This Month's Latest Tech News in West Palm Beach, FL - Wednesday April 30th 2025 Edition

April 2025 marked a transformative leap for West Palm Beach's tech sector, with local startup Vultr raising $333 million at a $3.5 billion valuation in its first external funding round - positioning the city as a national hub for AI cloud infrastructure innovation.

According to Crunchbase's report on Vultr's AI cloud funding, the investment - co-led by AMD Ventures and LuminArx Capital - will fuel the acquisition of high-demand GPUs to advance AI model development; as AMD's Mathew Hein explains,

“Vultr's deep experience delivering secure, compliant and scalable cloud infrastructure...positions them as an innovative cloud solutions provider.”

Meanwhile, Palm Beach County celebrated World Quantum Day with public and private leaders launching robust initiatives in tech infrastructure, education, and healthcare, reinforcing the region's quantum ambitions; Kelly Smallridge of the BDB states,

“Quantum technologies will redefine how we live and work.”

For a broader view of this funding surge, a TechCrunch report on AI startup investments in 2025 highlights that 2025 continues record-breaking AI startup investment, with several firms joining Vultr among those eclipsing $100 million rounds.

Discover more about the quantum leap in economic and educational opportunities at the Palm Beach County's World Quantum Day recap.

ZenaTech's recent acquisition of Wallace Surveying Corporation marks a pivotal expansion in West Palm Beach's tech landscape, fueling the local rollout of advanced AI-powered drone mapping services.

By integrating Wallace Surveying's 30 years of regional expertise, ZenaTech is now offering state-of-the-art bathymetric surveys using drones equipped with sonar for precise mapping of underwater terrain, streamlining processes for commercial and government clients.

This service brings critical benefits for water management, environmental planning, and infrastructure projects, leveraging drones' ability to collect data faster, safer, and at lower cost than traditional methods.

As CEO Dr. Shaun Passley notes,

“Bathymetric surveys using aerial drones offer faster, safer, and more cost-effective data collection, especially in hard-to-reach or hazardous environments. Unlike conventional manned survey vessel methods, drones require fewer personnel, reduce operational risks, and can access shallow or narrow areas with greater precision.”

ZenaTech's “Drone as a Service” (DaaS) model, which offers subscription and pay-per-use options, lets customers utilize technologies like the ZenaDrone 1000 and IQ series without the overhead of ownership or maintenance.

According to industry analysis, the global drone surveying market is expected to reach $8 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 15–20%, and the bathymetric survey segment alone is anticipated to more than double by 2032:

Market	2023 Value	Projected 2032 Value	CAGR
Drone Surveying	–	$8 billion (by 2030)	15–20%
Bathymetric Survey Sonar	$1.2 billion	$2.1 billion	6.2%

For more financial and operational details, including recent corporate performance and further acquisition news, visit ZenaTech's latest stock news and headlines and their official acquisition announcement.

The Veterans Health Venture Studio at the West Palm Beach VA is pioneering AI-driven healthcare solutions, guiding collaborative projects from ideation to piloting through a rigorous, three-phase program.

Spearheaded in partnership with Microsoft and the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, the 2024 initiative began with a hackathon and Make-a-thon, leading to notable success: all six finalist teams advancing to the Accelerator phase included contributors from Florida's VISN 8 network, such as West Palm Beach's own Nemaris Perez and Remelia Pryor on the “AI Reconciliation Ranger” team.

The Accelerator, running March through August 2025, provides intensive mentorship, technical support, and Microsoft configuration for developing deployable AI prototypes - solutions set to enhance mental health care, care coordination, and personalized medicine for veterans.

A mid-year Venture Studio Showcase will allow advisory council members to consider sponsoring pilot rollouts across VA medical centers, marking the transition from prototype to real-world impact.

As the digital transformation in healthcare accelerates, early evidence from Microsoft-supported initiatives highlights reduced provider burnout and improved outcomes thanks to clinical AI workflows, with similar gains expected locally (Tampa Veterans Health Venture Studio's 2024 Cohort).

The West Palm Beach VA, recently recognized as Florida's only ALS Certified Treatment Center, continues to implement cutting-edge technologies in the region, fostering a patient-centric care model (West Palm Beach VA news releases).

