Nico Berardi is managing director of Accelerated Growth Partners, an angel investor network, which Knight Foundation supports to develop the South Florida venture capital community. Photo credit: Flickr user Carlos Granier.

I arrived in Miami in early 2011. Looking back, it seems like I moved to a completely different city than what it is today. There have been incredible artistic, culinary and entrepreneurial breakthroughs. In two years we’ve come far in creating a local tech scene, but we still have many obstacles to overcome. One of the most important is access to startup capital.

With the support of Knight Foundation, we’ll be working along three key initiatives to bridge the funding gap. The first is to ensure angel and seed rounds are stronger and more efficient. To do this we will relaunch Accelerated Growth Partners, a local angel investor network that was founded by Daniel Echavarria, Marco Giberti, Andy Sturner and Juan Pablo Cappello. We’ll hold meetings every four to six weeks and hear pitches from two or three startups. Only investors who are members will be able to attend. However, becoming a member is straightforward; you must be an accredited investor as defined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, pay an annual fee and commit to making at least one investment per calendar year. Our selection process for startups will be detailed on our website, and we’re going to stay abreast of what’s happening by partnering with Endeavor Miami, The LAB, Venture Hive and other organizations that are guiding startups.

The second initiative is investor education. This is a new “asset class” in the Miami community and many investors are looking to get involved. However, they need more tools and insight on how to add value when investing in the startup world. To do this, we are building relationships with the Angel Research Institute, the Latin America Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, the Angel Capital Association and the Florida Venture Forum. Most of these events will be open to the public, as we need more people to get excited about the space and have the necessary tools to get involved.

The third initiative is working towards bringing or launching local Series A venture capital funds. Through Accelerated Growth Partners we seek to strengthen seed and angel rounds but we also recognize there is another missing link in the ecosystem. We’ve seen many companies struggle once they need to raise larger rounds. Many times it leads them to either shut down or move to wherever the lead investors are located. This is a longer-term initiative so be sure to stay tuned to learn about how we will be structuring this.

Having worked at a nonprofit for seven years, I’ve decided I want to dedicate my life to generating impact. Accelerated Growth Partners is a perfect vehicle for this since Miami is becoming a hub for innovation and startups that will generate global impact.  Overcoming the funding obstacle will further unlock Miami’s potential, and we’re  looking forward to working with the community to make that happen.