August 2026 Technology & IT new business activity in Florida

Florida registered 26,799 new technology and IT businesses over the last 365 days, and 1,380 of them filed in the last 30. The last 90 days account for 4,131. Orlando carried the biggest moves this month: a cybersecurity company raised $190 million, a training simulator maker bought the campus it had been renting, and a Norwegian defense supplier opened its first American office. Two county governments spent the same weeks writing rules for large data centers. Software, IT services, cybersecurity and data companies keep registering to serve the work, and new firms are forming in every region.

New technology and IT businesses are forming fastest in Southeast Florida. Every newly registered technology firm draws on a predictable set of local businesses. A new software, IT, or cybersecurity company needs business registration and legal help, accounting and payroll, cloud hosting and equipment, professional liability and cyber insurance, office or coworking space, marketing and web design, and recruiters to hire engineers. Every university program and company expansion nearby is a source of both talent and clients. That is why new formations tend to cluster around the regions where the tech economy is already strongest.

The counts below show where new technology and IT businesses are registering, by region, over the last 30, 90 and 365 days. Under them is the recent news tech owners are watching, from funding rounds and office moves to county data center rules and new university awards, with the specific businesses each one creates work for. The statewide bodies and the local resources sit at the bottom, in Technology and IT Resources.

New technology and IT businesses by region, over the last 30, 90 and 365 days. Regions are ranked by the last year.

Another 3,371 new businesses in the last year did not list a county, so they are counted in the Florida total but not placed in a region.

New developments tech owners are watching right now, with the real date of each and the specific businesses it creates work for. All seven regions are represented this month. The mix runs from an Orlando funding round and a Tampa office expansion to two county governments setting rules for large data centers, a rural broadband build on the First Coast, and federal research money landing in Pensacola and Tallahassee.

• Southeast Florida (Gold Coast)· announced 2026-06-29

  Boca Raton digital agency Media Components opens a West Palm Beach office

  Media Components, a digital marketing and software agency headquartered in Boca Raton, opened an office in West Palm Beach at the 1909 coworking space. Its services include AI integrations and automation, AI powered marketing campaigns, search engine optimization, website design and development, e-commerce development, SaaS platform development, social media marketing, video production, and branding. Chief executive Denis Sinelnikov said South Florida is no longer emerging as a business hub and that it is already happening. The company stays headquartered in Boca Raton and serves West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding markets.

  An agency opening a second Palm Beach County location signs a lease, fits out desks and hires against the new address, and it makes those supplier choices in the first few months.

  Who this helps

  • coworking space operators
  • commercial real estate brokers
  • IT support firms
  • technical recruiters
  • bookkeepers
  • commercial insurance agents

  A Florida owned agency growing into a second Florida city keeps the accounts and the payroll inside the state.

  Source: Media Components

• Southeast Florida (Gold Coast)· 2026-07-14

  Palm Beach County moves to pause large data center applications

  The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners voted 7-0 at its July 14, 2026 hearing to advertise a code change that adds a Large-Scale Data Center use to the county land development code and imposes a moratorium on it. While the moratorium is in effect the county will not accept, process or approve any zoning application, or any comprehensive plan amendment, for one of these facilities in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The revisions carry out direction the board gave staff at its July 7, 2026 hearing. The moratorium does not apply to properties damaged by Hurricanes Debby, Helene or Milton, and first reading is set for the August 27, 2026 zoning hearing.

  A pause on new applications pushes data center demand toward land that is already entitled, and it puts a premium on advisers who can read the new definition before anyone files.

  Who this helps

  • land use attorneys
  • zoning consultants
  • civil engineers
  • commercial real estate brokers
  • electrical contractors

  A written county definition gives the rest of Florida a tested starting point for deciding where these facilities belong.

