8+ things to know in #MiamiTech: Kiwi raises $100M credit facility, FAU to get new innovation center plus news from Black Ambition, MyPrize, Kapitale, LAN Infotech, job opportunities & more – Refresh Miami

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Miami-based fintech Kiwi secures $100M credit facility

Kiwi, a financial technology startup building AI-powered financial tools for underbanked Latinos in the U.S., recently secured a $100 million credit facility from Community Investment Management. The company also raised an $8 million Series A earlier this year.

Latino communities make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population and contribute over $4 trillion to the economy annually, yet remain vastly underserved by mainstream institutions. Kiwi is on a mission to close that gap. The company, which already has operations in Miami, will use the capital to expand into additional states, launch new products, and scale its platform to reach millions of consumers.

Founded in 2020 by Alexander Schachter and Mariano Sanz, both originally from the Dominican Republic, Kiwi was created to address the financial challenges faced by Hispanic consumers in the U.S. who have limited or no credit history. Since its launch, the platform has already served more than 100,000 consumers in its mission to expand access to responsible credit for underserved Latino communities nationwide.

 “Access to credit is about promoting possibilities, and AI is helping us deliver this reality for millions excluded from traditional financial products,” said Sanz, Kiwi’s CEO.

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FAU to open to new innovation center for smart infrastructure tech

 The College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University has received a $1.5 million gift from the Aaron Family Foundation and Ubicquia,  a Fort Lauderdale-based technology company, to establish the Ubicquia Innovation Center for Intelligent Infrastructure. Ubicquia is a global leader in artificial intelligence-driven sensors and software platforms that help utilities and municipalities improve grid resiliency, reduce energy consumption, and enhance public safety.

The center will serve as an accelerator for innovation, design and deployment of leading-edge industrial sensors, Large Language Models, AI and real-time analytics to digitize and monitor critical infrastructure used by the utility, municipal and commercial, and industrial sectors, FAU said. Through this partnership, Ubicquia and the College of Engineering and Computer Science will also collaborate directly with leading utilities, municipalities and commercial companies to fast-track advancements in power quality and grid monitoring, energy and operational efficiencies, and security and public safety. The center will also serve as an immersive environment where undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students can work directly with FAU faculty on next-generation technologies.

“FAU is conducting groundbreaking work at the intersection of engineering, artificial intelligence and smart infrastructure,” said Ian Aaron, CEO of Ubicquia. “Through commercial and academic innovation, our shared vision is to accelerate the deployment of intelligent infrastructure globally that is affordable for utilities, cities and businesses of all sizes.”

The new center complements the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s recent collaboration with Florida Power & Light Company on establishing the FPL Center for Intelligent Energy Technologies designed to boost pioneering research in smart technologies for the energy sector and workforce development demanded by modern-day power delivery.

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Black Ambition Demo Day coming to Miami this week

Pharrell Williams and Felecia Hatcher will host the 5th Annual Black Ambition Demo Day on Friday, Nov. 14, followed by the half day Black Ambition Founders Forum on Saturday at The Sacred Space Miami. The two-day event  brings together founders, visionaries, investors, and cultural icons for a celebration of Black ambition.

This year, nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide applied to the 2025 Black Ambition Prize, and this weekend 25 finalists will receive awards totaling over $1 million in funding, including a $100,000 top prize winner and $25,000 for the People’s Choice award announced during Demo Day on Friday. The evening will also feature a showcase of breakout founders and a fireside chat with Pharrell.

 In addition to awarding millions in prize money since its launch in 2020, Black Ambition has also supported 25,000+ entrepreneurs through programming and content and  provided mentorship to over 1,175 founders through its Black Ambitionist accelerator.

Find out more about the Demo Day and RSVP here.

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MyPrize and Crypto.com partner to launch MyPrize Markets

MyPrize and Crypto.com announced a strategic partnership to launch MyPrize Markets, what Miami-based MyPrize says is the first platform combining social gaming and prediction markets in one unified experience to MyPrize’s 1 million+ global users through Crypto.com’s CFTC-regulated platform.

