1
AMPERA, Imperial College of London team up
West Palm Beach-based advanced energy company AMPERA announced a strategic $9 million multi-year partnership with global research leader Imperial College London to develop a physics-grounded, digital twin platform known as NeuralTwin.
The collaboration brings together AMPERA’s technology platform and Imperial College London’s world-class expertise in AI, engineering, computational science and research. Together, the organizations will explore new approaches to creating intelligent digital representations that can learn from data, model dynamical systems and generate real-time insights, the companies said in their announcement. The program addresses methods to design, assess, optimize and validate energy systems to support faster, more cost-effective rapid deployment.
Unlike conventional digital twins, which can depend heavily on predefined models and computationally intensive simulations, NeuralTwin combines first-principles physics with AI-based surrogates to accelerate engineering, optimize performance, improve safety, support licensing and ultimately enable increasingly predictive, autonomous operation.
“This collaboration will supercharge every aspect of our technology development,” said AMPERA Founder and CEO Brian Matthews. “Imperial College London is a world-leading university, and the technology has the potential to transform how complex systems are understood, monitored, optimized and managed. From licensing to engineering analysis to autonomous operations, we see NeuralTwin as being a marketplace differentiator.” Read more here.
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OpenAI-backed Thrive Holdings acquires Boca-based ADT
Boca Raton-based home security giant ADT is being acquired by Thrive Holdings in an all cash deal, the companies announced this week. The agreement values ADT at approximately $7.6 billion in equity value and $15.3 billion in enterprise value.
ADT, a publicly traded company with about 12,000 employees, will become a private business when the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. ADT provides electronic security, fire protection, and 24/7 alarm monitoring for homes and small businesses. In 2016, it was acquired by Apollo Global Management for $6.9 billion. Two years later, it went public on the New York Stock Exchange and is one of South Florida’s largest public companies.
“With Thrive Holdings’ long-term capital and technology expertise, ADT will gain new opportunities to accelerate innovation, enhance the customer experience and bring greater peace of mind to even more homes and businesses,” ADT Chairman and CEO Jim DeVries said in a statement.
Thrive Holdings, an offshoot of Joshua Kushner’s VC firm Thrive Capital, buys established businesses and uses AI and engineering teams to modernize their operations. Backed by and partnered with OpenAI, Thrive Holdings plans to make ADT the foundation of its smart-home security business and use OpenAI models and engineers across the company, TechCrunch reported. “Our ambition is to help ADT’s teams better serve customers and offer a seamless service with more actionable information for the professionals responding,” said Thrive Capital Partner Kareem Zaki.
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Zeo Scientifix of Davie joins with Israeli biotech
Broward County’s Zeo Scientifix is joining forces with Pluri, an Israeli biotech company, to bring more regenerative medicine products to the U.S. market. Zeo agreed to give 50% ownership of the business to Pluri in exchange for rights to certain manufacturing technology and related expertise. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Zeo Scientifix CEO Ian Bothwell said the collaboration will give the company access to Pluri’s proprietary cell technology and expertise in scalable cell manufacturing. Together with Zeo’s commercial infrastructure, the access will “allow us to expand our product portfolio, accelerate innovation, and pursue opportunities that neither company could address as effectively on its own,” Bothwell said in the Business Journal.
The deal enables Pluri, which has more than 200 patents, to commercialize its cell-based technologies in the U.S. using an existing network, instead of building its own distribution infrastructure. Based at Nova Southeastern University, the publicly traded Zeo is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical research company that develops and manufactures regenerative medicine products, including stem cells. Read more here.
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World Strategic Forum returning to Miami
The International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) will once again hold its U.S. flagship event, the World Strategic Forum, in Miami November 13, 2026. Held at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, the Forum will bring together decision-makers from business, government, and civil society under the theme “Where Capital Wins.” Discussions will examine how shifts in power, policy, and capital are shaping investment decisions and opportunities, with particular attention to geopolitics, finance, energy, and emerging technologies. The Forum attracts participants from the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Speakers include Melissa Medina of eMerge Americas, Abhi Ingle of SambaNova Systems, Marshall Choy ofRebellions, andDavid J. Blumberg ofBlumberg Capital.