  Source: Palm Beach County Department of Planning, Zoning and Building

• Tampa Bay (Gulf Coast)· announced 2026-06-30

  Defense technology firm Orion Edge signs an 8,008 square foot Tampa expansion

  Orion Edge, which moved its headquarters to Tampa from Denver in November 2025, signed an 8,008 square foot facility at 5555 W. Waters Avenue in the Westshore District of Hillsborough County. The Tampa Bay Economic Development Council said the company plans to add 25 new jobs at an average wage of $120,000, a $6 million capital investment over the next three years. Chief executive John Mueller said the region's business climate and its closeness to United States Special Operations Command have been instrumental to the company's growth.

  A fit out of that size on a three year investment schedule is a standing order book for the trades and services that turn an empty suite into an office.

  Who this helps

  • commercial general contractors
  • network cabling installers
  • office furniture suppliers
  • IT support firms
  • technical recruiters
  • commercial insurance agents

  Twenty five jobs at that wage lift the Tampa Bay technology payroll and keep a defense supplier's headquarters in Florida.

  Source: Tampa Bay Economic Development Council

• Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast)· announced 2026-07-29

  Orlando cybersecurity firm ThreatLocker raises $190 million

  ThreatLocker, headquartered in Orlando, said it secured $190 million in Series F funding led by Elephant, with continued support from D. E. Shaw Ventures and Arthur Ventures and a new investment from Koch Disruptive Technologies. The company said the capital supports continued development of its controls for AI related security risks, further improvements to its Zero Trust Platform, and international expansion beginning with a new office in Reading, in the United Kingdom. Its platform protects over 70,000 organizations worldwide.

  A round of that size turns into hiring, more space and a longer vendor list in the metro where the company is based, and most of that spending is placed locally.

  Who this helps

  • technical recruiters
  • commercial real estate brokers
  • accounting firms
  • employment attorneys
  • office furniture suppliers
  • managed IT providers

  A Florida headquartered security company scaling on outside money keeps its senior engineering jobs in Orlando rather than moving them out of state.

  Source: ThreatLocker

• Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast)· announced 2026-06-10

  VirTra buys the Orlando buildings it had been leasing

  VirTra, Inc., a maker of judgmental use of force and firearms training simulators, said it purchased its existing Orlando facility along with a neighbouring building at Central Florida Research Park, turning a leased footprint into an owned campus. Chief executive John Givens said the purchase represents a long term investment in both the company's future and the Central Florida community. The research park holds more than 140 companies, among them Boeing, BAE Systems, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics.

  An owner occupier renovates on its own schedule instead of a landlord's, so the improvement work goes straight out to local trades rather than through a building manager.

  Who this helps

  • commercial general contractors
  • electricians
  • HVAC contractors
  • commercial cleaning crews
  • landscaping firms
  • security system installers

  A simulator maker buying its own campus anchors the training technology cluster that has built up around Central Florida Research Park.

  Source: VirTra, Inc.

• Central Florida (I-4 Corridor & Space Coast)· announced 2026-07-15

  Norway's Green Ammo opens its first United States office in Orlando

  Green Ammo LLC, the United States subsidiary of Norway based Green Ammo AS, opened its first American office at 4100 Silver Star Road, Suite B, in Orlando. The Orlando Economic Partnership said the office creates 10 new jobs with salaries averaging $100,000, which is 42% higher than the average annual pay of $70,562 in Orange County for 2025. The company develops electronic blank fire and weapon effects training systems, and the Orlando site is its operations hub for customer engagement, product demonstrations, engineering coordination, training, logistics and program execution.

  A first office in a new country is a full set of local supplier decisions taken at once, from the lease and the payroll system to the insurance and the shipping.

  Who this helps

  • customs brokers
  • immigration attorneys
  • payroll providers
  • commercial real estate brokers
  • freight forwarders
  • commercial insurance agents

  A foreign manufacturer picking Orlando for its American base adds to the simulation and training cluster the region is already known for.

