6+ things to know in #MiamiTech: News from Kaseya, Material Bank, Endeavor Miami, South Florida Anchor Alliance, Ripple, Helbiz and more

1

Kaseya completes $6.2B acquision of Datto

Kaseya, a global IT and security management software provider based in Miami, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Datto for $6.2 billion, representing a share price of $35.50.

Datto, which has about 1,700 employees and provides backup and disaster recovery service for IT managed service providers,, will continue to operate as an independent brand based in Norwalk, Conn. Kaseya plans to retain the imployees.

” We bought Datto because we think they’re awesome – their world-class products, highly regarded brand, innovative culture and amazing people – we have no intention of messing up any of that,” said Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola in a statement. “We will build on what they created so, in the end, [managed service providers] will get the maximum value from their solutions at an affordable price.”

Kaseya said the price for Datto’s products will be reduced by an average of 10% for new purchases.

Kaseya, established in 2000, provides unified IT and security management software for IT professionals in managed service providers and mid-market enterprises. Prior to the acquisition, it has about 2,000 employees in 14 U.S. offices, plus one location in Canada, 10 in Europe and five in the Asia-Pacific region.

Last month, Kaseya signed a lease to expand into 42,872 square feet on the top three floors of 800 Brickell, adding to several office spaces it has nearby. Kaseya, with offices in more than 20 countries and more than 2,000 employees globally before the acquisition, has plans to hire 500 additional employees for its Miami HQ, Voccola said in May.

2

Material Bank acquires Architizer in strategic expansion

Material Bank, the world’s largest marketplace for architectural, design, and construction materials, has acquired  Architizer based in New York City. Material Bank’s acquisition of the platform and database of architectural projects links Architizer’s design resources with Material Bank’s specification tools, empowering the industry to work more effectively and efficiently by simplifying design decisions. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, Material Bank last month secured $170 million in growth capital – its sec second mega-round in a year — bringing the Boca Raton-based company’s valuation to $1.9 billion. At the time, the company signaled strategic acquisitions were in the plans.

Currently led by CEO David Weber, Architizer has since established a strong global brand, an engaged community of more than 900,000 registered users, 335,000 architects, and 25,000 firms, and an expansive database of more than 3 million architectural images from 86,000 inspirational projects, showcased alongside building products from 31,000 manufacturers. Architizer will continue to operate independently as a subsidiary of Material Bank led by David Weber. 

“With an incredibly powerful database that provides seamless, curated access to building product information, Architizer allows for creativity and meaningful connections,” said Material Bank’s Founder and CEO Adam I. Sandow. “Architizer has built an extraordinary business with a team devoted to innovation in the architecture community—this acquisition will benefit both our users and Brand Partners, and together we will build an even more comprehensive platform for the industry.”

I know Daniel mentioned this to you on Friday, but Endeavor Miami just announced three new board members. Each woman brings something different to the table. Let me know if you would like to set up a call with any of them. Have a great week! -Lauren 

3

Endeavor Miami appoints 3 new board members

Julia Figueiredo, Jessica Mindich and Anshu Motwani will join the board bringing their own individual experience and expertise 

Endeavor Miami recently announced that Julia Figueiredo, Jessica Mindich and Anshu Motwani have joined Endeavor’s Miami Board of Directors. Endeavor  Miami now has a total of 17 board members, including many high-profile leaders and executives in business.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a strong group of women to the board of Endeavor in Miami,” said Claudia Duran, managing director of Endeavor in Miami. “Each one brings something different to the table, adding tremendous value as well as a unique perspective to the team.” 

• Julia Figueiredo is the Director for Latin America at Partners for Growth (PFG). PFG has structured tailored debt facilities to support growth and expansion, working capital, fintech warehouse, and acquisition financing needs for over 220 portfolio companies globally. She also worked four years at Silicon Valley Bank, where she led the bank’s LATAM efforts, managing a portfolio of startups and venture capital funds.

