Also located in the Research Park at Florida Atlantic, Global Ventures is a second-stage incubator designed to support the growth of innovative second-stage companies that have established market traction. The primary goal is to skyrocket the growth of these high-potential companies by providing an array of resources, connecting them with the Florida Atlantic research faculty, and leveraging the prime location within the beating heart of South Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Global Ventures provides a multitude of resources to help these innovative second-stage companies achieve success, including lease options with month-to-month flexibility with shared amenities, connections to South Florida’s business community and top researchers, guidance on establishing permanent operations in Florida, and market insights to fuel their growth. Global Ventures currently hosts twenty-eight companies from twelve countries around the world as a designated Soft Landings Center. Global Ventures is designed to add value to international ventures as they seek to expand from their home markets. A soft landing provides essential resources to growing companies while helping minimize the investment required to validate the new market: with the help of our networks and resources, a company can be sure it is in the right place for long-term growth.
Global Ventures has seen the success of multiple companies that have thrived and graduated from the program, going on to make incredible innovations with the potential to positively impact society—some of which are life-changing. Two of these companies, Aventusoft and Flospine, have expanded their operations into the Research Park, where they lease spaces to develop groundbreaking medical devices. Aventusoft has created Hemotag, a non-invasive cardiac monitoring system, while Flospine, living up to their slogan “We’ve got your back,” has developed multiple spinal medical devices—all with Florida-themed names, including their latest invention, the Keylift, which treats spinal stenosis in a minimally invasive way. As Flospine’s Director of Administration, Waldi Harris noted, “The Research Park’s proximity to the FAU campus and the College of Engineering interns is a tremendous source of engineering ingenuity for developing implants and procedures for human spinal diseases. Along with support from the Research Park Management Team, who nominated FloSpine to South Florida’s GrowFL Companies to Watch program, we were inspired to do more and do better. FloSpine’s Peter Harris and the engineers developed four new patents and brought FDA-cleared spinal implants to market which are being used nationwide.”
Aventusoft’s leadership, Kaustubh Kale, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing, “The atmosphere at a research park has been very conducive to our company’s growth. For hiring high-tech talent, gaining visibility, scientific networking, introductions to business, connecting with advisors and peers of similar interests, quality of life, and affordability.”
Global Ventures aims to be the first choice in South Florida for growth-stage and international tech companies. The program will expand its outreach, forming new relationships and growing existing ones in Latin America, Canada, and Israel among others. Their team will create more connections between faculty and students, expand its service provider network, and provide an ever-growing set of resources and networking opportunities, based on its members’ evolving needs.
Florida Atlantic has ascended to Carnegie R1 research activity status: as its research portfolio expands, more and more opportunities to commercialize technology will develop. Advancements in AI, particularly in healthcare, will play a key role in the future of companies scaling here, especially as our diverse population grows.
The Research Park and its Global Ventures program prioritize collaboration and innovation as key drivers of success. Researchers looking to bring their visions to life and entrepreneurs aiming to grow their businesses will find an array of resources and opportunities within this vibrant technology, healthcare, and research community. Connecting with the Research Park and Global Ventures means joining a dynamic network of forward-thinkers and industry leaders who are shaping the future of South Florida.
