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MIAMI, Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- eMerge Americas, a platform which fosters innovation and serves as a catalyst for transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas, published its biannual "eMerge Insights" report on South Florida venture activity and investment trends in partnership with Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and former Miami Herald business writer Nancy Dahlberg.

"This year is shaping up to be another record year for investment and venture activity in South Florida, and we are just getting started," said Felice Gorordo, CEO of eMerge Americas. "Startups across South Florida attracted $1.54 Billion in VC funding in the first half of 2019, surpassing all of 2018 combined, and ranking us seventh in the U.S. - outpacing Austin, Chicago and Washington, D.C."

Amongst other noteworthy highlights in the published report:

• Startups based in the greater Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metro area snagged three quarters of the state of Florida's venture capital in dollar value of deals, and more than half of the number of deals.
• Health tech, medical device and life science startups encompassed one-third of the deals in South Florida - up from 23 percent in 2018, showing a significant spike for the industry and helping establish Miami as an emerging healthcare innovation hub.
• 63 percent of the 2019 deals in South Florida thus far are angel or seed stage deals, about the same pace as last year, but 28% greater than nationally.

"We always envisioned Miami would be a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity, and we now have the comparative data to trace how much this ecosystem has evolved and the transformational impact we are making as a community,'' said Melissa Medina, President of eMerge Americas. 

In April 2019, eMerge Americas published its first installment of investment insights with an overview and analysis of South Florida venture activity of 2018. To download the eMerge Insights 2019 Mid-Year Report, click here.

About eMerge Americas

eMerge Americas is the premier technology event connecting the Americas held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center. By connecting global industry leaders and investors with corporate business executives, government leaders, and entrepreneurs, eMerge Americas is transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. In 2019, eMerge Americas attracted over 16,000 attendees and more than 400 participating companies from over 40 countries. eMerge Americas serves as a catalyst in order to foster innovation and investment in South Florida and Latin America. The eMerge Americas founding partners include: Medina Capital, A Rod Corporation, Greenberg Traurig, Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade County, and the Miami Herald. The upcoming eMerge Americas conference is scheduled for March 30-31, 2020. For more information about eMerge Americas, please visit: www.emergeamericas.com.

SOURCE eMerge Americas