At Tampa Bay Wave, we believe the most impactful startups don’t just build companies, they solve real-world problems with bold vision and relentless execution. This week, we’re highlighting two amazing updates from Wave startups that are making serious waves in their respective sectors: Nufi, a Colombian fintech startup tackling one of Latin America’s most pressing financial challenges, and Improving Aviation, a Tampa-based startup bringing AI and analytics to the often-overlooked world of airport operations.

Nufi: Building a Transparent Financial Future for Latin America

In Latin America, fragmented financial data is a daily hurdle for businesses, accountants, and financial teams. Imagine managing dozens of accounts across different banks, platforms, and reporting standards, without a centralized way to make sense of it all. That’s the gap Nufi is filling. Nufi offers a powerful financial data consolidation platform that allows businesses to automatically sync, standardize, and visualize their financial operations in real-time. In essence, Nufi is building the financial nervous system that Latin American companies have long needed.

Nufi just announced that they raised a $1.5M seed round led by Magma Partners and GPCompas, two of the most influential VC firms in Latin America. With over 70 clients already on board, including accounting firms and financial advisors, Nufi is scaling quickly and strategically.

How it Works:

• Integrates with banks, ERPs, and accounting platforms
•  Cleans and consolidates fragmented financial data
• Generates centralized dashboards for faster business decisions
  

 Why Nufi is Making Waves:

• Solves a massive pain point in a $100B+ market
  
• Backed by leading regional investors
  
• Positioned as a foundational fintech layer for the digital economy
  

Nufi isn’t just improving financial workflows, it’s redefining what’s possible for business intelligence and financial planning across an entire region.

Improving Aviation: The Tampa Startup Streamlining Airports with AI

Airports are the backbone of global mobility, but behind the scenes, they face enormous operational complexity. From gate assignments and baggage handling to tarmac logistics and maintenance, the systems that keep airports running are often clunky, outdated, and siloed.

Enter Improving Aviation, a Tampa-born startup that’s on a mission to modernize how airports operate using real-time data and AI.

In a major boost to their capacity, the startup will be using their partnership with Google to use Google Cloud and Gemini to fuel SkyTL, its AI-driven mission management platform and WindTL, a wildfire prediction tool that models real-time fire behavior and supports public safety efforts. Working with Google for Startups is a pivotal stepping stone to continuing to grow their mission. 

What They’re Solving:

• Inefficiencies in ground support and aircraft turnaround
  
• Data silos across airport systems
  
• Delays and miscommunications that cost airports millions annually
  

Why Improving Aviation is Taking Off:

• One of the few airport tech startups with direct Google Cloud collaboration
  
• Built from real-world airport pain points
  
• Created in Tampa and growing into a national player
  
• Offers a rare combination of AI + aviation expertise 

From reducing flight delays to enabling smarter staffing and logistics, Improving Aviation is bringing clarity and coordination to an industry that needs both more than ever. Check out this video to learn more! 

Why These Startups Matter

What unites Nufi and Improving Aviation is not just their technical innovation ,it’s their unwavering focus on solving critical operational bottlenecks in overlooked spaces. Whether it’s untangling financial chaos in Bogotá or optimizing airport tarmacs in Tampa, both startups are improving the status quo in industries that impact millions of lives daily.

At Tampa Bay Wave, we’re proud to uplift and celebrate founders who are building with intention, navigating complexity, and scaling solutions that make a difference. These are the startups making waves, and the ones we’ll be hearing about for years to come.