Identifying high-net-worth individuals in need of financial guidance is central to growth in the wealth management industry.
While advisors and sales teams use many signals to guide outreach, one of the strongest and most time-sensitive is often overlooked: the sale of a private business. A liquidity event instantly transforms business owners into high-net-worth individuals, creating a narrow window where the need for financial planning is at its peak.
We track more than 2,000 private company transactions each month in Dakota Marketplace and map those deals directly to key executives. This allows firms to gain a clear, actionable view into who has recently gone through a buyout and is likely navigating newfound liquidity, all in one place where you can view and act on every transaction.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to source key executives and CEOs!
Top 10 CEOs in Miami
1. Jake Soffer – FirmPilot
Recent Transaction: Extension Round | 2/26/2026 | $22M
FirmPilot, an AI-powered legal marketing platform, closed an oversubscribed $22 million Series A-1 round led by DeepWork Capital, with significant participation from Data Point Capital and existing investors, bringing total funding to $27.25 million. The capital will be used to accelerate product development, including a next-generation AI model and integrations with case management platforms, as FirmPilot looks to displace traditional legal marketing agencies with its data-driven, AI-automated solution for the 425,000+ law firms across the U.S.
Jake Soffer is the Founder and CEO of FirmPilot, where he has built a proprietary AI legal marketing engine that analyzes competitive landscapes and automates content and campaign strategies for law firms across the U.S. Under his leadership, FirmPilot has grown rapidly since its 2022 founding, securing $27.25 million in total funding and delivering measurable results for clients, including 180%+ increases in case volume.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
2. Adithya Venkatesh – Gushwork.ai
Recent Transaction: Seed Venture | 2/26/2026 | $9M
Gushwork, a Bengaluru-based AI-driven B2B marketing platform, raised $9 million in a funding round led by Susquehanna Asia VC, with participation from Lightspeed, B Capital, Seaborne Capital, Beenext, Sparrow Capital, and 2.2 Capital. The proceeds will fund product development, AI agent improvements, and go-to-market expansion as the company scales its platform, which combines generative AI with human expertise to help SMBs and manufacturers generate inbound leads through SEO across search engines and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Adithya Venkatesh is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Gushwork, where he has led the development of the company's AI-powered B2B marketing platform since co-founding it in 2023. His background in product management and AI integration has been central to building a platform now used by over 300 businesses globally, delivering measurable results including up to 500% spikes in website impressions within 60 days of deployment.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
3. Kristen Habacht – Elly
Recent Transaction: Pre-Seed | 2/25/2026 | $8M
Elly, an AI-native hiring platform, raised $8 million in funding led by Sorenson Capital, with participation from Atomic and Next Wave Impact, to support product development and customer growth. The New York-based company launched alongside the raise, offering a unified platform that combines sourcing, interviewing, and applicant tracking in a single AI-native system designed to reduce the manual coordination and tool sprawl that plagues modern recruiting teams.
Kristen Habacht is a seasoned revenue and sales executive who has transitioned into the CEO role at Elly, where she is leading the development of an AI-native hiring platform designed to fundamentally change how recruiting teams operate. Her background scaling revenue organizations, combined with a prior relationship with lead investor Sorenson Capital, has positioned her to build Elly into a category-defining solution at the intersection of AI and talent acquisition.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
4. Blair Austin Childs – Neural Earth
Recent Transaction: Seed Venture | 2/24/2026 | $9M
Neural Earth, an AI-powered geospatial risk intelligence platform, closed an oversubscribed $9 million seed round backed by strategic investors from the insurance, real estate, and technology sectors. The Miami-based company will use the capital to scale its Enterprise Platform Suite, which unifies satellite imagery, environmental sensors, and proprietary datasets to help property and casualty insurers and institutional real estate firms quantify climate-driven risk and accelerate business-critical decisions.
Blair Austin Childs is the Co-founder and CEO of Neural Earth, where he is applying his background in financial strategy and data analytics to build AI-powered geospatial infrastructure for the insurance and real estate industries. His ability to bridge complex climate risk data with actionable business intelligence has driven strong investor conviction, as evidenced by the company's heavily oversubscribed seed round attracting strategic backers from across the insurance, real estate, and technology sectors.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
5. John Ling – Meridian AI
Recent Transaction: Seed Venture | 2/11/2026 | $17M
Meridian, an AI-powered financial modeling platform, raised $17 million in seed funding at a $100 million post-money valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz and The General Partnership, with participation from QED Investors, FPV Ventures, and Litquidity Ventures. The company operates as a standalone IDE-style workspace for agentic financial modeling, differentiating itself from Excel-based competitors by integrating external data sources and prioritizing auditable, deterministic outputs tailored to the strict requirements of financial clients.
John Ling's extensive experience in design thinking and startup scaling positions him as a visionary leader in the AI-powered financial modeling sector. His entrepreneurial mindset and ability to build and lead teams have been pivotal in the success of Meridian. John's leadership style emphasizes innovation, efficiency, and a deep understanding of market needs, driving Meridian's growth and its mission to redefine financial workflows for private market investors.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
6. Benjamin Segal – Matia
Recent Transaction: Series A Venture | 2/10/2026 | $21M
Matia, a unified data operations platform, raised $21 million in Series A funding led by Red Dot Capital Partners, bringing its total funding to over $31 million. The capital will be used to accelerate product development and go-to-market efforts as the company scales its AI-native platform, which consolidates data ingestion, observability, cataloging, and reverse ETL into a single system.
