MANA Common, led by CEO and visionary entrepreneur Moishe Mana, has announced that it will partner with the global innovation platform, Plug and Play, to establish a presence within Downtown Miami’s Flagler District. Plug and Play, based in Silicon Valley, is the world’s largest global innovation platform and investor.
“Miami has always had the components to make it a global technology hub,” says Moishe Mana. “Now that remote work has allowed tech workers and founders to live nearly anywhere, we’re seeing an acceleration of Miami’s emergence as a leading city for tech.”
The collaboration aims to unite the most promising startups with the world's impactful corporations to drive investment, foster innovation, and secure collaborative partnerships across an array of verticals within the Miami tech ecosystem.
This marks the first Miami office for the tech platform, which besides its headquarters in the Silicon Valley has offices in dozens of cities including Paris, Tokyo, Chicago, São Paulo, and Shanghai.
"We look forward to being a dynamic part of the growing tech community in Miami,” says Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play. “Our partners will bring their knowledge, expertise, and experience to help our startups grow. Connecting these key stakeholders and industry experts will expedite the digital and cultural transformation in a location ripe for explosive growth. We will work hand-in-hand with Mana Tech to find the founding partners to further develop the tech community.”
For Mana Common, the partnership is one of the first steps in executing their vision for the Flagler District as the economic center of Miami. Mana is Miami’s largest private landowner and their current efforts are focused on their dozens of properties surrounding Flagler Street in Miami’s Downtown core.
“This marks a huge milestone and opportunity for the Miami tech scene,” says Michelle Abbs, Managing Director of Mana Tech, one of the six divisions of Mana Common. “We’ve been actively listening and responding to the local tech community, and we’re excited to deliver a solution like this with Plug and Play who has successfully built complete innovation ecosystems multiple times. It’s the connection that the Miami tech and business communities have been lacking, until now.”
The annual program is designed to host two cohorts per year. Mana Common will co-host the first event with Plug and Play in Miami on February 16, 2021 intended to gather interest from the initial founding members that will jointly work in this project. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Mayor Francis Saurez, and other corporate partners have confirmed their attendance.
Plug and Play’s platform includes an array of innovation protocols and a curated selection of startups, including the Miami tech entrepreneurs, that will help corporations bridge the gap to bring new products and services to market faster. Plug and Play will offer business development opportunities, mentorship, and networking for startups, investors, and corporations. Twice per year, the founding corporations will choose 10 to 15 startups to benefit from these opportunities.
