Apr 22, 2024

PS27’s Top 5 Highlights from eMerge Americas

Entrepreneurs from across the globe come together each year to Miami Beach, Florida, at eMerge Americas. PS27 is a proud sponsor of eMerge, supporting startups, investors, and the innovation community. Enjoy our top 5 highlights from eMerge Americas below.

Melissa Medina and Manny Medina at eMerge Americas 2024

1.) $2.6B in Impact: Hearing from eMerge Americas CEO Melissa Medina

Over 20,000 people gathered at the Miami Beach Convention Center for Day 1 of eMerge Americas. To kick off the program, Melissa Medina took the stage to announce some of the data linked to the event’s success in previous years. “We have helped generate over 10,000 jobs in our state, 81% of which are high-wage jobs, and we have had over $2.6B in impact across our state,” said Medina.

2.) Shooting on Target with Team Backtrack

Jordan Walker, Co-Founder of Backtrack and PS27 Foundation Board Member, hosted a unique experience at their eMerge Booth: alien hunting. Backtrack is an AI booth sales assistant that allows exhibitors to remember conversations to make more money. We had a blast testing our skills to win a Starbucks gift card and got to demo the latest sales software from Co-Founder Hunter McKinley. Trusted by big names like Meta, Shopify, and Slack, Backtrack allows people to back up their conversations for up to 15 minutes to capture audio clips with prospects. Walker and McKinely are both University of North Florida graduates and have been connected with the PS27 Team since 2016.

University of Miami Showcases 3D Printing

3.) A Sphere within a Sphere: 3D Printing in Action

The University of Miami booth at eMerge Americas was a showcase of the latest technology in 3D printing, virtual reality, and digital healthcare solutions.

The College of Engineering displayed items produced at its Advanced Materials Innovation Lab, including a titanium-printed “Sphere within a Sphere” presented by student Neyton Baltodano. You can see some of the items printed in our TikTok video here.

Neyton described how the University of Miami is creating new methods to improve carbon-reinforced materials, improving the strength and conductivity of carbon fibers. We walked away with a fun souvenir from the visit: a 3D-printed University of Miami keychain.

AI + Quantum Computing Stage

4.) The AI + Quantum Computing Stage

This year, the event launched a one-of-a-kind experience with it’s interactive pavilion, powered by Strangeworks, an Austin-based quantum computing software company. This stage highlighted the explosive growth in these emerging technologies with a stream of thought leaders and tasks throughout the day.

“AI and Quantum technologies are here to stay, and creating opportunities for collaboration, transparency and problem-solving through platforms like eMerge is critical to shaping solutions for the future,” said William Hurley, Founder & CEO of Strangeworks in a press release.

Jim Stallings Meets with Founders at the PS27 Booth

5.) Meeting with Founders at the PS27 Booth and Juging the Startup Competition for $520,000

The PS27 team was out in full force at eMerge this year as a sponsor and as a host of the PS27 Booth. Hundreds of founders stopped by to ask questions, connect, and grab a free PS27 t-shirt. Jim Stallings also participated in judging the later-stage companies alongside J.P. Morgan.

The 110 startups at the event were competing for the $520,000 grand prize from Florida Funders, BIP Ventures, and Medina Ventures, which was announced at the close of eMerge.

From that group of 110 startups, 25 semifinalists and then five finalists were announced. Future of medicine startup EVQLV walked away with the top prize. The five finalists who pitched shark tank style on the main stage were:

Autoket (university track): The Miami-based B2B marketplace for everything automotive.
FLUIX (early stage track), founder/CEO Abhi Sastri: AI co-pilot for facility energy cost savings.
MagicLog (early stage), founder/CEO Carlos Salazar: A white-labeled platform that modernizes the customer experience for SMB logistics providers.
B2Gov (later stage), founder/CEO Paola Diegues: A sku-level platform for business to government sales.
EVQLV (later stage), founder/CEO Andrew Satz: A Miami-based AI-powered startup designing the future of medicine. (Company descriptions via Refresh Miami.)

Founders can apply for investment from PS27 Ventures here.

Shannon LoGiudice, Jim Stallings, and Christine Caven at eMerge Americas

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