  Source: Orlando Economic Partnership

• Northeast Florida (First Coast)· announced 2026-07-13

  Flagler Estates gets high speed internet at more than 1,500 homes and businesses

  St. Johns County's economic development office said Xfinity and Comcast Business service is now available to more than 1,500 homes and businesses in and around Flagler Estates, and that more than 1,100 of those locations had no service before. The build was delivered through a public private partnership under Florida's Broadband Opportunity Program and finished ahead of schedule. Christine Valliere, the county's director of economic development and intergovernmental affairs, said infrastructure investments such as broadband expansion strengthen communities and support economic resilience.

  Eleven hundred addresses that could not get a connection before can now run the kind of business that depends on one, and each of those owners is buying equipment and support for the first time.

  Who this helps

  • IT support firms
  • computer repair shops
  • web developers
  • managed IT providers
  • office equipment suppliers

  Closing an unserved pocket lets people in a rural corner of St. Johns County start a business without moving to reach a connection.

  Source: St. Johns County Economic Development

• Northeast Florida (First Coast)· announced 2026-06-19

  Palm Coast corrects the public record on the size of the DC Blox project

  The city of Palm Coast said the only approved DC Blox project is a single 33,760 square foot building, that its building permit was issued on April 8, 2026, and that construction is underway. The city was answering a DC Blox representative who said in a June 19 radio interview that the facility would be two buildings totalling about 100,000 square feet. The city stated plainly that no second building has been approved. Because the approved project is under 40,000 square feet it qualified for administrative review rather than Planning Board or City Council approval, and any additional building would need separate review and approval.

  A published size and a permit date tell suppliers exactly what is being built and on what timetable, instead of the larger number that was circulating.

  Who this helps

  • electrical contractors
  • mechanical contractors
  • fiber installers
  • security system installers
  • site work crews

  A city that corrects a public record in writing keeps Florida's permitting picture accurate for everyone pricing the work.

  Source: City of Palm Coast

• Southwest Florida· announced 2026-08-05

  Southwest Florida Resilience Accelerator opens applications for a 10 company cohort

  Charlotte County Economic Development said the Southwest Florida Resilience Accelerator, powered by the Florida Council of 100, Babcock Ranch and eMerge Americas, is taking applications through August 21. The inaugural cohort will include 10 selected companies working on drone inspections, artificial intelligence, resilient construction, building hardening, energy storage, leak detection and more efficient community planning, aimed at water, flooding, wind and other environmental challenges. The hybrid program runs from the week of October 12 through the week of December 7, with Thanksgiving week off.

  Ten technology companies spending a quarter working out of Babcock Ranch need space, services and local pilot partners for the whole run of the program.

  Who this helps

  • coworking space operators
  • drone service firms
  • civil engineers
  • general contractors
  • hotels
  • short term lodging operators

  Running the cohort in Southwest Florida tests storm resilience technology in the part of the state that has the most use for it.

  Source: Charlotte County Economic Development

• Northwest Florida (Panhandle & Capital)· announced 2026-08-04

  The UWF cybersecurity center wins a $1.74 million federal scholarship award

  The University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity and AI received a $1.74 million award from the National Science Foundation under its new CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program. UWF was one of only 14 institutions in the country to receive the inaugural award. The money pays for full scholarships, stipends, professional development and job opportunities for 16 scholars drawn from undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in cybersecurity, computer science, and intelligent systems and robotics.

  Sixteen funded students on a service commitment is a named pipeline of security staff that Panhandle employers can recruit from over the next few years.

  Who this helps

  • cybersecurity firms
  • managed IT providers
  • defense contractors
  • technical recruiters
  • IT support firms

  Federal money training security professionals in Pensacola keeps that talent in Florida instead of sending it to the states that funded it elsewhere.

  Source: University of West Florida

• Northwest Florida (Panhandle & Capital)· announced 2026-08-05

  An FSU computer scientist wins a five year federal award for edge AI research

  Xiaonan Zhang, an assistant professor of computer science at Florida State University, received a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation, which carries five years of funding. The research looks at how wireless networks can let nearby devices work together and jointly run AI applications rather than sending everything to the cloud. Named uses include analyzing medical data, helping autonomous vehicles make real time driving decisions, and improving emergency response during disasters.

