Vinik-backed Dreamit venture fund brings 18 startups to Tampa Bay

Everett Lynn, CEO of Amenify, expects the San Francisco-based real estate technology company to expand into the Tampa Bay by mid-2019.

His hopes for expansion here are bolstered by the two days Lynn is spending locally as part of Dreamit Ventures’ customer immersion event.

Amenify is one of 18 young companies in the current portfolio of Dreamit,  an early-stage venture fund that accelerates tech startups focused on healthcare, real estate and the built environment, and security.

Based in Philadelphia, Dreamit has been strengthening its Tampa ties since Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik invested $12 million in the fund and joined the board of directors earlier this year. His investment followed a 2017 partnership with Dreamit to launch the organization’s “urban tech” vertical, accelerating companies with technology solutions in the areas of real estate, city infrastructure and urban living.

The urban tech vertical includes Amenify, which has vendor management software to deliver services such as dog walking, cleaning and yoga classes for companies with large multifamily portfolios. “We want to help a property management company become a resident experience company,” Lynn said.

Everett Lynn, CEO, Amenify

Lynn and the other entrepreneurs in Tampa for Dreamit’s customer immersion event are getting introductions and a chance to talk with key decision-makers at local companies. Local companies get a look at disruptive technologies and the startups get feedback on what customers are looking for as well as possible partnerships, said Jenny Schretter, a Dreamit director.

The two-week customer immersion event started in Tampa and will travel to Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

Dreamit’s 14-week program culminates in an investor road show, scheduled for late November and early December in Silicon Valley and New York, Schretter said.

Dreamit also will hold an UrbanTech and HealthTech Innovation Summit Nov. 6 and 7 at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina. Vinik is among the scheduled speakers at the summit, which will address topics such as disruptions in access healthcare data, and smart building technology in commercial real estate. More details and registration are available here.