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
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. Embarc Collective is launching one of four accelerator programs around the state sponsored by the Florida Council of 100.
“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; and
- 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 strengthens, expands and elevates 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.