Benjamin Segal brings an unconventional combination of computer science and neuroscience expertise to the CEO role, complemented by hands-on experience scaling data teams at Pangaea. Under his leadership, Matia has grown more than 10x, with the company successfully consolidating fragmented data operations into a unified platform now trusted by high-profile customers like Ramp, Drata, and Lemonade.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
7. Jaime Martinez – Terra Energy
Recent Transaction: Direct Lending | 1/29/2026 | $35M
Terra Energy, Florida's largest residential solar subscription provider, closed a series of fundings totaling $105 million, with a $35 million Green Loan from Breakwall Capital marking the final close alongside prior equity investment from ARC PE and Azora Capital and credit facilities from Banesco and First Horizon Bank. The capital will fuel the Miami-based company's expansion from Florida and Texas into California as it scales its subscription-based solar model, which eliminates upfront costs and long-term contracts while delivering customers up to 50% in electricity bill savings.
Jaime Martinez is the CEO and Founder of Terra Energy, where he has built Florida's largest residential solar subscription provider by reimagining a historically friction-filled industry model into a simple, no-upfront-cost offering that delivers day-one savings to homeowners. Recognized by MIT and Renewable Energy World for his impact in the sector, his leadership has driven rapid growth over the past 24 months, culminating in $105 million in total funding and expansion into Texas and California.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
8. Jared Azcuy – Alliance Ground International
Recent Transaction: Buyout/Private Equity | 1/22/2026 | Undisclosed
Lone Star Funds announced that an affiliate of Lone Star Fund XII has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alliance Ground International (AGI), a leading North American airport services provider, from Greenbriar Equity Group and Audax Private Equity for undisclosed terms. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Miami, AGI operates across 60+ airports with over 12,000 employees providing air cargo handling, ground handling, and passenger terminal services, with Lone Star planning to drive further growth and expansion across new and existing markets following close.
Jared Azcuy's extensive experience and strategic leadership have been pivotal in Alliance Ground International's growth and success. His focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency has positioned AGI as a leader in the logistics and air cargo handling industry. Azcuy's commitment to leveraging technology and expanding into new markets demonstrates his forward-thinking approach and potential for continued success.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
9. Oliver Page – CyberNut
Recent Transaction: Growth Equity | 1/21/2026 | $5M
CyberNut, a K-12-focused AI-enabled cybersecurity awareness platform, received a minority growth investment from Growth Street Partners, with the firm joining the company's board of directors. The capital will accelerate product development and go-to-market expansion as CyberNut scales its platform, which combines phishing simulations, AI-driven automation, and gamified micro-training purpose-built for school environments, and currently serves over 400,000 faculty members and 1.4 million students across districts nationwide.
Oliver Page is the CEO and Co-Founder of CyberNut, where he has combined a background in educational technology and entrepreneurship — including the successful scaling of NutKase Accessories — to build a purpose-built cybersecurity awareness platform for K-12 schools. Under his leadership, CyberNut has achieved rapid adoption across school districts nationwide, growing to serve over 400,000 faculty members and 1.4 million students by delivering a solution designed specifically for the unique needs and constraints of educational environments.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
10. Trey Cook – Starlims
Recent Transaction: Buyout/Private Equity | 1/13/2026 | Undisclosed
StarLIMS, a global enterprise laboratory informatics platform, announced a strategic investment from Turn/River Capital, a software-focused private equity firm, with existing investor Francisco Partners exiting its position as part of the transaction. The investment will accelerate product innovation and market expansion for StarLIMS, which serves over 1,100 customers across more than 2,000 laboratories worldwide, as the company looks to embed AI across its platform suite spanning LIMS, ELN, LES, and SDMS solutions.
Trey Cook is the CEO of StarLIMS, bringing over two decades of experience in healthcare technology and data analytics to lead the company's next phase of growth following Turn/River Capital's strategic investment. His customer-centric leadership approach has been central to building StarLIMS into a global laboratory informatics leader serving more than 1,100 customers across 2,000+ laboratories worldwide, with a focus on driving continued product innovation and operational excellence.
View the full profile in Dakota Marketplace.
Where Liquidity Events Become Prospecting Signals
Finding prospects may not be the challenge; it’s knowing when to reach them.
Private company transactions are one of the clearest signals of imminent need. They turn operating executives into newly liquid decision-makers almost overnight. Firms that align outreach to these moments gain a real advantage in timing, relevance, and conversion.
Dakota Marketplace delivers that edge.
Our combination of real-time private company transaction data and “likely to transact” signals allows RIAs and advisors to engage in timely, highly relevant outreach to individuals with newly acquired or soon-to-be-acquired wealth.
You’ll see all private company transactions in one place, updated continuously, so your team can prioritize outreach, engage with confidence, and convert at the right moment.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to source key executives and CEOs!