  Five years of funded research in Tallahassee means graduate students to hire, equipment to buy and a lab that local firms can partner with on real problems.

  Who this helps

  • electronics suppliers
  • laboratory equipment vendors
  • software contractors
  • technical recruiters
  • IT support firms

  Long running federal awards give Florida universities a reason to keep senior computer science faculty, and the students who follow them, in the state.

  Source: Florida State University

• North Central Florida (Gainesville & Ocala)· announced 2026-06-09

  Alachua County says large data centers are not allowed under its current rules

  Alachua County published an update stating that large scale data centers are not allowed under its current comprehensive plan or land development code. The county said the use is not similar to other allowed uses on factors such as size, intensity, operating hours, traffic impacts and demands on public services. It also noted that the Florida Legislature passed a bill setting basic definitions and standards for these facilities, effective July 1, 2026, while leaving the siting decision to local governments. Any change would need a Planning Commission public hearing, then a County Commission transmittal hearing, then an adoption hearing after state review.

  A county saying plainly that the use is not permitted saves site selectors a wasted search, and it sets out the exact hearing path for anyone who wants the rule changed.

  Who this helps

  • land use attorneys
  • zoning consultants
  • civil engineers
  • commercial real estate brokers

  A clear local answer on data centers saves applicants across Florida from spending money on a site that was never going to work.

  Source: Alachua County

• North Central Florida (Gainesville & Ocala)· 2026-06-18

  A Gainesville chip security firm joins a Florida delegation to Portugal

  Silicon Assurance, based in Gainesville, travelled to Aveiro, Portugal from June 16 to 18, 2026 with the Florida High Tech Corridor and Orlando based NanoSpective. The Corridor said the group met partners of Portugal's Microelectronics Agenda and other organizations in the Portuguese technology sector to introduce the region's semiconductor capabilities. The trip was co-funded by Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Union's NextGenerationEU funds.

  A small Gainesville company chasing overseas semiconductor partners buys export, travel and legal help locally, and it hires against any contract that follows.

  Who this helps

  • customs brokers
  • international trade attorneys
  • accounting firms
  • freight forwarders
  • technical recruiters

  Putting North Central Florida companies in front of European semiconductor partners builds the state's standing in a field with few domestic suppliers.

  Source: Florida High Tech Corridor

• We count each business by the date it registered with the state, so this shows new business formation, not the current number of tech firms.
• State records post about 2 weeks behind, so the last week or two will keep rising as more filings arrive.
• Most technology and IT businesses register with the Florida Division of Corporations and do not need a separate state occupational license, so new firms are traceable soon after they form.
• Counts cover active Florida businesses and update daily.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the most new technology and IT businesses forming in Florida?

This report ranks every Florida region by new technology and IT businesses and shows if activity is heating up or slowing down.

Do Florida tech and IT businesses need a license?

Most do not need a state occupational license. A new software, IT, or cybersecurity business registers with the Florida Division of Corporations and then typically lines up accounting, cyber insurance and hosting to open.

What kinds of businesses are in this report?

It covers software and SaaS, IT services and managed services, cybersecurity, data and AI, web services, and search and social marketing firms.

Are large data centers part of this industry?

They are a related but separate story. A data center is a building project that goes through county zoning, while most of the businesses counted here are office based software and IT firms. Two Florida counties acted on data center rules this month, so the report covers both.

Where does this data come from?

The formation counts come from official Florida business registration records. We pull every new filing, sort it by industry and region, and update daily. We count a business by the date it registered with the state.

Can I see the actual businesses?

Yes. You get the real filings, with business names, addresses and officers, free for 7 days, with no credit card required. Start a free 7 day trial to see them.

The standing resources that support Florida technology and IT businesses, starting with the statewide bodies and associations, then the local tech council, incubator or university program for each region. This is the reference shelf, not the news. Check it to see what a new tech business can use, or send a new founder here.