“As a champion for change at heart, I'm inspired to see the challenges my generation has faced being addressed through the Make-a-thon and the VHA Innovation Ecosystem. I have no doubt that these efforts will have a lasting impact for the next generation of service members.” - Dan Magoon, Executive Director, InnoVets

Learn more about how AI and digital health are transforming South Florida healthcare by visiting South Florida Hospital News' digital health report.

In an innovative and emotionally charged move, this April's anti-fentanyl campaigns leveraged AI technology to “resurrect” victims lost to opioid overdoses, presenting synthetic, interactive representations of those who have died as a direct message to deter abuse.

This unprecedented approach coincides with National Fentanyl Awareness Day, as recognized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which also amplified public outreach through events and extended museum hours.

As organizations like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) emphasize, campaigns are increasingly marrying technology, data-driven research, and survivor advocacy to address the expanding threat of synthetic opioids.

This strategy reflects global trends in drug prevention, with a notable shift toward innovative education and direct engagement tools. As the DEA highlights,

“Education and prevention lie at the heart of our mission,”

underscoring how agencies now blend advanced AI tools with traditional outreach to maximize impact.

For broader context on how tech and public health campaigns are converging nationwide, see Nucamp's deep-dive on the US tech and social impact landscape in America's latest tech news roundup.

With deepfake scams and AI-generated fraud cases rising in South Florida, Barry University's AI Center is taking an innovative, community-responsive approach to tech education.

The center integrates AI competencies across all majors, ensuring hands-on training with ethical frameworks so every graduate is equipped to spot and mitigate digital threats.

Barry's curriculum, shaped in partnership with leading employers, prepares students for real-world challenges with workshops, certification programs, and experiential learning projects via the Digital Transformation Lab.

The urgency of their mission is reflected in state and federal efforts to boost AI education and cybersecurity, as experts highlight that “AI-powered deepfake phishing” and identity scams are introducing new attack surfaces and regulatory hurdles nationwide.

“Barry University's AI Center is at the forefront of the AI revolution, helping students, faculty, and industry partners create real-world impact.”

As part of a broader national push, the AI Center's blend of skills training, consulting projects, and ethical focus places it among the frontrunners in preparing South Florida's workforce to confront complex AI-driven risks.

For more about how AI literacy is reshaping higher education in Florida and across the U.S., see Barry University's latest initiative and the forward-looking insights in this national overview of AI in American universities.

As AI-powered search engines like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity redefine how renters discover apartments, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has quickly become essential for apartment marketers in West Palm Beach and beyond.

Unlike traditional SEO that focuses on keyword rankings, GEO ensures your listings and content are favored by generative AI systems that now power top-of-page summaries and conversational search results.

Industry leaders emphasize that

“the days of simply trying to rank for keywords to hit the top of a search result are gone,”

urging a shift toward comprehensive, conversational content optimized for AI comprehension and citation according to Multi-Housing News.

The distinction between SEO and GEO is clear: GEO prioritizes natural language, structured data, and up-to-date, engaging multimedia, making content accessible to both human users and AI engines as detailed by MultifamilyPro.

Importantly, GEO not only improves visibility within AI-generated results - now outranking paid ads and traditional search listings - but also boosts user engagement, lead quality, and conversion rates.

According to industry experts, key tactics include maintaining thorough business profiles, leveraging schema markup, and embracing omnichannel engagement across platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

This evolution means that for apartment marketers,

“GEO is about getting ready for tomorrow... it's not causing seismic waves now but will become critical”

as AI transforms rental search behaviors.

For an in-depth explanation and actionable best practices, see the authoritative breakdown at Walker Sands' 2025 GEO guide.

The coworking landscape in West Palm Beach is experiencing a significant transformation with the opening of 1909's new 9,000-square-foot headquarters in the historic Comeau Building, offering crucial support to the city's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The facility, which more than doubled the group's previous office footprint, features 15 private offices, three conference rooms, game rooms, multiple kitchens, a 24/7 gym, and flexible workspace options - helping alleviate the pressure of rising commercial rents for 240 local entrepreneurs.

