Miami Startups to Watch in 2027: Verified Companies in Health AI, Fintech, Tax, Construction Tech and Elder Care
Miami's startup scene grew fast in the early 2020s, and "startups to watch" lists about it grew even faster. Many of those lists copied each other, and the 2026 version of this article was no exception: of its ten companies, two websites no longer exist, one is parked for sale, one now leads to a social casino, and one bank no longer lists a Miami office. For this 2027 edition we checked every company again in November 2026 on its own website: that it still operates, that it gives a Miami address in its contact, legal or privacy pages or in its own press release, what it actually sells, and which funding it announced itself. Four old names passed and stay, with corrected descriptions. We added four Miami companies that announced big news in 2026, and we removed growth statistics that had no source. Facts we found only in the press are named with their source.
Quick answer: the Miami startups to watch in 2027 are OpenEvidence (an AI assistant for doctors, valued at $12 billion in January 2026 according to SiliconANGLE), eMed (GLP-1 weight-loss care for employers, $200 million raised in March 2026), Papa (companion care for older adults), BOB (an AI finance agent for small businesses, $5.5 million seed in October 2026), Milo (crypto-backed mortgages), Taxfyle (a marketplace of licensed tax professionals), SmartBarrel (biometric time tracking for construction) and Frida (baby and postpartum products). Founders get support from eMerge Americas, Endeavor Miami, StartUP FIU, the University of Miami's U Innovation, The Idea Center at Miami Dade College and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council.
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Why Miami Matters for Founders in 2027
Three things stand out in the companies below. The first is health care: OpenEvidence, eMed and Papa all sell into the US health system, to doctors, employers and health plans, and two of them raised rounds at valuations of $2 billion or more in 2026. The second is money: Milo and BOB build financial products on top of crypto and AI, and Miami is a natural base for products that serve Latin America and the many immigrants in South Florida. The third is ordinary small businesses: Taxfyle, SmartBarrel and BOB sell to accountants, contractors and small business owners, customers that exist in every US city. For a first-time founder, the easiest way in is usually a university programme, an Endeavor event or the startup area at eMerge Americas.
To compare Miami with other places, read our guides to the best startup cities in North America and the best cities for AI startups in North America.
Miami Startups to Watch in 2027 Compared
Sources: each company's official website, its contact, legal or privacy pages and its own press releases, checked 6 November 2026; OpenEvidence's round as reported by SiliconANGLE.
The Miami Startups to Watch in 2027
1. OpenEvidence: an AI assistant for doctors
OpenEvidence is an AI medical search tool for clinicians that answers questions with evidence from medical journals and guidelines. It is free for verified US healthcare professionals, and its homepage lists Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Nvidia and Blackstone among its investors. According to SiliconANGLE, it raised $250 million in January 2026 in a round led by Thrive Capital and DST Global, at a $12 billion valuation, and said its platform is used by more than 40% of US physicians. Its announcements page carries a Miami dateline: on 4 November 2026 it launched Learn, a free medical education platform, and on 29 October 2026 it announced a partnership with NYU Langone Health. Its terms of use give OpenEvidence Inc. at 215 NW 24th Street in Miami.
Lesson for founders: OpenEvidence gave its product away to the people who use it every day, doctors, and signed content deals with medical publishers and hospitals. A free product for professionals can become the standard before anyone else gets a chance to sell to them.
2. eMed: GLP-1 care that employers pay for
eMed runs a GLP-1 weight-loss programme for employers that combines clinical care, at-home diagnostics and one app, with 24/7 clinical support and adherence monitoring. Its news page names Linda Yaccarino as CEO and Tom Brady as Chief Wellness Officer, and lists partnerships with Alight and Crux. On 26 March 2026 the "Miami based" company announced in its own press release that it had raised $200 million at a valuation of more than $2 billion, with AON Consulting as lead investor. The money is meant for its agentic AI platform and a new capitated payment model designed to help employers control health care costs.
Lesson for founders: eMed sells employers a way to control the cost of a benefit their staff ask for, and its site says it guarantees weight loss and adherence or the employer pays less. Find the person who pays for a problem, not only the person who has it.
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3. Papa: a pal for older adults
Papa connects older adults and families with vetted "Papa Pals" who help with everyday tasks, transportation, light housework and companionship. Anyone can pay as they go, at $30 an hour on its homepage, and some Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and employer plans include Papa as a covered benefit. Its about page says it was founded in 2017 after CEO Andrew and his family struggled to support his grandfather, and that it has raised $240 million in venture capital, reaching unicorn status with its Series D. Its privacy policy gives an address at 390 NE 191st Street in Miami.
