A virtual reality pioneer who is now a professor at the University of Central Florida landed a spot in Augmented World Expo’s first-ever Hall of Fame class. Carolina Cruz-Neira landed on the list alongside other pioneers including the person who coined the term “augmented reality” in the 1990s, the so-called “grandfather of VR” and a Disney Imagineer. Cruz-Neira helped develop an immersive system that became a staple in virtual reality systems and hardware in 1992. The Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, also known as “The CAVE,” consists of projection screens on the front, side and floor alon ..read more

Plug and Play Orlando on Thursday announced its inaugural class of startup that will go through its 12-week accelerator program. The cohort will focus on smart cities-related companies from across the nation. Final presentations will be held on July 31 in Orlando. The inaugural class includes several industries, including mobility, sustainability, energy, construction and automation. “We are thrilled to welcome this inaugural batch of startups to Orlando as we foster innovation in Smart Cities here in Central Florida,” said Allison Chandler, Program Manager of Plug and Play Orlando, in a blog ..read more

MAITLAND – A cybersecurity firm here has raised $115 million in Series D funding, providing a capital injection that will lead to more hiring and build out of its security products. ThreatLocker already employs around 400 in offices across the globe with the majority being at its headquarters in Maitland. That number has doubled in the past year and is expected to double once more during the next two years. The company owns a suite of enterprise-level cybersecurity products and has more than 45,000 clients worldwide. At its Maitland office, which was once home to the video game giant Electroni ..read more

Robert Catron points to a specific moment in his career that led to what has become a 20-year entrepreneurial journey. As a rock station DJ in Virginia Beach, he was the only person who understood software extensively. So, it was only natural that in the early days of the Internet, he maintained the station’s website. At the time, DJs had to remain on air until their replacement arrived. Robert Catron One night, well, the replacement did not arrive. The reason? “He was at a concert in D.C. about four hours away,” Catron recalled, laughing. “I don’t know if it was legit or not but, either way ..read more

Perhaps it’s a bit harsh to call Sal Rehmetulah’s nieces “critics.” But they asked the question many had on their mind when the Stax cofounder transitioned out of the company after helping build it to unicorn status alongside his sister Suneera Madhani. “They were like, ‘Why would you ever do that?’” Rehmetullah recalled. “Stax was part of our DNA and identity. Now they are super excited about Worth.” Worth AI, that is. The new company uses artificial intelligence to produce more accurate risk assessments, quicker decisions and more standardized business credit scores by assessing underwritin ..read more

An Orlando tech company has partnered with Tampa General Hospital to provide first-in-the-nation emergency supply deliveries via drones starting next month. Archer First Response Systems will deploy its drones carrying an automated external defibrillator, NARCAN Nasal Spray and a tourniquet through a 9-1-1 dispatcher. The dispatcher will walk the 9-1-1 caller through the application needed while emergency vehicles are en route. The range will cover a 35-square-mile area of Manatee County. Drone-based delivery is expected to cut response time to those suffering cardiac arrest to around 2 minute ..read more

A partnership with Orlando’s two professional soccer clubs could put local tech startup PETE Learning on a roll. On Game Day, hundreds of workers show up at the stadium, ready to provide customer service for the thousands of fans who click through the ticket turnstiles. They scan tickets. Field complaints. Help guide the wave of Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Pride fans to their destinations. However, this crucial workforce often attends a one-day workshop then awaits their assigned game to come back into the stadium. With PETE Learning, education can be constant and consistent. “It was ..read more

A pair of Orlando firms has landed a defense contract seeking a simulator for obstetric emergencies in the military. Orlando-based Knight Federal Solutions and SIMETRI announced the award on Monday. Terms of the deal were not shared. However, an online database for the Defense Health Agency, under which the contract was awarded, listed an estimated value of $13 million for a similar contract. SIMETRI provides realistic mannequins that provide training opportunities for the military. The military’s COES2 program provides cutting-edge training for prenatal healthcare personnel. COES, which stand ..read more

NOTE: TUESDAY 1-ON-1 IS A MOSTLY WEEKLY SERIES OF DEEP CONVERSATIONS WITH ORLANDO’S RELEVANT AND TIMELY TECH NEWSMAKERS WHICH AIM TO PROVIDE CONTEXT ON THE CITY’S ECOSYSTEM AND BUSINESSES. Sal Rehmetullah started to get the business itch last summer. Having exited Orlando’s fintech unicorn Stax alongside his sister, Suneera Madhani, he was ready to explore what might come next. “We had done a good job of life integration but it was really nice to spend time to enjoy the fruits of our labor for a bit,” he said. “But I don’t think I could just be retired. Golf is fun. Sitting on beaches is grea ..read more

An independent video game studio primarily based in Orlando announced Monday a $10 million funding round to support the development of its debut title. AVALON has been building what it’s calling “a next-generation massively multiplayer online game” that incorporates interoperability between multiple worlds, with assets adapting and progression carrying over to each world. The result will be a world that empowers players to create, share and take ownership of experiences. Artificial intelligence-assisted and user-generated content systems will combine with Unreal Engine 5 to help players develo ..read more