Sarasota, FL – Florida’s technology story is no longer confined to Miami headlines and South Florida buzz. Sarasota is now entering that conversation in a bigger way.
TENEX.ai, the AI-native cybersecurity company building its headquarters at 2407 Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, has raised $250 million in Series B funding, a major capital injection that Business Observer described as a “seismic haul” for a region still early in its rise as a startup and tech hub. Bloomberg also reported the round values the company at more than $1 billion, putting TENEX into rare territory and underscoring just how much investor demand exists right now for cybersecurity platforms built around artificial intelligence.
For Sarasota, this is more than a local business expansion. It is a sign that Florida’s broader technology migration is continuing to spread beyond the state’s biggest urban cores. TENEX had already announced in October 2025 that it would establish its world headquarters in Sarasota, backed in part by the Florida Opportunity Fund and DeepWork Capital. At that time, the company said it had already surpassed $10 million in revenue in six months, secured multiple Fortune 500 customers, and expected to hire up to 100 high-skilled AI and cybersecurity workers in Sarasota over the following two years.
“I believe there’s no better place to build a business right now than Florida. Not only can you live in paradise and work where everyone else vacations, but you also have one of the best-run states, one of the best governments, and one of the best pro-business climates. We believe greatly in the state of Florida and especially the future of the “Cyber Bay” — we’re proud to have our headquarters in Sarasota and be building the future of cybersecurity here.” – Eric Foster, CEO…