Multimillion-dollar tech startup transplanted to Miami commits to hiring new UM grads
A new-to-Miami tech startup that has already raised $80 million is now partnering with the University of Miami to ensure local graduates are being hired directly into the city’s booming tech ecosystem.
Eight Sleep, a tech company that designs high-performance mattresses designed to improve health and sleeping habits, said it had committed to hiring as many as five newly minted Hurricane alums per semester.
“We want to prove that the city can develop and attract great engineers, operations people, finance people, and marketers,” said Eight Sleep co-founder and CEO Matteo Franceschetti. “At Eight Sleep we have already developed employees internally, so we know how to do it. If we can give this opportunity to our community here, it’s something to be proud of and excited about.”
Immediate openings are available in the fields of engineering, software, finance, and marketing. The announcement represents another step in addressing a longstanding issue in the local economy: creating local, high-paying jobs that keep top talent in the city. It comes on the heels of a Knight Foundation investment of $4.3 million to the university to create six new faculty chair positions at its new Institute of Data Science and Computing.
Eight Sleep said it would also provide internship opportunities to students still completing their studies.
Founded in 2014, Eight Sleep is known for its smart mattresses — which automatically adjust temperature according to a user’s body characteristics and sleeping habits. Last month, SoftBank named Eight Sleep the third startup in its $100 million Miami initiative for investing in area companies.
Eight Sleep has been rated the top “smart” mattress, the top mattress for athletes, and the top cooling mattress for hot sleepers by SleepFoundation.org, a sleep resource site.
This story was originally published May 5, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