Prediction markets have exploded in popularity and are now used as leading indicators across industries, but today, these platforms are built for traders. Through this partnership, MyPrize and Crypto.com will combine an entertainment-first approach with live streaming, social features, and an elegant user experience that makes markets accessible to everyone.

“After exploring the market, it quickly became obvious to us that Crypto.com has by far the market leading infrastructure for institutional and enterprise scale. Together we will be able to deliver this first of its kind product offering to all of MyPrize’s users and onboard our billions in volume into the MyPrize Markets product,” said Zach Bruch, founder & CEO of MyPrize.

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Kapitale raises $25M credit facility to empower small businesses

Kapitale, a rapidly growing Miami-based direct funder serving small businesses across the United States, has closed a $25 million credit facility with a fund managed by Pier Asset Management, a private credit investment firm focused on specialty finance.

The new facility significantly strengthens Kapitale’s balance sheet, bringing its total funding capacity to over $50 million, and positions the company to meet record demand for same-day working capital solutions at a time when traditional bank lending continues to tighten.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy — and yet, in today’s credit environment, many are being left behind by traditional financial institutions,” said Matheus Freire, founder and CEO of Kapitale. “This facility allows us to continue expanding our reach and impact, ensuring business owners across the country can access the capital they need — quickly, transparently, and without unnecessary friction.”

Since its founding, Kapitale has focused on providing  flexible, and fast financing options ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, with same-day approvals, no collateral requirements, and trilingual support in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. With this new facility, Kapitale plans to deepen its presence across the United States, expand its partner network, and strengthen its underwriting infrastructure in preparation for future securitization and institutional expansion.

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Entech acquires LAN Infotech of Fort Lauderdale

To better serve its small and mid-sized business customers, Entech, a managed IT, AI, and cybersecurity services provider in Florida, has acquired LAN Infotech, a Fort Lauderdale-based IT services firm. LAN Infotech’s clients will see expanded service offerings, next-generation cybersecurity, greater compliance and regulatory support, and a unified customer experience, the companies said.

“Entech and LAN’s shared values, approach to business, and unwavering commitment to service excellence made this an easy decision for me. Partnering with Entech creates remarkable opportunities for our clients, team and community,” said LAN Infotech founder Michael Goldstein. Lan Infotech provided  Microsoft Cloud services, IT managed support, and cybersecurity services.

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Jobs, jobs, jobs  

Betr – Data Analyst
DoorLoop – Account Executive
eMed – Product Designer
eMed – SEM/Paid Search Manager
GreenLight Workforce Solutions – Venture Builder – Strategy & Operations Analyst
Kaseya – BIS Product Manager
Lennar – Sr IT Auditor
NEXA – Marketing Specialist
NEXA – Sales Operations Analyst
RMW Accounting – Head of Practice Operations
Royal Caribbean Group – Director of Business Process Optimization
Vultr – Sr Site Reliability Engineer, Core Cloud Engineering

Find hundreds more jobs on Refresh Miami’s job board here.

Opportunity knocks

•  Apply to catapult your startup at the 2026 eMerge Americas Conference + Expo April 23–24 in Miami, where 100 startups will be selected to learn from class mentors, connect with investors and partners, showcase in front of thousands, and potentially pitch for $125K in funding and prizes in the grand finale. Learn more and apply by Jan. 16.
• The Miami Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) has launched its seventh public innovation challenge and it is  centered on emergency response. MDIA is seeking applications from early-to-growth stage startups with pilot-ready solutions to improve hazard mitigation, incident response, and public outreach and safety coordination for the Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management. Apply here. 
• The SMB Growth Lab, hosted by eMerge Americas, JPMorganChase + Momentum Miami, empowes Miami-Dade small and mid-sized businesses to embrace digital transformation, strengthen operations, and unlock sustainable growth opportunities. Apply here by Jan. 16.
• Israeli founders can showcase their startup, product, or breakthrough solution to global investors, partners and media at Israel Tech Week Miami 2026 next April. Apply now on the website here.

ICYMI

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• And much more paywall-free 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. 

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