Entrepreneurship

The InternetCoast is the "Hot-Spot" for the Internet and Information Technology investment in Florida. As such, venture capital investments are made ranging from small start-ups to established large technology firms.
 
South Florida's InternetCoast has had successful technology ventures that are leaders in their fields (e.g.,  AOL Latin America,  CBS Sportsline, Citrix Systems, eDiets.com, eDirect/Naviant, Qtera/Nortel, Terremark NAP, Yupi/MSN).   The presence of large global firms - including BellSouth, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Oracle, Siemens - and the research from our universities - Univ Miami, FAU, FIU, Nova  - provide fertile ground for new ventures.

The Florida Venture Forum is the state's premiere non-profit organization for entrepreneurial and venture capital education, networking and resources.   Please see their website at www.flvencap.org for their latest activities and local sources of capital. 

For seed and early stage ventures, the following resources may be  useful:

• EDC - Enterprise Development Corp in Boca Raton
  Florida Atlantic University's business incubator provides education, counseling, and facilities. Call 561 620 8494 or www.edc-tech.org
• MicroBusiness USA
  Non-profit organization in Miami-Dade fostering self-employment with business workshops, loans form $500 to $35,000 and networking support for low-to-moderate income persons  Call 305-438-1407 www.microbusinessusa.com
• NewIdeaCenter
  Venture capital consulting firm has network of "angel" investors in South Florida. www.NewIdeaCenter.com 
• SCORE
  THe Service Corps of Retired Executives provides one-on-one guidance to small businesses via their website at www.score.org  or call them in Delray Beach (561 278 7752) Fort Lauderdale ( 954 356 7263 ) Hollywood ( 954 966 8415) and West Palm Beach ( 561 833 1672).
• Small Business Development Center - Boca Raton/Miami
  Florida Atlantic University's business resource center provides education and guidance. Call 561 362 5650 in Boca Raton serving all South Florida.
• USA Small Business Administration
  Check their website www.sba.gov for guidance or call them at 305 536 5521. Loan programs available for traditional small business

For more information about venture capital, we recommend you visit the National Venture Capital Association (www.nvca.org), a national trade association that represents 400+ members in the venture capital industry.  For a comprehensive list of national venture capital firms, see the vFinance Venture Capital Resource Directory at(www.vfinance.com). 

The InternetCoast's Entrepreneurship and Capital committee aims to direct entrepreneurs to available resources in the region, and attact new sources of capital. As such, the committee sponsors events, meetings and education, particularly for early stage investments.  If you would like to volunteer, please send a note to info@newideacenter.com