The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is an incubator with the mission to accelerate entrepreneurial success. Designed for real outcomes, the Innovation Center supplies resources that tech startups need to survive and succeed. The Innovation Center provides tech innovators/entrepreneurs dedicated coaching, specialized mentoring, access to capital and much more all in a professional office environment.
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15 years of Accelerating High-Tech Enterprises
In our 15th year of operation, we take pride in reaching an important milestone by serving as a valuable resource for innovators and entrepreneurs. Our ever-growing list of graduates is a testament to our ability to nurture successful high-tech entrepreneurial ventures in West Central Florida.
When we launched the Innovation Center in 2003, the concept of an incubator as a vital part of regional economic development was not yet top-of-the-mind for most people. It surely wasn’t as trendy as it is today to coach, mentor and support startups. We were pioneers in understanding how important it is to assist and nurture entrepreneurs.
Building on Our Success
After only four years at our newest location in downtown St. Petersburg, we had outgrown our facility. In mid-2018, we more than tripled our size and expanded our footprint to 20,000 SF in a new downtown location. We continue to assist emerging and entrepreneurial companies in the technology and manufacturing sectors by providing a unique mind-to-market model for working with entrepreneurs from concept through exit strategy, dedicated coaching, mentoring services, shared equipment, conference and office space, educational workshops and access to funders.
Clients can access services either onsite or virtually
Much of our success can be attributed to an outstanding staff with experience in launching and growing tech companies, as well as a group of professionals who volunteer their time to serve as board members, as mentors to our clients or as presenters at one of our events. We are fortunate to count numerous well-respected individuals from funding and venture capital organizations, defense program offices, law offices, accounting firms and many more for community support. Together they make a significant contribution in helping us foster innovation and growth in the high-tech economy in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay marketplace.
Today we continue to improve our program by incorporating the best features and practices of the most successful programs throughout the country. By continuing to focus on the individual entrepreneur, we can address specific needs with specific skill-sets, helping to move the young startup more quickly to revenue and success.
A Catalyst for Spurring the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Eco-system
We are very pleased to report that we’ve been laying the groundwork for a purpose-built Innovation Center – a technology hub in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District and Pinellas County. With an emphasis on life and marine sciences, the new facility will provide tomorrow’s technology business leaders access to the resources, services, networking and mentors they need while also fulfilling our vision of creating high-tech high-wage jobs within the region. The Innovation Center will serve as a focal point where startups, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors can work in a collaborative environment bringing forth new innovations with a shared vision.
