The 2026 Venture Capital Summit lands on November 12, and the timing fits. Miami founders keep asking where the next check will come from.
The Miami Finance Forum and the Florida Venture Forum are co-hosting. The evening runs from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at DUA Miami in Brickell.
The program pairs a networking reception with a moderated investor panel. The hosts say last year’s gathering drew about 180 people and expect a larger crowd this time.
The Panel Putting Valuations on the Table
Four investors will take the stage. Nate DaPore, founder and general partner of Roo Capital, is one of them.
The others are Junior Gaspard of Fulcrum Equity Partners and Dana Sadovnic Hamaui of Radian Capital. Jonathan Kilman of Govo Venture Partners completes the panel.
Richard Montes de Oca will moderate. He is a shareholder at Buchanan, the lead sponsor, and president of the Miami Finance Forum.
The agenda is blunt. It covers investment trends, access to growth capital and valuations, along with what shapes an investor’s decision.
Montes de Oca said the panel was assembled to examine those issues “from the investor’s perspective.”
Roo Capital has a local track record. The Coconut Grove firm co-led the $34 million round in Miami’s Comp AI, a compliance startup built on AI agents.
The Gap Founders Will Be Listening For
Founders will arrive with their own questions. Joshua Siegel of Acronym Venture Capital told MAIN the thin spot is early money. He said pre-seed and seed funding has grown but remains limited.
A room like this lets founders hear how investors weigh valuation before a term sheet arrives. The hosts frame the evening around the practical questions founders face when they raise capital.
Florida Venture Forum calls itself the state’s largest support network for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Its membership includes venture capital and private equity firms, angels and service providers.
That mix explains the pitch. The summit is built for introductions as much as for the stage.
The format is deliberately simple. A reception comes first, then the panel, then time for direct conversation.
Organizers expect venture investors, entrepreneurs, family offices and financial professionals from across South Florida and beyond.
Family offices are a growing part of Miami’s capital story. MAIN has spoken with Ignacio Lopez about AI and family offices.
Founders who go should arrive with a specific ask. Siegel’s advice to MAIN was to know exactly how much you need and where it will get you.
What Each Host Brings
The Miami Finance Forum was founded in 2006. It is a nonprofit that connects South Florida’s leaders in finance, investment management, banking and capital markets.
Chair Cynthia Rodriguez called the Florida Venture Forum “the state’s preeminent venture capital association.” She said the pairing joins complementary networks.
Florida Venture Forum CEO Kevin Burgoyne described the investment community in similar terms. “We’re seeing an increasingly sophisticated investment community, a growing pipeline of innovative companies, and tremendous opportunities for continued expansion,” he said.
Those are the hosts’ words, and the room will test them. Founders will judge the evening by whether a conversation turns into a follow-up.
Together, the reception and panel give founders two chances to meet the investors behind Miami’s deals.
Registration is open through the Miami Finance Forum’s event page. Members, non-members and eligible startup founders each have their own ticket tier.
The George Ballroom at DUA Miami, Autograph Collection, sits at 1300 South Miami Avenue. Sponsorship and exhibitor spots are still available through the Forum’s executive director.
Miami’s capital conversation is getting more specific. On November 12, it moves into a ballroom on South Miami Avenue.
Sources:
- GlobeNewswire: Miami Finance Forum and Florida Venture Forum to Host 2026 Venture Capital Summit on November 12 (October 30, 2026)
- Event registration, Miami Finance Forum
- Miami Finance Forum
- Florida Venture Forum
- MAIN Exclusive: Joshua Siegel on Miami’s Tweener Stage Gap
- MAIN: Miami’s Comp AI Raises $34M to Expand Beyond Compliance