By Global Miami Magazine
JEEVES EXPANDS GLOBAL CAPABILITIES
Jeeves, a Miami-based provider of financial operating systems for global companies, is expanding its services by now offering prepaid cards and cross-border payment capabilities for clients. According to Jeeves CEO Dileep Thazhmon, this will allow customers to transfer money in and out of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico within 24 hours, which usually takes up to seven days. Customers can make payments to vendors and suppliers in over 150 countries using their local currencies.
GLOBALX SECURES $35M IN FINANCING
Miami-based Global Crossings Airlines Group Inc. (Global X) announced the closing of $35M in financing with Axar Capital Management LLC, due for repayment in 2029. Most of the funds will be used to pay off the company’s existing loans and expand its aircraft fleet. Global X has also announced plans to further expand its operations in the cargo market. The company aims to acquire up to eight A321 aircraft by 2024, which will be deployed in the U.S. and Latin America. Additionally, Global X plans to introduce Airbus A330s for both passenger and freight operations in 2024, for long-haul routes.
SWISS COMPANY RENEWS CONTRACT
Schindler, a provider of vertical transportation solutions based in Switzerland, has renewed its five-year maintenance contract with Miami-Dade County. Schindler will continue maintaining elevators, escalators, and moving walkways that transport over 60 million passengers a year at Miami International Airport and across Miami-Dade Transit’s Metromover system.
WESTERN UNION WINS CYBERSECURITY COMPETITION
Western Union’s incident response team (aka cybersecurity specialists) took home first place at the International Cyber League’s Americas Cyber Cup, a realistic cybersecurity tournament. Hosted by Miami-Dade College and Cyberbit, the League put international teams of cybersecurity pros to the test by placing them in a “cyber range” where they had to defend against simulated cyberattacks. More than 100 teams joined the competition held at MDC, where the Cybersecurity Center of the Americas is located.
UPCOMING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS
Downtown Miami and the Brickell financial district are seeing a flurry of new activity.
KEY INTERNATIONAL has filed a pre-application with Miami-Dade County planners for a 51-story office tower on Brickell Avenue, designed by leading architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building will have 704,000-square-feet of offices, 7,500-square-feet of retail, and a 1,065-space garage.
THE DEVELOPERS OF the prestigious 830 Brickell office tower, Oko Group and Cain International, have increased their construction loan by $57M, bringing the total to $357M.
NEW YORK-BASED developer RFR has filed a pre-application with Miami-Dade County officials to build a 104-story tower in Downtown Miami on Biscayne Boulevard. At 1,047-feet, it will be two feet shorter than the nearby Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami, which will become the tallest building in Florida upon completion.
SIMON COWELL ACQUIRES DISTILLERY
“American Idol,” “X-Factor,” and “America’s Got Talent” judge Simon Cowell has invested in Miami-based Harry Blu’s Distillery. As a new co-owner, Cowell plans to help the gin brand move outside of Florida and into international markets. We’re impressed that he actually approved of something.
BNP PARIBAS OPENS NEW MIAMI OFFICE
BNP Paribas Securities Corp., a subsidiary of Europe’s leading bank BNP Paribas, will open a new office at 801 Brickell Avenue in Miami’s financial hub to focus on credit, equities, and macro products. It is expected to open in November with about 10 to 20 employees, with plans to expand staff to about 25 to 50 over the next year. Matt O’Connor has been named head of BNP Paribas Securities Corp.’s new Miami office, while Annabella Espina will be the office’s chief operating officer.
MIA INCREASES FACIAL REC TECH
Miami International Airport (MIA) is expanding its use of facial recognition software for traveler identification, designed to replace government-issued documents. Coming after its busiest year, and a preliminary test at several gates, MIA is planning to install facial scanners at 20 departure gates by the end of September and at all of the airport’s 120-plus gates by next summer.
GLOBAL TECH FIRM TO RELOCATE FROM MIAMI
Biotech firm ArisGlobal plans to move its headquarters from Coral Gables to Boston to be closer to customers. The main office is set to move to the Boston suburb of Waltham, a hub for the biotech industry where other companies like Boston Scientific and Pfizer are headquartered.
FIFA OPENS MIAMI OFFICE
To prepare for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has opened a 60,000-square-foot office in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables. The news comes a month after Lionel Messi joined the Inter Miami team. Miami will be one of 11 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN PARTNERS WITH INTER MIAMI CF
In related news, South Florida’s Royal Caribbean International is now a major Inter Miami sponsor and its official vacation partner through a multiyear partnership. The cruise line’s logo will be featured on Inter Miami’s home pitch DRV PNK Stadium, as well as on the soccer club’s social media platforms.
AMERIJET CONDUCTS FIRST FLIGHT TO MEXICAN HUB
Amerijet has carried out its first flight to Mexico’s newly designated cargo hub Felipe Ángeles International Airport from Miami International Airport. The Miami-based airline is now providing weekly freighter service to and from Felipe Ángeles Airport – about 30 miles north of Mexico City – after the decision to shift operations from the capital’s Benito Juarez International Airport.
NEW RIDESHARE EXPANDS IN SOUTH FLORIDA
inDrive, an international ridesharing app with over 150 million downloads in 48 countries, will expand its services in South Florida after launching in Miami in July. When requesting a ride, passengers can now choose between two vehicle types: inDrive (four-seater vehicles) and inDrive XL (six-seater vehicles). The company was founded in 2012 in Russia and then expanded to South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia before launching its first U.S. market in Miami. The service offers customers to “pay what they wish” – allowing the driver to decide if the trip is worth what the customer offers. inDrive will not charge drivers a commission, thus allowing them to take home 100 percent of each fare (minus airport fees and highway tolls). Globally, inDrive charges around 10 percent of each ride, the lowest among ridesharing companies. In Miami, inDrive will maintain a minimum ride price to ensure drivers are compensated fairly.
AMERICAN AIRLINES INCREASES SEAT CAPACITY
American Airlines plans to expand seat capacity to and from Miami International Airport this winter by 10 percent over last year. This comes after American announced its plans for a record 380 daily flights departing from Miami International Airport this winter.
TECNOGLASS MOVES GLOBAL HQ
Tecnoglass, a manufacturer of architectural windows, glass, and related aluminum products for residential and commercial buildings, has just moved its global headquarters from Barranquilla, Colombia to Miami. The move aims to further strengthen the company’s presence in the U.S., where most of its clients are from. The new global headquarters is located within one of the company’s existing facilities in Miami, with plans to purchase additional land to build a showroom and new executive office over the next 12 to 18 months. The company’s current corporate offices in Barranquilla will continue to serve as an operational and administrative center.
MIAMI FIRM DESIGNS IN PAKISTAN
Miami-based international architecture and design company Varabyeu is partnering with One Homes, a Pakistani real estate development group, for a new $180M mixed-use development project in the capital city of Islamabad. The partnership aims to build a landmark destination for the high-end real estate market.
