UF Innovate | The Hub and GrowFL are pleased to announce that three Hub companies – residents Admiral and Rapid Genomics and alum Feathr – were among the first round of the 2020 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch finalists. The awards program – now in its tenth year – honors impressive second-stage companies from throughout the state for developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and broadening new industries throughout Florida. The 2020 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch awards celebration is brought to you by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.


Together, the 2020 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Finalists represent nearly 3,000 jobs and generate $670 million in revenue. These companies, all of which are “worth watching,” anticipate a growth of 13 percent in revenue and 23 percent in employment by the end of 2020.


“We are very proud of UF Innovate | The Hub finalists. All three companies are unique in their mission and have breakthrough technologies that are positively impacting our world,” said Mark Long, director of incubation services. “For us, they are already winners!”


The finalists were selected from more than 400 nominations and are now in the running to be named a 2020 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honoree. If selected as an honoree, these exemplary second-stage companies will join the 450 honorees that have been recognized since 2011.


“We applaud these first-round finalists who have proved themselves to be stand out companies in the state. They have and continue to, demonstrate the resiliency and tenacity that comes along with being an entrepreneur. We know this year hasn’t been easy, so we’re excited to recognize our state’s admirable business owners and their teams. I have a feeling they’re just getting started,” says Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL Founder.


The Finalists represent a unique group of scalable, high-growth enterprises that are already located within Florida. These high growth enterprises are an important segment of our economy and their numbers have been steadily increasing. According to the Kauffman Foundation, “entrepreneurship is not a monolithic phenomenon, and it includes many moving parts. Creating new businesses is a different economic activity from running small businesses, which in turn is different from growing businesses.” GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch recognizes the different approaches needed to successfully grow and scale a business and celebrates those that are working to achieve this goal.


Companies to Watch was developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation as a unique way to recognize and honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace with innovative strategies and processes. In addition to evaluating past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths and impact in their markets, communities, and within the state – thus deeming them “worth watching.”


The 2020 honorees will be recognized on November 12, 2020, at 6 p.m. during a live broadcast from Orlando, Florida. For more information visit https://www.growfl.com/flctw20/about-flctw/.


*This article was reposted from UF Innovate | The Hub