Tech startups in line for $1.5M

TAMPA — Two tech startups run out of Tampa Bay Wave, an entrepreneur help center, are in line to receive $1.5 million from private investors.

One company, Harness, developed technology that allows purchases by charitable donors with linked credit or debit cards to be rounded up to the next dollar and the change automatically donated back to their charity. Harness is set to receive $1.2 million from lead investor and new board member Santosh Govindaraju, CEO of Tampa-based real estate investment firm Convergent Capital Partners, according to a statement.

Another company, Phonism, which works with Voice over Internet Protocol service providers, will receive a $350,000 investment, the release adds. The funds come from a group formed by Tampa attorney Rich McIntyre that includes Dave Henderson, Suren Ajjarapu, and Greg Ross-Munroe of Sourcetoad Ventures. Ross-Munroe was a Business Observer 40 under 40 winner in 2016.

Founded in 2008, Tampa Bay Wave is a nonprofit that has worked with and supported more than 150 tech startups.