Lesson for founders: Papa found that health plans will pay for loneliness and help at home, not only for medical care. If your consumer product saves an insurer money, the insurer can become your biggest customer.
4. BOB: an AI finance employee for small businesses
BOB is an AI agent that handles a small business's finances: books, invoices, estimates and follow-ups, connected to tools the owner already uses. Its site offers it free, with "no card, no call, no contract", and says bank deposit services are provided by Erebor Bank, N.A. On 23 October 2026 the company announced in its own press release, datelined Miami, a $5.5 million seed round led by Mischief, with funding from Peter Thiel and participation from Codie Sanchez, Mark Pincus and Karman Ventures. It plans to grow its team in Miami. Its co-founders are Adam Wininger (CEO), Jason Brill (CTO) and Kody Greenbaum (CPO).
Lesson for founders: BOB sells the work of a finance employee, not another dashboard. Small business owners buy outcomes they would otherwise have to hire for.
5. Milo: a mortgage without selling your crypto
Milo lends against cryptocurrency: crypto-backed mortgages, a self-custody mortgage and crypto-backed loans, so borrowers can buy, build or refinance a home without selling their coins. Its site says it has originated over $250 million in loans, keeps crypto with the qualified custodians Coinbase and BitGo, and operates as Milo Credit, LLC, a licensed lender (NMLS #1811449). Its address is 545 NW 26th Street in Miami. The old article described Milo as financial planning for people living across borders, which its site does not support.
Lesson for founders: Milo serves a customer that banks turn away: people whose wealth is in crypto. An underserved customer with real assets is a market, not a risk.
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6. Taxfyle: a licensed tax pro on demand
Taxfyle connects tax filers and accounting firms with licensed tax professionals for filing, back taxes, extensions, tax advisory and outsourcing, and offers an API for partners. Its about page says the idea came in the back of an Uber and the company was born in August 2015, and that it now has more than 7,200 licensed professionals, more than 100 employees and more than 100,000 returns filed. The old article called it AI-powered tax filing with predictive analytics; its own site describes a marketplace of human professionals. Its address is 2901 Florida Avenue in Coconut Grove, Miami, and the site is run by Tickmark, Inc.
Lesson for founders: Taxfyle gave accountants flexible work and customers fast access to them. A marketplace works when both sides get something they cannot easily get elsewhere.
7. SmartBarrel: honest timesheets on building sites
SmartBarrel makes biometric time tracking for construction: its TimeClock 4.0 checks workers in with AI facial verification on portable, weatherproof devices that run on solar or battery power over LTE, and a mobile app turns any phone into a check-in station with geofencing. Timesheets, daily logs and expenses sync with payroll and project tools such as Procore, Viewpoint, Sage and CMiC. Its site gives a US address at 7251 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami and a Canadian office in Concord, Ontario.
Lesson for founders: SmartBarrel sells to contractors who lose money on hours that were never worked. Tie your product to a cost the customer already counts.
8. Frida: products for the hard parts of parenting
Frida designs and sells baby, kids and postpartum care products, from the NoseFrida SnotSucker to the Upside Down Peri Bottle for recovery after birth. Its own supply chain report says Frida is headquartered in Miami and employs about 135 people, and its about page introduces its CEO Chelsea as a mother of four. Frida is a consumer brand rather than a tech startup, but it stays on the list as a Miami-based brand founders can learn from.
Lesson for founders: Frida talks openly about the parts of parenthood other brands avoid. A brand voice that says what customers think can be a moat of its own.
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Where Miami Startups Get Support
- eMerge Americas: Miami's big tech conference, with a Startup Accelerator and Showcase. Its next edition is set for 2 to 4 March 2027 in Miami.
- Endeavor Miami: the Miami office of the global Endeavor network, which selects and supports high-impact entrepreneurs. Its site counts 77 Endeavor Entrepreneurs and 55 companies supported.
- StartUP FIU: Florida International University's university-wide initiative that helps researchers and partners turn university research into companies, including its Risk + Resilience Tech Hub.
- U Innovation at the University of Miami: the university's technology transfer office, with The Launch Pad for student and alumni ventures and the 'Cane Angel Network of investors.
- The Idea Center at Miami Dade College: workshops, mentoring and resources for students, staff and small business owners, with campuses in Miami, Doral and Homestead and a place in the Blackstone LaunchPad network.
- Miami-Dade Beacon Council: the official economic development organization for Miami-Dade County, which helps companies that want to relocate to or expand in Greater Miami.
