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 SkyTL (powered by Improving Aviation), a Tampa-based startup that helps agencies, insurers, and responders prepare for and respond to natural disasters and other high risk events. 

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: Turning Data into Decisions 

As the world faces increasingly complex natural disasters and national security threats, SkyTL (powered by Improving Aviation) is emerging as a critical player in the decision intelligence space. Based in Tampa, SkyTL builds software that helps emergency responders, insurers, and the Department of Defense turn overwhelming volumes of real-time data into clear, actionable insights so the right calls can be made, fast.

Their flagship product, WindTL, is already making waves. Recently spotlighted by Google Cloud, WindTL uses cutting-edge AI to fuse satellite, drone, and sensor data into a single, intuitive platform that predicts and prevents catastrophic events, starting with wildfires. It’s a powerful example of how SkyTL is bringing next-gen technology to the front lines of disaster response.

As highlighted in Tampa Bay Inno, SkyTL is also building strong ties with major tech partners like Google, opening new doors for innovation and scalability. With its roots in public safety and defense, SkyTL isn’t just building tools, it’s delivering clarity, speed, and foresight in the moments that matter most.

Why These Startups Matter

What unites Nufi and SkyTL isn’t just technical innovation, it’s a shared commitment to solving complex, high-impact problems. From streamlining financial infrastructure in Bogotá to transforming how we prepare for and respond to natural disasters, these startups are building solutions that address urgent, real-world challenges with clarity and precision.

At Tampa Bay Wave, we’re proud to champion founders who are building with urgency, resilience, and purpose. Whether it’s unlocking financial access or using AI and data to prevent wildfires, these companies aren’t just innovating, they’re making a measurable difference. These are the startups making waves, and the ones to watch in the years ahead.