Top venture capital firms backing Miami companies in 2026

Miami raised $6.2B across 400+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to fintech, proptech, and healthcare. The ecosystem is growing but still relationship-driven. You won't get funded here without local connections. Miami investors want to see profitability path within 18 months, not SF-style burn-and-grow models.

Quick list

Why Miami attracts capital now

Miami raised 3x more venture capital in 2025 than 2020. The city went from afterthought to legitimate tech hub. Average seed round hit $2.8M, lower than SF but higher than Austin. Series A rounds averaged $12M. You'll find investors who understand Latin America expansion, crypto infrastructure, and real estate technology better than most coastal VCs.

The ecosystem runs on relationships more than metrics. A warm intro from another portfolio founder matters more here than in SF or NYC. Most deals happen through Refresh Miami meetups, eMerge Americas connections, or introductions at Brickell happy hours. Cold outreach rarely works.

Miami investors expect profitability faster than other markets. Show them a clear path to positive unit economics within 18 months or you'll get passed. They've seen too many SF-style companies burn millions with no revenue plan. Lower cost of living means your burn rate should be 40-50% lower than SF. If you're burning $500K+ monthly pre-Series A, Miami VCs will question your judgment.

Picking the right Miami investor

Local presence: Physical presence in Miami matters significantly. Funds with Brickell or Wynwood offices understand the market better and can make faster decisions. Many national funds have partners who visit Miami monthly but don't maintain offices here. Local funds can introduce you to key players at Miami events and connect you with local talent pools.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed Miami companies before. Some funds claim to invest in South Florida but have zero local portfolio companies. Look at their last 20 investments. If fewer than 3 are Miami-based, they're not really active here. Also check if they understand Latin America expansion since most Miami startups eventually expand south.

Check sizes: Seed rounds from Miami funds range $500K-$3M. Series A typically $5M-$15M. Series B starts at $15M-$30M. Smaller funds write $250K-$1M checks but rarely lead rounds. National funds with Miami presence write larger checks but move slower than local funds. Read our blog to know how to send confidential docs.

Local network: Miami investors connect you to Latin America investors, Miami Beach real estate networks, and Brickell financial services companies. They know which law firms handle startup work efficiently and which accounting firms understand venture-backed companies. This local knowledge saves months when you're setting up operations or expanding to Latin markets.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. Miami investors typically respond within 3-5 days if interested. You'll see which slides they actually review versus which ones they skip. Most Miami VCs spend extra time on unit economics and customer acquisition costs compared to growth metrics.

Follow-on capacity: Most Miami-based funds have $50M-$200M under management. They can fund you through Series A but rarely have capital for Series B. Plan to bring in SF or NYC investors for later rounds. Some local funds have relationships with larger coastal funds and can facilitate warm introductions when you need to scale.

How to find and approach Miami investors

Research local deals: Check Refresh Miami's newsletter and The Capsheet for recent Miami announcements. Follow Miami tech reporters on Twitter like Alexia Fernandez Campbell and Kimberly Miller. Crunchbase's Miami filter misses many early-stage deals. Local sources catch deals 2-3 weeks before national tech press.

Leverage local ecosystem: Join Venture Cafe Miami's Thursday gatherings at the CIC. The LAB Miami runs strong accelerator cohorts with investor connections. Endeavor Miami supports high-growth entrepreneurs with global networks. Most Miami investors attend these events regularly. Face time at these gatherings matters more than cold emails.

Build relationships first: Miami operates on warm introductions more than any other market. Get 2-3 local angels or family offices first. Then use those relationships to reach larger funds. Partners at Rokk3r and Fuel Venture Capital rarely take cold meetings. You need someone in the Miami ecosystem to vouch for you or you'll wait months for responses. That warm path carries far more weight than outbound alone, especially as you stay aligned with GDPR-friendly sharing.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create unique tracking links for each Miami investor. You'll see which VCs actually open your materials versus which ones ignore you. Miami investors typically review decks within 3-5 days if they're interested. If no response after a week, follow up once, then move on.

Attend local events: eMerge Americas in April brings every Miami investor together. This is the single best event for fundraising in South Florida. South Summit Miami in December is growing rapidly. Skip smaller networking events unless you're looking for angels or advisors. The real capital deploys at eMerge and through direct introductions from portfolio founders. These rooms move fast, so you'll want your materials ready using polished professional tools.

