TAMPA, Fla. — July 21, 2026 — Embarc Collective today announced a new partnership with
the Florida High Tech Corridor to expand long-term support for founders accepted into Ambition
Accelerated, a statewide campaign and flagship startup growth program designed to help
founders build and scale venture-backable companies in Florida.

Through the partnership, participating founders will gain access to Embarc Collective’s
comprehensive support platform, including executive coaching and strategic resources, as well
as The Corridor’s collaborative network of universities, industry, investors and government
agencies to accelerate technology commercialization and economic growth.

The partnership brings together two organizations committed to advancing innovation and
entrepreneurship across Florida by helping founders commercialize new technologies, build
stronger companies and access the relationships that fuel long-term success. Ambition
Accelerated is a statewide platform and multimillion-dollar campaign launched by the Florida
Council of 100 to attract, build and scale high-growth companies in Florida.

“Florida has reached an inflection point as an innovation economy,” said Tim Holcomb, CEO of
Embarc Collective. “We have world-class founders, leading academic research institutions, and
growing investor interest. What’s needed now is greater connectivity between those assets. Our
partnership with the Florida High Tech Corridor helps close that gap by giving more
entrepreneurs access to the relationships and support systems that enable great companies to
scale from Florida.”

The Florida High Tech Corridor fosters technology-based economic development across a 23-
county region, spanning from Tampa Bay to the Space Coast, while supporting innovation
initiatives that benefit entrepreneurs and economic development statewide. By partnering with
Embarc Collective, The Corridor is expanding access to founder-focused programming while
strengthening connections between startups, research institutions and Florida’s broader
innovation ecosystem.

The Corridor’s key innovation development programs are:
● The Matching Grants Research Program which pairs companies with research and
development capabilities at the University of South Florida and University of Central
Florida.
● The FL FAST initiative led in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration, a
free support system for startups and growth-stage companies seeking federal research
and development seed funding;
● Cenfluence, the industry clustering initiative that provides services supporting startups in
five key sectors powering Florida’s rise in the global tech economy.

“Helping entrepreneurs commercialize breakthrough ideas is core to our mission,” said Paul
Sohl, CEO of Florida High Tech Corridor. “Partnering with Embarc Collective enables us to
connect more high-potential founders with the resources, relationships and support they need to
build successful companies that strengthen, expand and elevate Florida’s innovation economy.”
The partnership reflects deepening collaboration among Florida’s universities, corporations, and
the startup community to cultivate the next generation of technology companies. As the state’s
innovation economy continues to rise, organizations like Embarc Collective and the Florida High
Tech Corridor are working together to ensure founders have access to the infrastructure and
support needed to scale from Florida.

The partnership will officially launch with the first cohort of Ambition Accelerated founders this
summer.

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
135+ early-stage tech startups and growth companies operating within an award-winning
32,000-square-foot startup hub in downtown Tampa, Florida. Since its launch in 2019, Embarc
Collective member-companies have achieved a 96% survival rate, created 1,200+ high-paying
tech and tech-enabled jobs, and raised more than $600M in angel, venture and growth equity,
including more than half from investors outside the state of Florida. Annually, Embarc
Collective’s Florida-based early-stage tech companies drive $100 million in direct 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 the Florida High Tech Corridor

The Florida High Tech Corridor is an initiative of the University of Central Florida, the University
of South Florida and the University of Florida dedicated to advancing Florida’s innovation
economy. Serving a 23-county region, the Corridor connects research, industry and
community partners to accelerate technology commercialization, strengthen the talent pipeline
and foster sustainable economic growth.