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Comp AI relocates HQ to Miami area; now hiring
Comp AI, developer of an AI-native compliance and security platform, relocated its headquarters to Aventura in February and is building up its team with local hiring. While it already has seven employees in the Miami metro area, Comp AI plans to hire about 20 more people in the area this year, a company representative said. New in-person roles in Miami are live now on its career page.
The company also recently signed a lease for a 6,000-square-foot office in Aventura, taking an entire floor, and is investing roughly $200,000 to renovate the space into a startup headquarters. The build-out will include a speakeasy-style pub and racing simulator, the spokeswoman shared with Refresh Miami.
Comp AI’s 100-day hiring plan spans sales, CX, product/R&D, growth, and operations. Planned roles include enterprise AE, AE, and outbound lead; director of CX and CX hires; a forward deployed engineer, UI/UX designer, engineers, and PMs across compliance and cybersecurity; growth marketer, product marketer, growth engineer, marketers and more.
This week Comp AI announced that it has hired Auburn Stevens as Head of Partnerships to build strategic partner ecosystems across accounting, financial, consulting, and advisory firms. Stevens brings experience across tech sales and channel development, with prior roles spanning partnerships and sales at Ramp, Attentive, and CrowdStrike. She most recently worked in channel partnerships at Ramp.
“At Comp AI, we are building for a market that increasingly sees trust, security, and compliance as growth infrastructure, not just back-office overhead. Stevens brings the kind of partnerships experience that can help us expand that motion in a thoughtful way,” said Lewis Carhart, CEO and co-founder of Comp AI, in a statement.
Comp AI helps startups and scale-ups become compliant faster by automating time-intensive workflows across security and compliance programs. Founded in January 2025, the company relocated its HQ from New York in February. The new South Florida office will be the first physical office for the company, the spokeswoman said.
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Mission Space tapped by NASA
Mission Space has been selected by NASA to develop compact lunar instruments for measuring environmental risks that become operational constraints on the Moon: radiation, dust, and surface charging. The project, called LEEMR, supports Mission Space’s expansion from orbital space-weather intelligence into lunar surface environmental monitoring.
The technology is built for the conditions lunar assets will face on the surface. Dust behavior changes with local electric fields, solar wind interaction, landing activity, rover movement, astronaut activity, and nearby charged structures. The instrument measures surface charge accumulation, dust density variation, and dust charging levels in real time around landers, rovers, habitats, tools, power systems, and surface stations.
“Upcoming Artemis and commercial lunar missions are putting landers, rovers, payloads, power systems, and crews on the lunar surface,” said Mary Glaz, CEO and co-founder of Mission Space. “They need data to design missions and real-time warnings tied to actual mission conditions: asset location, surface activity, dust behavior, charging, and radiation changes around the hardware. LEEMR is the first step toward Mission Space’s real-time space environment platform for lunar surface operations.”
Mission Space currently operates proprietary space-weather instrumentation in orbit and is developing localized warning and monitoring products for satellite operators, government agencies, defense users, and future lunar infrastructure.
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Félix and OKY team up to expand remittances
Félix and OKY two Miami-based fintech companies serving Latino immigrant families, have announced a partnership to expand access to WhatsApp-based remittances. Through the integration, OKY users will be able to access Félix directly from OKY’s app and complete a remittance through Félix’s WhatsApp experience. The partnership brings together OKY’s migrant-focused digital marketplace, which helps users send practical support such as vouchers, groceries, mobile top-ups, and services, with Félix’s model for sending money home as easily as sending a message.
“For many migrants here, supporting family back home is not an occasional transaction. It is part of how they remain present across distance. By partnering with OKY, we are making it easier for more people to send money through a channel they already know and trust: WhatsApp,” said Manuel Godoy, co-founder and CEO of Félix.
“OKY was created to support migrants who care for their families abroad,” adds Victor Unda, OKY’s co-founder and CEO. “Adding Félix allows us to expand the solutions we offer to our customers, integrating a leading and friendly interface to stay connected with their loved ones.”
