Last week, eMerge Americas filled the Miami Beach Convention Center for two days, March 27 and 28, and Vugo was back. A year ago, we were in the Startup Showcase and placed in the Top 25. This year, I came back to see the next class and to talk about how brands can reach people in motion.

The biggest eMerge yet

By every count, this was eMerge's biggest year. The City of Miami Beach called it the largest crowd in the event's history: about 20,000 people from more than 60 countries, more than 330 exhibitors, and 126 sessions with more than 230 speakers across AI, cybersecurity, fintech, health tech and more.

Startup Alley was as lively as we remember it. More than 100 startups pitched over the two days, and it all came down to a "Shark Tank" style finale on the main stage, where the top five startups from the accelerator pitched live for a $125,000 investment. Having been in that program last year, we know how much work goes into those five minutes. Congratulations to every company that made it to the stage.

What's changed for Vugo since last year

A lot can happen in a year. Here's some of what we've been building since our last eMerge:

  • Events and venues. Last summer, we added real-time event and venue data through a partnership with Nrby.io. TripIntent®, which helps decide which ad comes next, can now weigh the games, concerts and festivals happening nearby. It's a priority, never a filter: it puts the most relevant ad first without shutting the others out.
  • Fleets on both sides of the Atlantic. We spent much of 2024 giving live, in-vehicle demos with our partner fleets, from Orlando and Dallas to the Global Taxi Summit in Manchester, England.
  • Austin, just before Miami. Last month at SXSW, we sponsored the Future+ House of Innovation, ran its shuttle and sat on its opening panel on the future of out-of-home.

Thank you, eMerge

Thank you to the eMerge Americas team for another great year, and for everything the program did for Vugo last year. eMerge keeps making the case for Miami as a place to build, and we're glad to be part of it.

If we didn't get to meet in Miami Beach, we'd love to talk. Read about our Top 25 finish last year, see vehicle wraps and in-vehicle screens, or get in touch.