Uniting & Promoting Technology Education Communication Collaboration Innovation in Sunny Southwest Florida

Our History - SWFLTech, Inc.

Uniting & Promoting Technology In Sunny Southwest Florida

From the inventions of our own Thomas Edison in 1885 to the present, sunny Southwest Florida has a reputation for developing innovation leaders.

Today, we continue to see innovation in every organization and are inspired by the founders who call Southwest Florida home.  SWFL Tech was originally founded in 2008 as the Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership.  The original partnership was between regional Economic Development Councils, Florida Gulf Coast University, and community leaders who believed in the value proposition of focusing on the growth of the tech sector.  Since then, our regional tech ecosystem has evolved.  And while our mission remains the same, our priorities are evolving to meet the current and future needs of our region.  

A regional tech ecosystem is a network of interconnected organizations, individuals, and resources within a specific geographic area that collaboratively drive technological innovation, economic growth, and talent development. It typically includes tech companies, startups, educational institutions, government agencies, investors, and support organizations like incubators and accelerators, all working together to create a thriving innovation environment.

SWFL Tech is a volunteer-led non-profit backed by a strong group of leaders that promote, support, and celebrate the tech ecosystem as a whole – the people, spaces, and places where innovation happens. We aspire to be the connecting point, fill gaps, illuminate the local legacy of innovation, and provide an inclusive base for today’s and tomorrow’s technologies, technologists, and visionaries.

Prior to 2020, our members’ support allowed us to partner with others on educational events, host the Annual Tech Summit and Tech Awards, co-create research projects, provide scholarships to high school students and so much more.  However, our membership renewals were suspended out of respect for those that were struggling through Covid (2020) and the aftermath of Hurricane Ian (2022).  We scaled back operations to accommodate the loss in revenue so we have been somewhat quiet since then.  

Our roadmap was revised in 2025 to focus on the following:

  1. Rebuilding our membership
  2. Delivering information of value through our newsletter and website
  3. Recognizing individuals and organizations driving innovation and growth in the development and application of technology
  4. Connecting job seekers and employers at the annual SWFL TechMatch event
  5. Supporting high school students as the fiscal agent for our regional FIRST Robotics Team and the SWFL Aspirations in Computing Program
  6. Fostering innovation by listening and acting upon our members’ ideas to advance common objectives (within available resources)

We invite companies and organizations to become a paid member to demonstrate their commitment to growing a strong tech ecosystem in Southwest Florida. 

Individuals are invited to subscribe to subscribe to our free newsletter

Mission

Championing the growth of Southwest Florida’s technology sector via a vibrant ecosystem dedicated to advancing technological excellence and economic prosperity.

Uniting & Promoting Technology Education Communication Collaboration Innovation in Sunny Southwest Florida

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