INNOVATE ORLANDO WEEKLY: THE INNOVATION ECONOMY NOBODY EXPECTED

While Silicon Valley debates AI regulation and Austin chases its next unicorn, something interesting is happening in Orlando. This isn’t supposed to be where billion-dollar defense contracts meet cutting-edge fintech startups. It’s not where the world’s largest simulation conference shares a zip code with EA Sports’ Madden franchise. But here we are. 

This week brought proof that Orlando’s innovation story isn’t just tourism diversification, it’s a genuine tech ecosystem firing on multiple cylinders. Kore.ai earned global recognition from Gartner for conversational AI leadership. Red 6‘s augmented reality training is projected to save the U.S. Air Force $10 billion. EA Sports‘ College Football 26 continues to dominate the sales charts. And veteran-owned Serious Simulations just landed a $28 million Army contract. 

And here are a few of the many events coming up you won’t want to miss:  
– Unreal Orlando Chapter ORRA Pitch Day – August 29th  
– ScaleUp Orlando: A One-Day Conference for Founders and Small Biz Owners – September 18  

Check out all the events on our community event calendar here.

What makes this interesting isn’t any single company’s success. It’s how they’re all connected. 

THE AI AND FINTECH FOUNDATION 

This Week: 

• Kore.ai sets global benchmark for conversational AI across enterprise and healthcare 

• Worth AI redefines credit access with $25M in funding and workflow automation breakthroughs 

• UCF‘s Waldemar Karwowski advocates human-centered design to balance automation challenges 

Start here: Orlando’s AI story runs deeper than most people realize. Kore.ai’s Gartner recognition puts the city on the conversational AI map, while Worth AI’s $25 million raise shows serious fintech momentum. But the real story is in the fundamentals. 

Finexio relocated from Silicon Valley to Orlando in 2017, bringing $80M+ in funding and $30.9M in annual revenue to the local payments’ ecosystem. Biller Genie, ranked #482 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 with 850% three-year growth, manages over $3 billion in annual invoice volume and is very close to opening a new Orlando office, once they get past building issues holding them back from moving into the completed space.   

The connective tissue? UCF launched Florida’s first dedicated Master of Science in Fintech program, one of fewer than 10 such programs nationwide. Meanwhile, UCF Pegasus Professor Waldemar Karwowski’s research ensures AI development maintains human-centered foundations, crucial as fintech revenues project massive growth over the next several years. 

This isn’t coincidence. It’s infrastructure. 

WHERE GAMES SHAPE INNOVATION 

This Week: 

• Full Sail expands esports to online students at nation’s largest collegiate arena 

• EA Sports College Football 26 tops July U.S. sales again 

Orlando’s games scene is a thriving hub of creativity, education, and competition. EA Sports doesn’t just host esports tournaments, it builds the Madden NFL franchise here in Creative Village, creating industry-leading sports games. Full Sail‘s Orlando Health Fortress, the nation’s largest collegiate esports arena at 11,200 square feet with a 500-person capacity, hosted EA’s Madden Championship with a $1 million prize pool. 

But Orlando’s strength lies deeper than events. The region boasts a powerful game development talent pipeline through UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) and Full Sail University, renowned for producing skilled game designers, programmers, and artists who staff global studios including Iron Galaxy and Avalon. More than 80 Full Sail graduates contributed to EA Sports’ Madden NFL 25 and College Football 25 development, working in art direction, software engineering, and quality design. 

On the esports production side, Full Sail’s broadcast and entertainment students gain hands-on experience working on major tournaments in the Fortress. For the Madden Championship Series, 40 Full Sail graduates were hired in key production positions while 50 students received real-world training in sportscasting, production, live broadcasts, and content creation. This blend of academic training with professional event production strengthens Orlando’s entire live entertainment ecosystem. 

These interconnected talent pipelines fuel a vibrant digital entertainment economy, strengthening Orlando’s position as a national hub for both game development and esports innovation. 

THE $6+ BILLION SIMULATION MACHINE 

This Week: 

• Red 6 transforms Air Force F-16 training with AR, projecting $10B in savings 

• Serious Simulations wins $28M Army contract for patented smart devices 

• UCF firefighter develops VR training with military-grade simulation 

• Osceola County launches $4M tech library with AI, VR, and telehealth labs 

Now we get to Orlando’s secret weapon: the region annually secures about $6+ billion in modeling, simulation, and training contracts. This isn’t just big, it’s one of the largest concentrations of simulation expertise globally, anchored around UCF‘s Institute for Simulation & Training and the National Center for Simulation. 

The ecosystem includes Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Leidos, Raytheon, and SAIC, plus hundreds of specialized firms spanning optics, semiconductors, geospatial computing, XR, AR, and human-centered UX. Red 6‘s $10 billion projected Air Force savings and Serious Simulations‘ $28 million Army contract demonstrate real impact. Osceola County’s new $4 million tech library provides VR labs and AI training spaces to support this specialized workforce. 

What sets Orlando apart from defense hubs like Huntsville or Tampa isn’t just contracts, it’s convergence. Military simulation meets commercial entertainment meets aerospace heritage meets cutting-edge university research. UCF pioneered graduate degrees in modeling and simulation, while CREOL‘s photonics research rivals any global tech cluster. 

This combination creates something unique: a simulation ecosystem that competes with Silicon Valley in specialized technical depth and global influence. 

SPACE: THE $8 BILLION REALITY CHECK 

This Week: 

• Kratos Defense drives 17% revenue growth in unmanned systems 

• NASA opens $2M LunaRecycle challenge for moon waste recycling 

• Embry-Riddle develops AI for “Aviation English” communication safety 

Let’s talk numbers that matter. NASA generates $8.2 billion annually in Florida, supporting 35,685 jobs, with Kennedy Space Center contributing $5.25 billion of that total. SpaceX invested $1.8 billion creating 600+ jobs. Amazon’s building a $120 million Project Kuiper satellite facility. 

Orlando anchors this with major employers like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, plus emerging players like Kratos Defense posting 17% revenue growth. UCF‘s upcoming Space Week (November 3-7) includes The Economist’s Space Economy Summit, positioning the university as a serious space research hub. 

Lake Nona bridges Orlando’s business ecosystem with Space Coast operations, hosting companies like NUVIEW developing commercial satellite constellations. With 100+ annual launches projected from Cape Canaveral and $5.6 billion in space projects under development, Central Florida built the infrastructure to capitalize on commercial space growth. 

The advantage isn’t just geography. It’s the concentration of launch capability, manufacturing, defense contracts, university research, and airport proximity that creates an integrated aerospace corridor. 

THE REAL QUESTION 

Orlando’s innovation ecosystem works because its pieces connect. AI researchers collaborate with fintech startups. Game developers inform military simulation. Space companies leverage defense contractors. University programs feed specialized workforce needs. 

But here’s what matters: this isn’t just about Orlando anymore. It’s about whether second-tier cities can build technology ecosystems that compete with traditional hubs. Orlando’s $6 billion simulation cluster, $5 billion space economy, and emerging AI/fintech sector suggest they can. 

The question isn’t whether Orlando has arrived as a tech hub, it’s whether our community can strengthen the connections that turn potential into sustained growth. We have the right pieces, but do we have the right connectivity? What tools, events, or resources would help you scale? Are there exits that haven’t been celebrated, thought leaders who haven’t been heard, or collaborations waiting to happen? We want to hear from you. 

— Sheena

Want to support the work of spotlighting Orlando’s innovation economy? Innovate Orlando is a nonprofit driving visibility, alignment, and access across our region’s innovation ecosystem. To get involved or become a partner, reach out at info@innovateorlando.io.