Connect with portfolio founders: Find Miami founders who raised from your target investors in the past 18 months. Most will take a call if you're thoughtful about their time. Ask about responsiveness, how involved the fund is post-investment, and whether they actually helped with customer introductions. Miami founders are direct about which funds deliver on promises.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before partner meetings. Include your financial model with clear unit economics, customer pipeline with named accounts, and your Latin America expansion plan if relevant. Miami investors move faster than you'd expect once they decide. Having everything organized saves 1-2 weeks and signals you're execution-focused.

Understand local pace: Miami deals take longer to close than SF but faster than NYC. Seed rounds go from first meeting to term sheet in 4-6 weeks typically. Series A takes 8-10 weeks. If a Miami investor says they're interested but doesn't schedule a second meeting within 10 days, they're probably passing. The ecosystem is small enough that investors can't string founders along without reputation damage.

Miami's investment preferences

Miami investors prefer businesses with clear revenue models over pure growth plays. B2C companies need to show profitability path by month 18. B2B companies should have paying customers before raising Series A. The "we'll figure out monetization later" pitch that sometimes works in SF gets you nowhere in Miami.

Fintech, proptech, and healthtech get funded most easily here. These sectors raised 65% of Miami's venture capital in 2025. Consumer social and pure software plays face more skepticism. Miami VCs want to see how you'll make money from day one, not year three.

Latin America expansion plans help significantly. If you can articulate a credible strategy for Mexico, Brazil, or Colombia, Miami investors pay attention. They have networks across Latin America and see the arbitrage opportunity. But don't fake it. If you don't actually plan to expand south, don't mention it just to sound appealing.

15 top investors in Miami

1. Rokk3r

Miami-based venture builder and investor with hands-on operational model.

• Recent Deals: Caribu ($12M Series A, 2024), NODAR ($10M Series A, 2024), Papa (multiple rounds 2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: Nabyl Charania
• Sector Focus: Edtech, healthtech, proptech, logistics
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1688 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach
• Website: rokk3rlabs.com

2. Kraken Ventures

Miami-focused fund backing tech startups in South Florida and Latin America.

• Recent Deals: NODAR ($10M Series A, 2024), Nearpod (acquired by Renaissance Learning), Caribu (Series A, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Armando Pauker
• Sector Focus: Autonomous vehicles, edtech, healthtech, fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1450 Brickell Avenue, Miami
• Website: krakenventures.com

3. Fuel Venture Capital

Healthcare and technology focused fund with strong Miami presence.

• Recent Deals: Papa ($60M Series B, 2023), CarePredict ($5M Series A, 2024), Modernizing Medicine (acquired $700M)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Ransdell
• Sector Focus: Healthcare, healthtech, senior care, digital health
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 2999 NE 191st Street, Aventura
• Website: fuelvc.com

4. SoftBank Latin America Fund

$5B fund focused on Latin America with active Miami deal flow.

• Recent Deals: Kavak ($250M Series D, 2024), Creditas ($260M Series F, 2024), Loggi ($200M Series D, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Paulo Passoni
• Sector Focus: Fintech, e-commerce, logistics, proptech, mobility
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Series D, Growth
• Office Location: 1111 Brickell Avenue, Miami
• Website: sbla.com

5. Soro Capital

Early-stage investor backing Miami and Latin America tech startups.

• Recent Deals: Newchip ($8M Series A, 2023), Lula ($18M Series A, 2024), ThreeFlow ($7M seed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Carlos Armas
• Sector Focus: Fintech, logistics, B2B SaaS, marketplace
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1395 Brickell Avenue, Miami
• Website: sorocap.com

6. The Venture City

Global micro-VC with Miami operations and 200+ company portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Jobandtalent ($108M Series C, 2024), Playtomic ($70M Series B, 2024), Urban Sports Club ($65M Series C, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Laura Gonzalez-Estéfani
• Sector Focus: Marketplace, future of work, proptech, consumer
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: 68 SE 6th Street, Miami
• Website: theventure.city

7. Starlight Ventures

Florida-focused early-stage fund with healthcare expertise.

• Recent Deals: CareCloud (backed before IPO 2020), Modernizing Medicine ($231M total raised), Citrix (early investor)
• LinkedIn: Matt Haggman
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, digital health, B2B SaaS, fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 200 S Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
• Website: starlightventures.com

8. Miami Angels

Active angel syndicate that's backed 100+ Miami startups since 2015.

• Recent Deals: Bookee ($3M seed, 2024), Magic Leap ($2.3B total raised), Caribu (seed round 2020)
• LinkedIn: Wifredo Fernandez
• Sector Focus: Software, fintech, healthtech, consumer
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Miami (distributed syndicate)
• Website: miamiangels.io

9. Vamos Ventures

Early-stage fund focused on Latin America and US Hispanic market.

