Tampa Bay Wave portfolio companies crossed two major milestones in 2025, raising more than $500M in a single year and creating more than 1,000 jobs across the region.
It is the largest one-year fundraising total in the accelerator’s history and represents nearly one-third of the $1.6B raised by Tampa Bay Wave companies since the organization’s founding.
The job growth is also a first. Tampa Bay Wave supported startups had never created more than 1,000 jobs in a single year until now.
Why does this matter for Tampa Bay?
The numbers point to a maturing innovation economy.
Capital is not just flowing into early ideas. It is backing companies that are scaling, hiring and putting down roots in Tampa Bay.
For a region long focused on attracting headquarters and corporate relocations, the data shows locally grown startups are becoming a meaningful engine of job creation.
What drove the record fundraising?
Tampa Bay Wave leaders point to years of groundwork.
Since its founding, the accelerator has supported more than 630 startups, helping founders refine business models, connect with investors and prepare to scale.
That long runway has started to pay off as more companies reach later stages and raise larger rounds.
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“Reaching half a billion dollars raised in one year and surpassing 1,000 jobs created is a powerful testament to the strength of our founders and the momentum of our ecosystem,” Linda Olson, founder and CEO of Tampa Bay Wave, said. “These milestones reflect years of intentional work to support scalable startups and position Tampa Bay as a nationally recognized hub for innovation.”
Tampa Bay Wave’s impact
Since 2013, Tampa Bay Wave portfolio companies have raised a combined $1.6B and created more than 7,000 jobs.
Those companies span sectors including cybersecurity, fintech, health technology, logistics and software, many of them operating in markets well beyond Florida while keeping talent and leadership local.
The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and works closely with public and private partners to support founders.
Who supports the accelerator?
Tampa Bay Wave receives financial support from economic development partners, including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa.
It also works with corporate, academic and foundation partners, including Bank of America, EY, TECO and the University of South Florida.
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Those partnerships help fund programming, mentorship and investor connections that founders rely on as they scale.
Tampa Bay’s outlook for 2026
The scale of capital raised and jobs created suggests Tampa Bay’s startup ecosystem is moving into a more durable phase.
Instead of one-off success stories, the region is seeing a broader base of companies raising meaningful capital and hiring at scale.
For Tampa Bay Wave, the 2025 results serve as a benchmark against which future cohorts will be measured.
As more founders grow beyond the startup phase, the question for the region becomes how to sustain that momentum and keep talent, capital and leadership anchored in Tampa Bay.