- Refresh Miami: the local tech news site and community calendar, with a Women in Miami Tech section.
Women founders can also look at the grants for female entrepreneurs in North America and the startup events for female entrepreneurs in our guides.
What Changed Since the 2026 List
Six of the ten companies from the old list are gone from this edition, because we could not confirm that they still operate as Miami startups:
- Destiny Robotics: its domain now leads to a page offering the domain for sale.
- MaterLog: its website no longer loads. The old article's description of stroke-care technology could not be checked.
- Novo: the small business banking app still operates, but its contact page lists offices in New York and India and none in Miami.
- EPICA: its website no longer loads.
- GamerGains: its old domain now leads to Gains.com, a social casino, not the crypto gaming rewards platform the old article described.
- Psycheceutical: its main office is in Fort Lauderdale, its stock trades over the counter, and its press room has no news after 2023.
- Corrected descriptions: Taxfyle is a marketplace of licensed tax professionals, not AI tax filing; Milo makes crypto-backed mortgages, not cross-border financial planning; SmartBarrel does biometric time tracking for construction.
- Statistics removed: the old "18% tech job growth", "national average of 13%" and "5th in U.S. transaction volume" had no source we could find.
Which Miami Startup Should You Learn From?
- You build for doctors or hospitals: study OpenEvidence and how a free product won professional users first.
- You sell a health benefit: study eMed and Papa, which get paid by employers and health plans rather than patients.
- You build fintech: study Milo, which serves borrowers banks turn away, and BOB, which sells finance work as a service.
- You build a marketplace: study Taxfyle and how it gives both accountants and customers a reason to stay.
- You sell to trades and construction: study SmartBarrel and its focus on one measurable cost.
- You build a consumer brand: study Frida and its honest, funny voice.
How Founders Use Miami's Startup Scene
Look at who backs these companies: OpenEvidence raised from Thrive Capital and DST Global, BOB from Mischief and Peter Thiel, and eMed from a strategic investor, Aon. If you are raising, compare them with the funds in our guides to early-stage VCs in North America and angel investor groups in North America, and look at local programmes next to the AI accelerators in North America, the AI incubators in North America and the startup competitions in North America.
Meet the community at the startup events in Miami, and, for this list's two big sectors, the fintech startup events and healthtech startup events. Comparing cities? Other US scenes in our series are San Diego startups to watch, Chicago startups to watch and Philadelphia startups to watch; for Miami's neighbours to the south, see Mexico City startups to watch and Kingston, Jamaica startups to watch.
Before you copy any of these business models, test them with real customers, and start marketing early: list your startup in the F/MS marketing directories, publish your startup press release, and write about your product with the F/MS AI SEO Tool or the AI SEO Blog so customers, investors and AI assistants can find you.
FAQ About Miami Startups to Watch in 2027
Which Miami startups should I watch in 2027?
Our verified list: OpenEvidence, eMed, Papa, BOB, Milo, Taxfyle, SmartBarrel and Frida. Each still operates and gives a Miami address on its own website or in its own press release, checked in November 2026.
Which Miami startup is the most valuable?
OpenEvidence. According to SiliconANGLE, it raised $250 million at a $12 billion valuation in January 2026. eMed announced $200 million at a valuation of more than $2 billion in March 2026.
Which Miami startups work in health care?
OpenEvidence builds AI for clinicians, eMed runs GLP-1 weight-loss programmes for employers, and Papa provides companion care for older adults, often paid for by health plans.
Which Miami startups work in fintech?
Milo offers crypto-backed mortgages and loans, and BOB is an AI finance agent for small businesses that raised a $5.5 million seed round in October 2026. Taxfyle connects filers with licensed tax professionals.
Is Novo still a Miami startup?
Novo still offers small business banking, but its contact page now lists offices in New York and India and none in Miami, so it left this list.
Why did six companies from the old list disappear?
Their websites are gone, parked or now lead to a different business, or they no longer show a Miami base or recent activity. Details are in the "What changed" section above.
Where can startups get support in Miami?
eMerge Americas, Endeavor Miami, StartUP FIU, U Innovation at the University of Miami, The Idea Center at Miami Dade College and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council.
When is eMerge Americas 2027?
Its site lists 2 to 4 March 2027 in Miami, with a Startup Accelerator and Showcase for early-stage companies.
What can founders learn from Miami startups?
Give professionals a product they love, find who pays for the problem, serve customers banks and incumbents ignore, and tie your product to a cost your customer can measure.
Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?
You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
