FIFA UPDATES: EXPANDING TO MIAMI
FIFA is expanding in Miami as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup, leasing an extra floor in its Coral Gables office tower. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also announced his relocation to Miami, where he will stay throughout the tournament. Matches will be held in Miami and 15 other cities in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. FIFA already has 100 staff in Coral Gables.
SWISS FIRM, GAM HOLDING AG EXPANDS
Swiss asset manager GAM Holding AG is expanding in the U.S. by opening a second office in Miami’s financial district. The move responds to growing demand from U.S. offshore clients, particularly in Latin America. Director of Business Development Alejandro Moreno will relocate to lead the Miami office.
MIAMI CRUISE UPDATES
Royal Caribbean Group’s Icon-class fleet is expanding. Alongside the 2025 debut of Star of the Seas (below), an unnamed ship is under construction, and up to three more are planned. The Miami-based cruise company has contracted Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku for the fleet. Icon-class ships are the largest in the world. Also, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced its 21st ship, the Norwegian Luna, set to debut in spring 2026 from PortMiami. The new vessel will accommodate 3,550 passengers. Currently under construction by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the ship’s interior will be designed by Coral Gables-based Studio Dado, along with teams from Rockwell Group, Piero Lissoni, AD Associates, and SMC Design. The company’s current fleet includes 19 ships sailing to 450 global destinations. Norwegian Cruise Line will also launch a seven-day Western Caribbean sailing from PortMiami aboard the Norwegian Escape. Running in 2026, the new itinerary includes stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya, Honduras, and Belize.
FLIGHT UPDATES
American Airlines will temporarily upgrade Miami-Cancun flights to Boeing 777-200ERs at the end of the year. Normally serviced by narrowbody planes, the switch to widebody aircraft will add over 10,000 seats to the popular route. American Airlines will also add daily service between Miami International Airport and Rome starting July 5, 2025 and extend its MIA-Paris flights through August 2025. Starting December 5, 2025 it will also launch daily non-stop flights between MIA and La Romana, Dominican Republic, MIA’s third-largest overseas market in 2023 with 1.5 million passengers. Meanwhile, Mexican airline Aeromexico is launching new daily nonstop flights between Cancun and Miami starting Dec 2024. Moreover, British Airways has announced plans to expand its flights from North America to London in Summer 2025, adding 28 weekly flights for a total of over 400. Miami will see seven additional flights per week, along with a new lounge at Miami International Airport in 2025.
VANDERBILT’S NEW UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN WEST PALM BEACH
The Palm Beach County Commission has approved negotiations with Vanderbilt University to establish a graduate campus in Downtown West Palm Beach. The $519.6 million, 300,000-sq-foot campus will focus on business, AI/computer sciences, and include an innovation hub connecting students and local businesses.
EPAM ACQUIRES NEORIS
EPAM Systems Inc, a leading digital transformation services company, has announced its agreement to acquire NEORIS, a Miami-based tech consultancy with over 4,700 professionals across Latin America, Spain, and the U.S. The sellers are Advent International, a top global private equity investor, and Cemex, a Mexican-based global construction materials company.
ARGENTINIAN FINTECH COMPANY EXPANDS TO MIAMI
Argentina-based fintech company Veritran is expanding its U.S. presence with a new North American headquarters in Miami’s Coral Gables suburb. Located at Alhambra Towers, the office will house over 50 employees. Veritran operates in 14 countries and has created 500 jobs globally.
PORTMIAMI UPGRADES
PortMiami has received a $19.5 million grant from the Resilient Florida Program to elevate the Berth 10 bulkhead, protecting its cargo yard, roadway, and electrical substation from sea level rise. The project includes shoreline replacement and stormwater improvements, helping the port avoid operational shutdowns during storms.
EQUITY FIRM RELOCATES TO BRICKELL
Los Angeles-based private equity firm CREO Capital Partners has relocated its headquarters to Miami’s Brickell Financial District. Specializing in buyouts in the food and consumer sectors, CREO has raised more than $1.5 billion since 2005. The move aligns with the influx of financial firms to Brickell, where Ken Griffin’s Citadel is also building its headquarters.
ZUM RAILS EXPANDS TO MIAMI
Canadian payments software company Zum Rails has opened its U.S. headquarters in Coral Gables, with plans to expand to 100 employees. CEO Miles Schwartz will relocate. The office handles sales, engineering, risk, compliance, and customer success
AI-POWERED REAL ESTATE
Miami-based World Property Data has acquired the real estate data startup PROPSIG and its project, Property Ontology. Set to launch next year, PROPSIG is building a global platform focused on real-time property data, analytics, and financial modeling. The new AI-powered platform aims to provide 50+ million real estate professionals with market insights and simulation tools.
BRESH EXPANDS GLOBALLY
Bresh has teamed up with Carroll Street Capital to launch Bresh Global, a media and live events platform aimed at expanding Bresh’s global presence in the music and entertainment sectors. With headquarters in Miami and offices in LA and Madrid, Bresh Global plans to grow across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Carroll Street Capital specializes in media and entertainment investments.
HIG MAKES BIG SALE
H.I.G. Capital has sold its portfolio company Biovectra for $925 million. The Miami-based private equity firm sold the Canada-based pharmaceutical company to California-based Agilent Technologies. H.I.G. originally acquired Biovectra for $250 million in 2019 from the UK pharma firm Mallinckrodt.
BROWARD COUNTY COMPANY WINS MILLIONS
Zulu Pods has won a $2 million award from the Department of the Navy’s Office of Naval Research for developing fluid delivery systems for jet engines and drones. Based in Coral Springs, the company opened a larger R&D and manufacturing facility in Massachusetts. Co-founder Daniella Sladen hinted at a potential second facility in Florida. The company’s self-contained oil delivery pods are designed for short missions and improving engine efficiency.
BTG PACTUAL EXPANDS
BTG Pactual, Latin America’s largest independent investment bank, has acquired Miami-based Greytown Advisors, a firm managing wealth for ultra-high-net-worth clients in Central America. The purchase enhances BTG’s presence in the region and adds approximately $1 billion in assets under management. Greytown’s president, Marcello Correa, will become a partner at BTG.
