Refresh Miami

Miami’s quantum momentum is getting real, and it is landing on campus.

Florida International University signed an agreement with IonQ to install a full-stack, trapped-ion quantum computer, with the Superion 256 expected in late 2027.

It is a big signal for South Florida research, workforce training, and the next wave of deep-tech partnerships.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/miamis-first-quantum-computer-coming-to-fiu/

Lawsuit funding can help people bridge the gap while a case moves, but the rates are often the part no one talks about.

South Florida startup ClaimAngel, co-founded by Jeremy Alters and his son Logan, is building a marketplace for consumer legal funding to bring more transparency to pricing.

Miami’s legal-tech lane is getting interesting fast.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/father-son-startup-claimangel-is-taking-on-the-high-cost-of-lawsuit-funding/

For years, “smart city” meant sensors and software. Smart City Expo Miami is widening the lens to what actually improves life in a city.

It returns to Miami Oct. 5th & 6th for its seventh edition, bringing leaders, founders, investors, designers, academics, and policymakers from 50-plus countries.

This year’s theme is “Urban Intelligence for a Regenerative Future,” and it is about using tech, finance, design, and policy together, not in silos.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/this-october-smart-city-expo-miami-returns-for-seventh-edition-focused-on-urban-intelligence/

Three minutes. One mic. No slides.

SPARC Ignite 2026 returns Sept. 26 at Converge Miami with 40 founders from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach.

One company will head to the Startup World Cup in San Francisco, and 10 teams will earn spots in SPARC’s six-month Fuel GTM accelerator starting this fall.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/sparc-ignite-returns-with-new-fellowship-and-a-shot-at-1-million-prize/

This founder saw a car rental gap in Ukraine, then brought the idea to South Florida and rebuilt it for the market here.

My Monthly Car offers mid-term rentals by partnering with dealerships and putting used inventory to work, a practical option for people who need wheels for weeks or months.

They were just selected for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/mymonthlycar-offers-mid-term-rentals-for-most-budgets/

dobrianskyigor

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South Florida’s quantum momentum is picking up fast. Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton just named Robert Loredo to lead its Center for Quantum Technologies, as it ramps research, software work, and industry partnerships.

It comes just months after FAU said it will be the first university in Florida to host a dedicated large-scale quantum computer on site.

The workforce angle is accelerating too, with a new quantum certificate designed to help students build real, marketable skills.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/fau-appoints-quantum-leader-launches-quantum-certificate-and-more/

Apprenticeships work, but in the US the paperwork can be a real blocker.

Miami startup Go Sprout Art raised $1.2M to grow its platform that streamlines documentation for employers, apprentices, and funders.

With 500,000-plus training records digitized so far, this is a South Florida-built push for more training access and economic mobility.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/gosprout-creator-of-apprenticeship-platform-raises-1-2m-to-boost-opportunities-for-training-economic-mobility/

Inherited homes come with grief, paperwork, and logistics, not just a listing.

Davie-based Heirloom, founded by longtime agent Alexa Rosario, is helping heirs and real estate agents navigate what makes these deals different, from vendor coordination to how the home is marketed when personal belongings are still there.

South Florida is full of multi-generational property stories, and this is a tech-enabled approach built for that reality.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/heirloom-helps-real-estate-agents-and-heirs-with-complexities-of-inherited-properties/

Alexa Rosario

A nearly six-foot-tall humanoid just joined the University of Miami’s RoboCanes team, and it is opening up new ways to test AI in the real world.

The new GR-2 platform is being trained on household tasks, and it arrives as RoboCanes keeps earning global attention in RoboCup-style competitions.

Miami’s robotics scene is getting deeper, and the pipeline from campus to the broader tech community keeps growing.

https://refreshmiami.com/news/a-humanoid-joins-the-robocanes-team/