• Jessica Mindich is a former lawyer dedicated to reducing the senseless loss of life caused by illegal gun violence in some of the toughest communities in America. She is the founder and CEO of the Caliber Collection® (2011-2021), a jewelry line made with the serial numbers from illegal guns and the metal from shell casings which donates 20% of the proceeds to fund voluntary gun buyback and amnesty programs in these communities.

• Anshu Motwani is a Senior Vice President at Bayview Asset Management, where she is responsible for business development, fund raising, and all investor matters concerning the Bayview-managed funds. Prior to joining Bayview, Motwani was responsible for business development and marketing for Blackstone Alternative Asset Management L.P., helping to raise over $4 billion in AUM for Blackstone’s fund-of-funds business.

4

South Florida Anchor Alliance forms to help minority small businesses access government contracts

Black and brown small business owners face challenges accessing government contracts to grow and sustain their businesses.  The South Florida Anchor Alliance, a new collaboration between 19 local healthcare, educational and government organizations, seeks to change that. Together they are backing the creation of a one-stop shop web portal that small business operators will be able to use starting in September to learn about and secure government contract opportunities in South Florida for their goods and services, the Miami Herald reported.

The Health Foundation, a South Florida nonprofit, will provide $1.2 million to help alliance members get the online portal going. The 10 anchor community stakeholders in the group, including Miami-Dade County, Broward County and the University of Miami, among others, last year purchased a combined $8 billion worth of goods and services from vendors nationwide.

How it will work: The 10 anchor members of the alliance will share their pool of vendors via the online portal, so small business owners can easily access contracts and resources. The technology will connect each government contract opportunity with a small business owner based on company information the small business owner shares on the alliance’s online portal. Read more in the Miami Herald here.

5

San Francisco’s Ripple setting up shop in Wynwood

Two technology companies, including San Franicsco-based Ripple are setting up offices in the Class A Gateways of Wynwood, home of OpenStore and other companies.

San Francisco-based Ripple is a real-time gross settlement system, currency exchange and remittance network created by Ripple Labs, a US-based technology company. With 15 offices in key technology and financial centers around the world, this will be the payment company’s first South Florida office. The company has more than 500 employees. Ripple will move into a 6,500-square-foot space.

Spearmint Energy, a renewable energy startup based in Miami that launched this year, is comprised of experienced energy professionals who combine innovative, cutting-edge financial hedging solutions and insight to bring projects to market that reduce waste while increasing affordable, long-lasting, grid-scale renewable energy/ Spearmint will occupy 3,500 square feet and the office will be its headquarters.

6

Micromobility deal: Helbiz to acquire Wheels

Helbiz, a micro-mobility player that has expanded into South Florida, plans to acquire Wheels, a leading last-mile, shared electric mobility platform using proprietary vehicles with integrated helmet technology. The acquisition is subject to standard closing conditions and is expected to close by year-end.

“The shared vision and purpose of Helbiz and Wheels makes this combination a perfect match,” said Helbiz CEO and Founder Salvatore Palella. “Both companies began with the goal of changing how people move through their communities while lessening their dependence on climate-harming transportation options. From a strategic perspective, this acquisition is expected to double revenue, expand the cities served, enhance margins, and reduce costs.”

Helbiz currently has 50 licenses to offer micro-mobility vehicles across the United States and Italy, utilizing a diverse fleet of e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-mopeds available for rent via the Helbiz app. Wheels was founded in 2018 and is led by veterans of the micro-mobility and shared transportation industries including Zipcar, Bird and Uber.

In March, Miami-Dade County launched its first scooter pilot program, starting in the Greater Dadeland area, and is using Helbiz. The cities of Miami and Miami Lakes also using Helbiz as a micromobility provider. The company touts its scooter safety features, such as attached helmuts and helmut selfie requirements.

 PLUS

 Opportunity knocks