• Recent Deals: Settle ($3.5M seed for B2B payments, 2025), Clara ($70M Series B, 2024), Jüsto ($65M Series B, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Marcos Gonzalez
• Sector Focus: Fintech, B2B SaaS, marketplace, logistics
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1001 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami
• Website: vamosventures.com

10. Knight Ventures

Knight Foundation's venture fund backing innovation in Miami.

• Recent Deals: Magic Leap ($2.3B total raised, early backer), CareCloud (pre-IPO), Nearpod (acquired 2021)
• LinkedIn: Raul Moas
• Sector Focus: Media tech, civic tech, healthtech, edtech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 200 S Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
• Website: knightfoundation.org

11. CrossCut Ventures

LA-based early-stage fund active in Miami fintech and B2B deals.

• Recent Deals: Settle ($3.5M seed, 2025), AnyRoad ($10M Series A, 2024), Honey (acquired by PayPal $4B)
• LinkedIn: Rick Smith
• Sector Focus: Fintech, B2B SaaS, marketplace, consumer
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles (active in Miami)
• Website: crosscut.vc

12. Gaingels

LGBTQ+ focused venture fund with portfolio companies across US including Miami.

• Recent Deals: Uber (early investor), Spotify (Series C), Lyft (Series D) - plus Miami startups
• LinkedIn: Lorenzo Thione
• Sector Focus: Software, fintech, consumer, marketplace
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco (Miami members active)
• Website: gaingels.com

13. Builder Capital

Growth-stage investor in B2B software with Miami portfolio companies.

• Recent Deals: ThreeFlow ($15M Series A for logistics software, 2024), ServiceTitan ($200M Series F, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Steve Cook
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, logistics, vertical software, fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Francisco (invests in Miami)
• Website: buildercapital.com

14. Bridge Bank

SVB alternative providing venture debt to Miami tech companies.

• Recent Deals: 50+ Miami tech companies including Papa, CareCloud, Modernizing Medicine
• LinkedIn: Jeff Farinholt
• Sector Focus: Technology, life sciences, healthcare (venture debt)
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C (debt financing)
• Office Location: 2 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables
• Website: westernalliancebancorporation.com

15. Endeavor Catalyst

Co-investment fund backing Endeavor entrepreneurs globally including Miami.

• Recent Deals: Rappi ($500M+ raised), Kavak ($250M Series D, 2024), Bitso ($250M Series C, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Allen Taylor
• Sector Focus: Fintech, e-commerce, logistics, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: New York (active in Miami through Endeavor Miami)
• Website: endeavor.org

Start tracking your Miami investor outreach

These 15 investors closed dozens of Miami deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Brickell funds or planning eMerge meetings, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Miami investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. Miami-based founders often find local investors skip market size slides but focus heavily on unit economics and path to profitability.

When Miami investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, customer pipeline, and Latin America expansion plan in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Miami to raise from Miami investors?

Not necessarily, but it helps significantly for seed rounds. Miami investors prefer backing local founders they can meet regularly. Series A and later can work if you're remote but have strong traction. Expect to visit Miami monthly for board meetings if you take local capital.

How does Miami compare to SF or NYC for fundraising?

Miami has far less capital than SF or NYC. You'll raise smaller rounds at lower valuations. But competition is lighter and investors are more accessible. Miami investors also understand Latin America expansion better than coastal VCs. If your business serves Hispanic markets or plans Latin expansion, Miami makes sense.

What's the average seed round size in Miami?

$2.8M in 2025, roughly half of SF seed rounds but comparable to Austin. Series A averaged $12M. Rounds are growing as more capital flows into Miami but still trail major tech hubs.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

If you're building fintech, proptech, or healthtech with Latin America expansion plans, start in Miami. If you're building enterprise SaaS or deep tech, you'll eventually need coastal capital. Many Miami founders raise seed locally then bring in SF investors for Series A.

Do Miami investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for seed and Series A. Miami's ecosystem runs on relationships more than other markets. Plan to spend 1-2 weeks in Miami doing meetings. Later stages can start over Zoom but still require in-person for final partner meetings and due diligence.

What industries get funded most in Miami?

Fintech dominated 2025 with 35% of deal volume. Proptech at 22%, healthtech at 18%, logistics at 12%. Consumer and pure software plays are harder to fund unless you show early profitability.

How long does fundraising take in Miami?

Seed rounds average 4-6 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. Series A takes 8-10 weeks. That's slower than SF but faster than most East Coast markets. Miami investors want multiple meetings to build relationships before committing capital.