As detailed in the South Florida Business Journal article on 1909 coworking office opening in West Palm Beach, 1909's mission goes beyond workspace, providing access to mentorship, accelerator programs, and community workshops with membership starting at $199 per month and scholarship opportunities available.

Notable tenants such as Whole Story Studio, PantyPromise, and NightCap, the latter gaining national recognition on the television show "Shark Tank," demonstrate the diversity and innovation cultivated within these walls.

The group invested $1 million into this new site, aiming to establish a collaborative environment that fosters creativity and startup growth, even overcoming obstacles during its property acquisition.

As reported by HERE Jacksonville's coverage of West Palm Beach coworking space initiatives, Mayor-backed initiatives and strong community support position 1909 to become a vital hub for West Palm Beach's next generation of founders.

For a full breakdown of the new space's features and mission, see the comprehensive summary at HERE Jacksonville, and stay updated on ongoing developments via the Tech & Inno Tracker on NewsBreak.

Feature	Details
Location	Comeau Building, 319 Clematis St.
Size	9,000 sq. ft.
Facilities	15 private offices, 3 conference rooms, multiple kitchens, game rooms, 24/7 gym
Membership	240 entrepreneurs, $199/month (scholarships available)

Dr. Michael Salzhauer - better known as “Dr. Miami” - has propelled West Palm Beach onto the national healthtech stage with the launch of Bliss Aesthetics, an AI-driven platform for cosmetic surgery that recently closed an impressive $17.5 million seed funding round led by Shine Capital, with support from Synchrony Ventures, Sheva Ventures, and others.

Bliss Aesthetics leverages cutting-edge generative AI and computer vision to allow patients to realistically preview cosmetic enhancement outcomes, connect with board-certified surgeons, and access tailored financing solutions, all through an intuitive digital-first interface designed to boost transparency and patient confidence.

Since launch, the company has achieved a 500% expansion in its provider base, increased patient conversion rates from 40% to 80%, and now operates in six states, including Florida, with plans for further nationwide growth as demand for cosmetic procedures rises.

The platform is part of a global medical aesthetics market forecast to reach $200 billion within a decade, and notably, 25% of Americans are estimated to have undergone at least one cosmetic procedure.

Bliss Aesthetics is reshaping both the patient and provider experience, with Dr. Miami stating,

“For physicians, the next-generation platform streamlines patient management and positions surgeons to deliver more precise patient outcomes and improve satisfaction.”

To better understand Bliss Aesthetics' impact, consider the following table:

Feature	Impact
Provider Growth	+500% since launch
Patient Conversion	Increased from 40% to 80%
Geographic Reach	Available in FL, TX, IL, AZ, MI, NC; Expanding

For more details on the platform's technology and market context, see the coverage in Startup Weekly, which highlights Bliss Aesthetics' ambition to create a category-defining, AI-powered cosmetic surgery marketplace.

With artificial intelligence poised to impact up to 86% of jobs in West Palm Beach by 2030, local and statewide stakeholders are urgently assessing workforce vulnerabilities and the pressing need for upskilling.

The Florida Senate unanimously advanced a bill mandating a comprehensive study on AI's workforce effects, focusing on demographics at risk, wage impacts, and revitalizing training programs for displaced workers - a measure that would see regular reporting by the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research and broad consultation with business and academic leaders (Florida lawmakers advance AI workforce study).

Despite statewide job declines of 5.3% in April 2025, sectors like hospitality and human resources are bucking the trend with double-digit growth, even as remote work stabilizes at under 6% of postings (April 2025 job market report: sector shifts and remote stability).

University of Florida experts and students voice cautious optimism, noting Goldman Sachs' projection that 300 million jobs could eventually be replaced by AI, but emphasizing the enduring value of human oversight and creativity.

As Christian Niebauer, a computer engineering student, said:

"I don't think I can outperform a very advanced computer."

Sentiment on AI's ultimate impact remains divided, but data shows that AI-related job listings in Florida are up 42% since late 2022, highlighting a parallel rise in demand for advanced tech skills (Florida AI job growth statistics).

These trends underscore the urgent need for ongoing investment in education, reskilling, and local tech partnerships to position West Palm Beach's workforce for AI-driven change.