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Origis Energy secures $900M credit facility for its solar and battery storage projects
In one of the largest corporate financing deals announced by a South Florida renewable energy company this year, Miami-based Origis Energy has raised $900 million in financing to help fund solar and battery storage projects. Origis plans to use the money to advance more than 5 gigawatts of projects that are already in advanced stages of development and continue building out its overall pipeline of more than 20 gigawatts of solar and battery storage projects, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Banks and investors in the financing included First Citizens Bank, ING Capital, Santander, Natixis and EIG. The financing includes $650 million in credit facilities and $250 million in letters of credit to support project development.
“This facility marks a defining moment in Origis’ transformation into a leading developer-owner-operator of solar and storage infrastructure,” said its Chief Financial Officer Alice Heathcote. Read more here.
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Powerus bags $30M investment
West Palm Beach-based Powerus announced a $30 million strategic investment from Unusual Machines , a domestic manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drone components. The funds will strengthen a working relationship already in place between the companies to support domestic manufacturing of drone components and accelerate the deployment of autonomous and counter-drone systems.
Powerus, backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., builds and scales autonomous systems for commercial and military use that are designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-risk environments. Powerus is in the process of becoming a publicly traded company through a SPAC transaction.
“We chose to work with Unusual Machines because they deliver components we trust in real-world conditions,” said Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich, in a statement. “The threats our customers face are evolving fast, and meeting them takes a supply chain that’s built here, holds up under pressure and can scale. Having them as a strategic investor lets us move faster on domestic manufacturing and put proven systems where they’re needed most.”
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Movers & Shakers – Buckle up, we have a number of them!
- John Wensveen, the former founding leader of Nova Southeastern University’s Levan Center of Innovation, has accepted the position of Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and College Operations at Broward College, In this role, he will serve as the institution’s Chief Academic Officer, providing strategic leadership for academic affairs, academic operations, accreditation, student success, online learning, institutional effectiveness, and college-wide initiatives that advance academic excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement across one of the nation’s largest multi-campus institutions.
- Miami ecosystem leader Kevin Ruiz has joined Hut 8 as Director, Miami Ecosystem and Impact. “Miami has become one of the most dynamic places in the world to build a company, launch a career, and pursue new ideas. Through Hut 8, I’ll have the opportunity to help strengthen the relationships and institutions that will turn current momentum into something enduring, while establishing our Brickell headquarters as a gathering place for the people and partnerships shaping the region’s future,” he said in a LinkedIn post.
- Ksenia Moskalenko, who is already active in the Central Florida startup ecosystem, was named the new Stripe Community Builder for Miami. “It’s a great opportunity to connect more deeply with the Miami tech scene while continuing my work with Cenfluence. The role centers on hosting free in-person events, and they won’t be Stripe-focused. It’s mostly founders, funds, operators, and ecosystem partners who want to be part of a community and genuinely learn from each other,” she said.
- American Business Network, a member-only community of active angel investors with chapters across the United States, announced Jordan Butler and Aura State as Co-Chairs of its Miami chapter, continuing ABN’s growth across South Florida’s investor community. Butler and State are co-founders of Business Sound, a Miami-based advisory firm working with international companies entering the US market. In their new roles, Butler and State will help lead member engagement and chapter programming for ABN in Miami, connecting investors with promising early-stage startups across the region.
- AutoRek, the global provider of automated reconciliation and financial controls, has appointed two senior sales executives to its new Miami office. Gil Johnson, who brings more than 20 years of experience across investment management and fintech, joins as Sales Director focused on hedge funds and alternative investment managers, and James Inskip, brings 17 years of experience selling enterprise reconciliation and investment management solutions to tier-one banks and asset managers, joins as Sales and Relationship Manager focused on banks and wealth managers.
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Safe Pro Group awarded $1.3M government subcontract
Safe Pro Group, the publicly traded Aventura-based developer of AI-enabled defense, security and situational awareness solutions, announced that it has been awarded a $1.3 million U.S. Government subcontract to integrate the Company’s proprietary AI-powered real-time threat detection technology into U.S. Government autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs).
