The Fort Lauderdale Tech Meetup returns Tuesday, October 13, with a session on raising a first VC check.
It runs from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Levan Center of Innovation at Nova Southeastern University.
Three people who work with early-stage companies lead the conversation: Salomon Sredni, Joshua Siegel and Fritz Spencer.
What Is the October 13 Session About?
The topic is “Raising Your First Institutional Round: Insights from active investors on securing your first Venture Capital check.”
Organizers say attendees will hear what investors look for and what turns them off. They will also learn how to prepare for diligence before it starts.
The meetup calls it a “candid, practical conversation” about getting from first pitch to signed term sheet.
Who Is on the Panel?
Salomon Sredni is a founding partner of Ocean Azul Partners in Coral Gables. Coral Gables Magazine describes him as a former CEO of TradeStation.
Ocean Azul invests in business software and deep tech at the seed and Series A stages, the magazine reported.
Joshua Siegel is a general partner at Acronym Venture Capital. The firm backs AI-native and AI-enabled enterprise B2B software companies.
He told MAIN where Acronym invests. “We invest at the ‘tweener’ stage where companies should have already achieved at least $1 million in actual ARR.”
He also described the proof he wants. “I would rather a founder show me specifically their next 100 to 200 customers that pay $100,000 in ACV.”
Fritz Spencer represents the startup services side of EisnerAmper. His firm biography describes financial planning and analysis work for early-stage companies.
What Is the Agenda?
Networking starts at 6:00 PM, with light refreshments. The Founder Tactics Podcast fireside chat and Q&A begin at 7:00 PM.
Networking resumes at 8:00 PM, and the venue closes at 9:00 PM.
Registration is on Luma at luma.com/ftltechmeetup10.
Why Did Julia Lucidi Start the Meetup?
Lucidi founded the Fort Lauderdale Tech Meetup in 2023. It hosts monthly gatherings for startup founders and tech operators.
“I started the Fort Lauderdale Tech Meetup because I believed Broward needed more consistent spaces for founders, investors and operators to build relationships year round,” she said.
“Community isn’t created through a single interaction or one event. It’s built by bringing people together regularly enough that trust, collaboration and opportunities can develop naturally.”
She says the meetup is “very much about driving that ongoing layer of community.”
Lucidi also sees the meetup as one part of a larger effort. Collaboration among the groups building South Florida’s ecosystem makes the region stronger, she told MAIN.
What Do Founders Say?
Luis Luciani is co-founder of THEIΛ. Its product, ISA, or Interview Smart Agent, is a conversational AI interviewer that replaces the keyword scan with a real conversation.
He expected “another networking event with a little educational presentation.” He found something different.
“The moment I stepped in I noticed the crowd was different, almost as if it had curated itself,” Luciani said.
He now attends often. “It’s like having a combination of Stripe Sessions + ‘X Tech Week,’ locally every month.”
Each event leaves him with “2-4 to-dos in my action plan” and “at least, 4 strong connections to follow up with.”
See a previous Fort Lauderdale Tech Meetup here:
Where the Meetup Fits in South Florida
Florida startups raised $5.83 billion across 575 venture deals in 2025, Forbes reported. South Florida captured 71%, or about $4.14 billion.
The first institutional round still takes preparation. MAIN’s interview with Siegel covered Miami’s growing late-stage capital and its more fragmented early-stage funding.
The panel reflects the region’s geography. Ocean Azul sits in Miami-Dade, Acronym has Palm Beach roots and the meetup meets in Broward.
The venue has its own record. The Levan Center opened in July 2021 on the fifth floor of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library.
The 54,000-square-foot center was funded with $20 million, including $5 million each from NSU and Broward County.
What Comes Next
The session gives founders a date to work toward. Register on Luma before Tuesday, October 13.
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