BrightNight's PowerAlpha platform has been honored as the “CleanTech AI Innovation of the Year” at the 2025 CleanTech Breakthrough Awards, a recognition showcasing West Palm Beach's growing leadership in clean technology.

This AI-powered solution redefines the development and operation of large-scale renewable energy projects by evaluating millions of configurations, integrating advanced financial modeling, and optimizing real-time plant performance through a dynamic digital twin.

As CEO Martin Hermann describes,

“PowerAlpha was built to reimagine how we generate and deliver clean energy. By combining advanced data science, machine learning, and power systems expertise, we're enabling the next generation of digital infrastructure and energy on both sides of the meter - smarter, faster, and more resilient. This award is an exciting validation of that mission.”

Used by utilities, data centers, and industrial clients nationwide, PowerAlpha employs sophisticated AI to minimize project risks, cut costs, and deliver dispatchable, reliable renewable energy.

The 2025 CleanTech Breakthrough Awards program, recognizing industry excellence across a $2.5 trillion global market, included PowerAlpha among top honors in artificial intelligence innovation.

Below is a summary of PowerAlpha's unique value across the energy project lifecycle:

Project Phase	PowerAlpha Function
Design	Evaluates millions of configurations to optimize project structure for geography, resources, and cost.
Development	Integrates financial and risk modeling to align decisions with long-term returns.
Operation	Acts as a digital ‘brain,' making real-time dispatch and optimization choices using AI-powered digital twins.

To learn more about this industry-defining innovation, read the full announcement on BrightNight's official news release on PowerAlpha's CleanTech AI Innovation Award, see coverage of all honorees at the 2025 CleanTech Breakthrough Awards comprehensive honoree announcements, and find technical details about PowerAlpha's capabilities on the BrightNight PowerAlpha platform information page.

West Palm Beach is witnessing robust leadership as the region navigates the challenges and potential of artificial intelligence across law, education, and industry.

The recent AI: Here and Now summit at Palm Beach State College gathered over 100 business leaders, educators, and students to discuss AI's profound societal impact.

A major highlight was an expert panel featuring Rich Coggins of The ODP Corp. and Chris Nielsen of Levatas, who emphasized AI's ability to “impact all industries from healthcare to finance, retail, and even some trades.” Data shared at the event underscored that as much as 50% of current work activities could be automated, warranting a reimagined, collaborative approach to human-AI workflows - especially in fields like law and compliance.

The summit's agenda showcased the breadth of discussions, from LLM-powered workplace transformations to education's evolving role in reskilling the workforce (see full event schedule and workshop details).

Meanwhile, West Palm Beach's presence at national conferences continues to grow, with GTB Technologies unveiling live demonstrations at RSA 2025, focusing on AI-driven data protection.

As Dr. Ava L. Parker, President of PBSC, observed,

“Events like this bring the real-world applications of AI to our campus.”

With new academic programs such as the Applied Artificial Intelligence Associate in Science degree, the city is proactively positioning itself at the nexus of technological change and workforce readiness.

West Palm Beach is emerging as a hub of AI innovation, spearheading transformative advances from education to global cloud infrastructure. This month, locally headquartered Vultr secured $333 million in growth financing, reaching a $3.5 billion valuation and cementing its role as a leading provider of high-performance AI cloud solutions; AMD's Senior VP, Mathew Hein, affirmed,

“Vultr's deep experience delivering secure, compliant and scalable cloud infrastructure and their deployment of AMD Instinct accelerators positions them as an innovative cloud solutions provider.”

The momentum extends into academia, with Barry University's launch of a dedicated AI Center, expanding workforce training and helping South Florida's tech talent meet surging enterprise demand through new educational initiatives.

Broader regional investment is further evidenced by Miami Dade College's collaboratives for workforce innovation, and the upcoming Impact Investing Forum in West Palm Beach reflects the city's focus on harnessing technology for positive social returns through responsible tech leadership.

For those eager to join this fast-growing sector, accessible bootcamps in cybersecurity, front end, full stack, and Python DevOps - complete with scholarships and flexible financing - equip learners for West Palm Beach's AI-fueled future with industry-aligned skills.

As funding, education, and collaborative ecosystem gains converge, West Palm Beach stands firmly at the forefront of the national AI revolution.