Under the award from a leading U.S. Defense Prime Contractor, Forterra, Safe Pro will integrate and test its proprietary advanced computer vision and machine learning AI pipeline onboard autonomous UGVs for real-time detection of explosive threats supporting on-the-move operations.
Safe Pro’s technology uses AI and machine learning algorithms trained on one of the world’s largest real-world drone-based imagery datasets to instantly detect small, hard-to-find threats such as landmines, cluster munitions, UXO, and ambush drones. The company said the tech can identify more than 150 types of explosive threats and objects of interest across large-scale, high-risk environments, creating a novel and scalable approach to situational awareness on the battlefield.
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Ondas announces key acquisition
West Palm Beach-based Ondas, a provider of advanced autonomous systems and next-generation defense and security technologies, announced it has agreed to acquire Cyberhawk, a global leader in critical infrastructure intelligence, drone-based inspection, visual data management and AI-enabled analytics serving utility, energy and industrial customers worldwide.
Under the terms of the agreement, the transaction is valued at approximately $125 million and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
“Cyberhawk is a market leader in critical infrastructure intelligence and represents a transformative addition to Ondas,” said Eric Brock, chairman and CEO of the publicly traded Ondas. “The company has built a highly differentiated platform combining software, data, AI-enabled analytics and deep domain expertise across some of the world’s most important utility and energy networks. We believe critical infrastructure resilience, energy security and industrial continuity are increasingly national security priorities, creating a large and growing opportunity for integrated autonomous intelligence solutions.”
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Jobs, jobs, jobs
AMPERA – Turbomachinery Design Engineer
Chewy – Director of Paid Social Media
Chewy – Program Manager – Environmental Sustainability
Exowatt – AI Marketing Intern
Lennar – Lead Software Engineer, AI Platform
Lennar – Sr Data Engineer
Opendoor – Application Security Engineer
Opendoor – Infrastructure Security Engineer
Playbypoint – Customer Support Specialist
Papa – Sr Business Operations Manager
Payabli – Operations Project Manager
Vultr – Technical Support Supervisor
Find more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.
10-PLUS
Opportunity knocks
- 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.
- Applications are now open for the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation’s Incubate Program, a dedicated experience designed for entrepreneurs at the MVP stage ready for growth. This program runs from Aug. 5-28; participants meet on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays from 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM at the Levan Center. Apply by July 22 here.
- Calling all Florida-based startups: GatorPitch Miami has always been an opportunity for University of Florida-affiliated startups to get in front of South Florida’s vibrant investor and entrepreneurial ecosystem. For this year’s event on Nov. 5, UF Innovate is opening the opportunity to pitch to Florida-affiliated companies. Find out more here and apply here by Sept. 4.
- 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. Apply here by July 10.
- Applications are open for the inaugural West Palm Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program (WPEAP), a 10-month initiative designed to support individuals facing economic hardship while launching or growing a business. The program, managed by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University and the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, cost is $500, but scholarships of $475 are available. Learn more ere hand apply by Aug. 1.
ICYMI – Catch up!
- Latest fund news: Stratos Ventures launches with $50M and a plan to help make Miami a defense-tech gateway
- Latest startup fundraise: Housing became a healthcare problem. Upside just raised $20M to tackle it.
- Latest special report: Latitudes wants to make West Palm Beach a company-building engine for the New York–South Florida tech corridor
- More big news: Hut 8 is betting Miami can become an AI talent powerhouse
- In the spotlight: Delorean AI wants to give doctors something they’ve never had: A glimpse into the future
- These founders think the MSP software stack is dead
- As the World Cup arrives, Plei wants to get more people off the couch and onto the pitch
- Don’t miss this one: Why ‘know any good VCs?’ is the wrong question
- 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 from Comp AI,Mission Space, Origis Energy, Félix, OKY, Powerus, Ondas, Safe Pro, a handful of movers and shakers & more – June 29, 2026
- 8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News about Ken Griffin, Exowatt, FAU, Hut 8, CodePath, LEBUC, job opportunities & more – June 21, 2026
- Anti Fund closes oversubscribed $100M Growth I fund – June 19, 2026
