About US

INVESTMENTS. Founders. Opportunities.

Information on tech investments and opportunities in Central Florida

Our Mission

UPSURGE will support innovative startups headquartered across Central Florida, with particular focus on the 162 Opportunity Zones throughout the 13 counties directly served by StarterStudio and Tampa Bay Wave.

Championing this movement are two of the leading non-profit tech accelerators in Florida - Orlando's Starter Studio and the Tampa Bay Wave. These organizations are working closely together and with central Florida's major universities, entrepreneurial support organizations, and economic development organizations to increase the awareness and investment into central Florida's most innovative early stage companies.

There are already several great organizations teaming with talent in central Florida from NASA, to Disney, to U.S. Central Command - and THREE major research universities. The region boasts several recently anointed 'unicorns' - tech companies that have achieved a value of $1B or more and there are 15+ tech accelerators in the region developing talent and the next great central Florida tech companies...

Tampa Bay Wave is a 501c3 with a mission to drive opportunity & prosperity in Tampa Bay by helping entrepreneurs BUILD, LAUNCH, and GROW breakout tech companies. More than just an accelerator, more than just coworking, Tampa Bay Wave is a “for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs” innovation community working to make Tampa Bay’s tech ecosystem stronger. Since 2013, Tampa Bay Wave has supported over 300 tech startups who collectively have collectively raised over $300 million and created more than 2,500 jobs.

StarterStudio is the only 501c3 nonprofit accelerator that supports Central Florida tech startup founders with the robust and comprehensive educational programming, coaching, funding, and other resources they need to build successful companies locally. Through bootcamps, accelerators, and other free or low-cost programs offered at locations throughout the region, StarterStudio guides entrepreneurs along a continuous development path, whether they are at the idea, build, or seed stage. 