Florida’s Startup Surge: Insights from UF Innovate Ventures w/ Dr. Jackson Streeter
7 in 7 with Zach Ellison Episode #12A of Season 2 features Dr. Jackson Streeter, director of UF Innovate | Ventures at the University of Florida, where he manages a venture fund for the University of Florida Research Foundation.
After assuming this role in late 2019, he recruited a luminary Investment Advisory Committee and began investing in 2020. In addition, he manages life science investments for the Florida Opportunity Fund and DeepWork Capital, where he is a limited partner.
In this episode, Zack Ellison and Dr. Jackson Streeter discuss:
- Florida’s Potential as an Innovation Hub: Exploring the state’s growing talent pool, favorable business environment, and increasing investment, positioning it as an emerging leader in innovation.
- Early Stage Funding for Startups: The importance of securing early-stage funding, particularly for underserved communities like veterans, and how it can significantly impact a startup’s trajectory.
- Strategies for Founders: Key strategies for startup success, including starting with a solid product-market fit, choosing the right investors, and prioritizing intellectual property protection.
- Gainesville’s Startup Ecosystem: A look into Gainesville’s vibrant startup community, its internationally recognized incubator system, and how it attracts talent and companies from around the globe.
- Valuation and Cap Table Management: The consequences of raising money at high valuations and the importance of managing the cap table to avoid pitfalls like down rounds and talent loss.
- Venture Debt and Dilution: How venture debt can help startups save on dilution, and the strategic benefits of this financing option for growth-stage companies.
- Innovation in Healthcare AI: Discussions on the potential of AI in healthcare, including predictive analytics, medical imaging, and smart ICU technology, and their implications for the industry.