“Miami is a natural meeting point for leaders from the Americas and beyond. At this year’s World Strategic Forum, we will examine how changes in geopolitics, policy, and technology are influencing where capital flows – and where new opportunities emerge. Our goal is to bring the people shaping those decisions into the same room for candid dialogue and lasting connections,” said Nicholas Rémillard, CEO of the IEFA.
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MIA launches AI-powered logistics platform
Miami International Airport is now the busiest cargo hub in the world to launch an AI-powered communications platform, designed to streamline supply chain logistics, decrease traffic, and reduce carbon emissions. The new Airport Cargo Community System, developed by industry leader Kalé, creates a shared online portal for MIA’s extensive network of freight forwarders, cargo handlers, truckers, carriers, and ground handlers, reducing reliance on fragmented, manual information exchange. The launch was announced at The International Air Cargo Association’s Air Cargo Forum in Miami on October 27.
“I am thrilled that MIA is now the busiest cargo hub in the world to leverage this cutting-edge technology,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Most importantly, this is about making MIA more future-ready: simplifying and expediting the movement of goods through our global gateway, supporting the businesses and jobs that depend on international trade, and ensuring that our airport remains an industry leader not just in cargo volume, but also in efficiency and sustainability.”
Currently, cargo trucks arrive at MIA with limited information about their arrival times and cargo types, increasing congestion, carbon emissions, and inefficiencies. The new platform will improve information sharing, advanced planning, and truck scheduling. The ACCS will also help reduce waiting times and increase productivity across MIA’s cargo ecosystem. This will also serve as the foundational digital infrastructure for MIA to connect with its international partner airports, further facilitating the flow of goods along specific international trade lanes.
MIA handled a record 3.4 million U.S. tons of freight in 2025.
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Jobs, jobs, jobs
eycome – Chief Marketing Officer
Catena Media – Content Editor
Catena Media – Social Media Specialist
Flex – Director of Performance Marketing
Iru – Sr Visual Designer
Lennar – Staff Product Manager
Nubank – Staff Security Engineer
Ramp – Sr Backend Engineer
Smartbarrel – VP of Marketing
Vultr – Sr Electrical Design Engineer
Find more opportunities on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- The West Palm Beach Tech Happy Hour is selecting five startups to take the stage at the Startup or Swim Pitch Night on Nov. 17. Half of every event ticket goes into the Startup Support Fund, with attendees deciding which startup receives their share. To apply for one of the five startups what will pitch, apply by Friday, Nov. 6, here. The event will be held at Top of The Rox in West Palm Beach from 5:30-8:30 in West Palm beach. RSVP to attend the event here.
- 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
- Funding news: Sunlight AI raises $17.4M to bring back the independent doctor
- Miami startup BOB raises $5.5M to build AI-powered finance employee
- Relocation news: Axe Compute relocates to Brickell with leadership team and local hiring plans
- Investor spotlight: Anna Skaya built a pet genetics company. Now she’s funding pet startups and creating something new, this time in Miami.
- Exit news: Terminal acquires Miami AI startup Stationed, plans to double team in Wynwood
- Inkle acquires Finally’s bookkeeping division and sets sights on South Florida growth
- New guest post: Miami emerges as America’s next coastal metropolis, by Peter Yared
- More news and startup spotlights: Carnegie Mellon names dean and VP of Miami campus. Let’s meet him.
- ModMed reshuffles leadership as this South Florida healthtech pioneer doubles down on AI
- At Miami AI Summit, Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue predicts every company will become an AI builder
- MyBundle has streaming covered. Now it’s ringing in mobile.
- Reeco is checking in to more hotels, with AI in its luggage
- Hands-on training from Maker Cities helps those interested in STEAM build their vision
- Vylit is giving creators a new way to find their fans
- Q Intelligence is taking a swing at Hollywood’s money problem
- 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.
- 6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: AMPERA takes on prestigious partner, Thrive Holdings acquires ADT, plus news from Zeo Scientifix, World Strategic Forum, MIA, job opportunities & more – October 30, 2026
- ModMed reshuffles leadership as this South Florida healthtech pioneer doubles down on AI – October 29, 2026
- Miami startup BOB raises $5.5M to build AI-powered finance employee – October 22, 2026
