In the world of technology, “plug and play” means to seamlessly add a piece to an array of tools, and make it part of the experience.
Osceola County — NeoCity in particular — is about to do the same with semiconductor talent, thanks to a Silicon Valley-based platform of the same name.
At the last Osceola County Commission meeting, leaders approved a three-year agreement with Plug and Play create a “Semicondcutor Vertical” accelerator program, to vet and present NeoCity with startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies that can further the nano and microtechnology efforts going on at the tech farm.
For its services, the county will pay Plug and Play $1.5 million per year starting on Jan. 1, and provide a $500,000 for startup costs or capital improvements the company needs. To renew the agreement each year, the company must reach “Key Performance Indicators” — bring at least 20 new startups, companies or organizations to be considered for the new accelerator program each year.
The intent, the agreement states, is to “Establish an innovation platform to drive business growth opportunities through collaborations with corporate entities and by leveraging their global innovation system; attract new techs and startups to NeoCity/ Kissimmee through innovated program that accelerate the process of identifying and selecting startups … between the County and Plug and Play’s greater innovation ecosystem.” Per the agreement, Plug and Play will establish an office at NeoCity by June 1, 2024, and its marketing material will refer to the program as “Plug and Play NeoCity” and specify the program is funded by the County. The company will provide quarterly updates to the county detailing its activities and progress.
Plug and Play Founder and CEO Saeed Amidi said the agreement breaks ground for both his company and the industry.
“We made the strategic decision to focus on semiconductor applications and can’t imagine a better location for Plug and Play’s newest endeavor than at NeoCity,” he said. “This is a first for Florida, and we are excited to partner with Osceola County, BRIDG, and imec to make this milestone announcement.”
The new accelerator will integrate and advance semiconductor research, development, industry application, and manufacturing capabilities, said Jim Vandevere, president of BRIDG, the non-profit technology consortium.
“This is the final piece to BRIDG’s strategy, which aligns imec’s R&D services with Plug and Play’s strength in commercialization,” he said. “We join our partners in celebrating this announcement and look forward to continued growth at NeoCity as we accelerate innovation and strengthen our role as the microelectronics advanced packaging hub for the nation.”
According to its website, Plug and Play has worked with firms like DropBox, SoundHound, US Bank, prominent insurance companies like Progressive, Aflac, The Hartford, State Farm and Farmer’s, electronic giants Samsung, LG and Kyocera, with world’s largest automotive and parts manufacturers and other global brands like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Panasonic and Visa.
