TAMPA & ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. — SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 — Blake Investment Partners and Embarc Collective today announced a new partnership that will expand Embarc Collective’s presence in St. Petersburg, giving founders of early-stage, high-growth tech companies in Pinellas County direct access to Embarc Collective’s internationally recognized platform with the resources, programming, capital connections, and mentorship needed to build and scale technology companies in the region.

As part of the partnership, Blake Investment Partners is making a five-year commitment of office space to Embarc Collective, establishing a dedicated home for the organization in St. Petersburg. The expansion will allow Embarc Collective to deepen its support for founders across Pinellas County while creating stronger connections between startup communities throughout the Tampa Bay region.

“St. Petersburg is no longer an emerging innovation market; it is one of the most compelling places in the Southeast to build and scale a company,” said T.W. Blake, Founder of Blake Investment Partners. “Bringing Embarc Collective’s proven platform, national network and access to capital to St. Pete is a major step forward for the founders building here today and the companies we want to attract tomorrow. This is bigger than a single announcement; it is about creating an enduring ecosystem for innovation, investment and economic growth and establishing St. Pete as a place where ambitious companies can become category leaders.”

Founded in Tampa in 2019, Embarc Collective provides individualized coaching, programming and connections to experienced operators, investors and partners to help early-stage technology companies build and scale. Since opening, Embarc Collective has grown to support more than 300 founders and co-founders across more than 145 startups, helping create more than 1,400 net new jobs across Florida. That impact already extends into Pinellas County, where Embarc Collective supports a growing community of companies including Spontivly, BlockSpaces, Cvergenx, Knack, Immigr8, CooperCast, CaresLink and SmartCare360. Establishing a physical presence in St. Petersburg will build on that existing foundation, allowing Embarc Collective to support more local founders while connecting them to its broader network of resources, expertise and capital across Florida.

“This partnership allows us to bring more of Embarc Collective directly to the most promising early-stage tech companies already being built in Pinellas County,” said Tim Holcomb, CEO of Embarc Collective. “Our expansion into St. Pete means more founders will have direct access to the coaching, programming, investor connections and community that can help them launch and build successful companies. Blake Investment Partners’ five-year commitment gives us the foundation to make that investment in the community for the long term.”

The partnership builds on Blake Investment Partners’ broader investment in St. Petersburg and its long-term commitment to the city’s economic growth. Blake was recently selected for the approximately $8 billion redevelopment of St. Petersburg’s Historic Gas Plant District, one of the most significant development projects in the city’s history. Its partnership with Embarc Collective extends that commitment to the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in the infrastructure and resources needed to support the next generation of companies being built in St. Petersburg.

The new St. Petersburg presence will complement Embarc Collective’s Tampa headquarters, creating greater connectivity among founders, investors, corporations and other members of the innovation ecosystem across Tampa Bay.

About Embarc Collective

Embarc Collective, a 501c3 non-profit, is a central landing zone for the most driven and focused startup builders in Florida, ranked as a top startup support program in the world by UBI Global. Embarc Collective offers vetted, curated live and on-demand coaching and programming, an ever-growing repository of resources and frameworks, and access to a network of corporate customers and investors, all amongst a peer community of 300 founders and cofounders of 145+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies. Embarc Collective member-companies have created 1,400+ high-paying Florida-based tech and tech-enabled jobs, driving more than $100 million annually in economic returns to the state of Florida, and attract more than $100 million annually in seed, venture, and growth equity investment capital, capital that is invested directly into Florida-based companies.

About Blake Investment Partners

Blake Investment Partners is an institutional investment firm focused on transformative real estate development and community-centered redevelopment initiatives. The firm has been a steadfast partner in St. Petersburg’s growth for 23 years. With more than 200 completed projects across the Southeast and a portfolio that demonstrates both scale and sophistication, Blake brings expertise in mixed-use development, community planning, and long-term value creation. The firm’s patient approach to investment and commitment to stewardship distinguishes it as a developer that prioritizes lasting community benefit over short-term gains.

Media Contacts

Kathy Osborne

kathy@embarccollective.com

Quinn Collins
quinn@collins-company.com