The Gold Coast Tech Accelerator in West Palm Beach connects fintech and defense-tech startups with top business leaders, giving founders direct access to mentorship, investors, and market opportunities. The program highlights Florida’s growing role as a major hub for innovation.
In West Palm Beach this year, a unique accelerator program brought together founders from fintech and dual-use/defense tech with established business leaders and operators shaping Florida’s economy. The goal? Provide founders with access to the connections, capital, and insights that often take years to develop on their own.
The Gold Coast Tech Accelerator Program is an intensive eight-week hybrid experience launched by The Florida Council of 100 and its Foundation, eMerge Americas, and Related Ross. The initiative is designed to help startups accelerate growth by pairing them with people who actively move markets, from CEOs and policy insiders to patient capital investors.
A Strategic Focus on Florida’s Strengths
Florida has seen significant growth in key sectors that are natural fits for innovation. Finance and insurance have grown faster here than in New York or California, and defense and aerospace contribute over $100 billion annually to the state’s economy.
Reflecting these strengths, the accelerator includes two tracks:
- Fintech, with startups working on underwriting, fraud prevention, data infrastructure, market access, and compliance.
- Dual-Use & Defense Tech, with teams building advanced sensing, manufacturing, and decision-support technologies.
Among the Fintech cohort was Cypator, alongside other promising companies such as Retrievables, Grove, SyncData.ai, Preventor, RISKRATOR, Maestro, Clox AI, Delfi, and Eyeclone, all tackling real challenges in financial technology.
What Founders Receive
Rather than just offering workshops, the Gold Coast Tech Accelerator prioritizes access:
- Direct mentorship from top CEOs and investors
- Introductions to potential corporate partners and pilots
- Access to statewide markets and networking
- Investor introductions and go-to-market support
- Collaboration and workspace resources to speed business development
For founders already in pilot or sales phases, these introductions can compress months of business development into weeks.
Driving Innovation Across Florida
Program partners emphasize that this accelerator is more than a resource for local startups, it is part of a broader effort to position Southeast Florida as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurial growth. Melissa Medina, CEO and co-founder of eMerge Americas, noted that linking high-potential startups with mentorship and opportunity fuels the next wave of growth and ensures innovation thrives across the state.
For founders outside Florida, the program demonstrates how strong regional networks and cross-sector connectivity, from finance to healthcare and logistics, can unlock new opportunities. The accelerator exemplifies how strategic relationships and market access can accelerate real results for startups.
Read the Original Article
To read the full reporting and original story that inspired this post, visit Refresh Miami:
“On Florida’s Gold Coast, an Accelerator Links Founders With the State’s Power Brokers.”
