Plug and Play unveils Orlando office focused on smart cities

By establishing a presence in Orlando, Plug and Play aims to attract and nurture the brightest startups in the smart city space. The startup accelerator programmes will provide selected companies with access to mentorship, business development opportunities, and potential investment. Furthermore, Plug and Play reports startups will benefit from its extensive network of corporate partners, facilitating collaboration and commercialisation of their groundbreaking solutions.

“We are excited to launch our new Orlando office and join hands with renowned partners such as the University of Central Florida, Orange County Government, Duke Energy, and Tavistock,” said Saeed Amidi, founder and CEO of Plug and Play.

“Orange County has allocated $1.5m to Plug and Play to help boost local business growth and continue our vision of a connected and sustainable future”

Amidi continued: “Together, we aim to foster an environment that supports startups in developing cutting-edge technologies. Orlando has shown incredible potential, and with our startup accelerator programmes, we are excited to drive innovation and shape the future of smart cities in the region.”

“Plug and Play’s intentional focus on fostering partnerships and creating new opportunities aligns seamlessly with Orlando and Central Florida, a region where collaboration and innovation flourish," added UCF president Alexander Cartwright. “Through partnership, we will together shape the landscape of smart cities for the future and amplify impact for our region and our state.”

Connecting startups

Plug and Play is an innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital (VC) firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, it presents in more than 50 locations across five continents.

It offers corporate innovation programmes and helps corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. Plug and Play also organises startup acceleration programmes and has built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries. Companies it has invested in includes Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi.