrastructure for a growing community, and a school of Pine Crest’s caliber choosing West Palm Beach proves the momentum this city has built can attract some of the world’s best civic institutions,” Ross said in a statement to the South Florida Business Journal. “Investment at this scale is essential to creating sustainable long-term growth. Pine Crest will raise opportunity for the entire community.”
7
Blue Frontier names executive chairman
Christian Hernandez Gallardo has been named Blue Frontier’s Executive Chairman. He has been with Blue Frontier as an investor since the startup’s early days, leading 2150’s investment in 2022 and serving as an active board member. “I am so excited to team up with Christian,” Betts said. “His guidance has been instrumental. Through this partnership, Blue Frontier further positions itself to become one of the world’s most consequential technology companies.”
For Hernandez Gallardo’s part, he said he is returning to his operational roots to help Betts and the team scale its technology.
Blue Frontier “hyper-efficiently generates cooling without any of the very harmful refrigerants; it helps adapt our world to the accelerating need for air conditioning – not just to keep us comfortable but to keep us alive – all while storing and load shifting peak energy loads, unlocking energy access from our strained grids to support growing needs from AI. All from the same unit, already deployed across hospitals, schools, hotels and offices across the US,” Hernandez Gallardo said.
He will be stepping down from his role as co-founder and Partner of 2150, that has over half a billion of Euros in Assets under Management across more than 30 portfolio companies.
8
Zeo Scientifix of Davie to expand in Georgia and Tennessee
Zeo Scientifix, based in Davie, plans to open new lab facilities and hire in Georgia and Tennessee following new state laws creating guidelines for certain stem cell and regenerative medicine therapies. The move will support healthcare providers in those states with biologics, physician education, and scientific and clinical resources as they expand their regenerative medicine offerings, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Zeo Scientifix, operating from Nova Southeastern, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical research company that develops and manufactures regenerative medicine products, including stem cells.
This adds to its existing work with Florida healthcare providers, the company sayss. Zeo aims to create a regenerative medicine platform for healthcare professionals to give them access to stem cells and other biologics and help them comply with state laws. Read more here.
9
Jobs, jobs, jobs
Chewy – IT Site Support Tech II
Comp AI – Sr Product Designer
DoorLoop – Sr Go-To-Market (GTM) Analyst
Flex – Customer Experience Specialist
Hydra Host – Support Engineer, GPU Infrastructure
Nubank – Staff Software Engineer
Ramp – Financial Crimes Compliance Strategist
Zeya – Events & Partnerships Manager
Zeya – Product/Graphic Designer (Part-Time)
Find more opportunities on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
10–PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- eMerge Americas’ SMB Growth Lab, powered by JPMorganChase + Momentum Miami, helps Miami-Dade small and medium-sized businesses embrace digital transformation and unlock sustainable growth. Last year the cohort grew from 30 to 61 SMBs, and the results followed: new customers, new revenue, and connections that are still paying off today. Apply here.
- Are you Miami curious? Maybe you’re ready for more sunshine or tired of state income taxes. Maybe you’re just looking for your next adventure. The challenge usually isn’t the city, it’s figuring out how to make the move make sense – the right role, the right company, the right connections. If you’ve been thinking about Miami, check out moveto.miami, powered by Refresh Miami. We’re here to help.
ICYMI
- Big news: Beep, beep: Freebee and Beep are merging. Here are the details.
- Brazil’s digital bank Nu starts up in US through partnership, offering ‘customer-obsessed’ features
- Funding news: OpenEvidence hits $15B valuation as its ambitions move far beyond medical search
- Comp AI turns compliance headaches into a $34M Series A
- GoSprout, creator of apprenticeship platform, raises $1.2M to boost opportunities for training, economic mobility
- Ecosystem news and startup spotlights: SPARC Ignite returns with new fellowship and a shot at $1 million prize
- A humanoid joins UM’s RoboCanes team
- FAU appoints quantum leader, launches quantum certificate course, and more
- This October, Smart City Expo Miami returns for seventh edition focused on urban intelligence
- Father-son startup ClaimAngel is taking on the high cost of lawsuit funding
- MyMonthlyCar offers mid-term rentals for most budgets
- Zèya zooms past 100,000 downloads, sets its sights on the next million
- Heirloom helps real estate agents and heirs with complexities of inherited properties
- And much more paywall-free #MiamiTech news here!
Have news to report? Email Nancy Dahlberg at nancy@refreshmiami.com 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.
- 10+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News about Ondas, Visium, Misfit Labs, OBE Power, The Xtream Group, Stephen Ross, Blue Frontier, Zeo Scientifix & more – September 27, 2026
- FAU appoints quantum leader, launches quantum certificate course, and more – September 22, 2026
- Beep, beep: Freebee and Beep are merging. Here are the details. – September 16, 2026
