Robert Morcos, Founder & CEO, NEXA
May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Robert Morcos, founder and CEO of NEXA, about the growing demand for enterprise-grade IoT and mobility solutions, the strategic importance of domestic engineering, and local technology growth. “South Florida has a deeper engineering base than many people realize, including talent that traces back to the old Motorola ecosystem in the region,” Morcos said.
How would you describe the current landscape for enterprise mobility and connected devices across major industries?
The market remains largely untapped. The current B2B landscape offers a compelling “blue ocean” opportunity, driven by the industry’s fragmentation and the ongoing uncertainty among organizations regarding the optimal infrastructure for connected devices and enterprise mobility. There is substantial growth potential for organizations capable of designing, engineering, and deploying highly specialized solutions.
Connected devices have evolved from a peripheral consideration into a core operational priority. They now play a central role in enabling data collection, informing decision-making, and streamlining processes. Across industries, organizations are seeking to accelerate information flows, achieve real-time visibility, and build more adaptive, responsive systems — thereby driving increased demand for advanced enterprise mobility solutions.
What trends are driving that demand?
The biggest driver is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and its widespread adoption across industries. AI is fundamentally dependent on the efficient collection, transmission, and processing of data which must be done securely. Organizations seeking real-time insights and feedback must therefore invest in infrastructure capable of supporting these demands at global scale.
Verticals such as healthcare represent another significant growth vector, particularly in the context of IoT applications. Across all sectors, there is a clear shift away from slower, manual workflows toward integrated systems that deliver faster, more accurate, and cost-efficient outcomes.
How does NEXA help companies navigate that complexity?
We partner with organizations to design and deploy enterprise-grade IoT solutions tailored to their specific operational requirements, and to scale those solutions globally. Complex business environments cannot be effectively supported by off-the-shelf consumer products; they demand purpose-built solutions, specialized form factors, seamless software integration, and resilient connectivity that performs reliably across diverse geographies and operating conditions.
For instance, a healthcare device associated with an implant or other mission-critical application must function consistently across multiple countries, comply with varying regulatory frameworks, and maintain dependable connectivity through appropriate carrier networks. We streamline this complexity, enabling organizations to bring precisely engineered, compliant products to market with greater speed and confidence.
How are businesses rethinking their technology setups as operations become more mobile, data-driven, and complex?
Historically, many organizations treated device deployment as a commoditized function. This paradigm shifted significantly during the pandemic, when widespread shortages, logistical bottlenecks, and supply chain disruptions exposed the inherent fragility of that approach.
Over the past several years, organizations have begun to reassess how these needs are addressed, placing a premium on greater control and end-to-end visibility across the supply chain. The traditional “black box” model in which devices arrive with limited transparency into their origin, customization, or reproducibility is no longer acceptable.
At the same time, demand for tailored solutions has accelerated. Large organizations are moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all devices in favor of customized models aligned with their specific requirements.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the industry right now?
One of the biggest challenges the industry is facing at the moment stems from the long-term shift of design, engineering, and manufacturing to Asia. While these markets are highly efficient and supported by deeply integrated supply chains, such concentration also introduces meaningful risk. This extends beyond commercial considerations, touching on broader strategic and national security concerns. A core issue is the relative underdevelopment of the domestic supply chain for secure, connected mobile, and IoT solutions. Only a handful of companies in the United States currently have this expertise. In the absence of robust, widely accessible infrastructure, we have taken a more proactive approach by investing directly in building these capabilities ourselves.
That is why we announced a $100 million commitment to advancing domestic design and engineering to support our government and critical communications clients and partners. We view this not only as a compelling market opportunity, but also as a responsibility to help strengthen and expand the broader ecosystem.
How important are cybersecurity, privacy, and supply chain diversification in that effort?
They are critical. Cybersecurity and privacy are major considerations, but so is the broader issue of supply chain risk. Supply chain diversification matters because companies need confidence in where products are being built and how exposed they are to disruption.
As part of that effort, we have expanded manufacturing beyond China to include markets such as India, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Japan. Domestic manufacturing is also part of the picture, for certain government-related devices, although demand for that level of localization is strongest in the public sector.
How does South Florida fit into the broader technology and innovation landscape?
Historically, one of South Florida’s biggest challenges was talent attraction. For many years, the region was not widely viewed as a technology hub. But that has changed meaningfully.
South Florida has a deeper engineering base than many people realize, including talent that traces back to the old Motorola ecosystem in the region. Today, the area is in a much stronger position to attract top talent because it offers both quality of life and a business-friendly environment. More companies are relocating here, the economy is growing and the region is becoming more attractive to professionals and families.
As more businesses move from traditional hubs to the East Coast, South Florida is benefiting from that shift. South Florida remains the primary center of innovation in Florida, and we believe it is well-positioned to continue building on that momentum.
What role does NEXA play in strengthening that regional tech ecosystem?
We have been building in South Florida since 2011, establishing a presence in technology design before it became fashionable to talk about South Florida as a tech hub. In that sense, we have played an early and meaningful role in laying the foundation for the ecosystem that is now taking shape.
Our work touches multiple industries, and there aren’t any competitors in South Florida who bring the level of expertise that we focus on. This allows us to support a wide range of organizations that need industrial design and engineering capabilities for connected solutions.
The company experienced significant growth over the past year, doubling in both revenue and headcount, and we remain on track to achieve similar growth again this year. Our acquisition of Sonim further strengthened our engineering capabilities and scale. With a team now exceeding 250, we have built a more substantial platform from which to invest in talent, better serve our clients, and contribute meaningfully to South Florida’s continued development.
What are your top priorities for NEXA over the next 10 years?
My first priority is the continued expansion of our domestic engineering footprint, particularly in South Florida as it fuels all of our business lines. While we have already established a strong engineering base, there is evident and growing demand for greater in-country design and engineering capacity. As we scale this capability, we anticipate unlocking new opportunities to support a broader set of partners, while simultaneously reinforcing the resilience and depth of the domestic supply chain.
Equally important is executing on the $100 million initiative we recently announced. This investment is intended to elevate the Sonim brand into the U.S. leader in the critical communications market.
Are there any recent developments that help illustrate that momentum?
A notable example is our work with the Department of Homeland Security, including the Cooperative Research & Development Agreements (CRADA) that we signed. This engagement underscores the growing demand for domestically developed solutions and highlights the strategic importance of secure, U.S.-based design and engineering capabilities. It also reflects the fact that this shift extends well beyond the private sector. More broadly, the continued rise of artificial intelligence is creating meaningful opportunities for companies like ours. AI is fundamentally dependent on data, and data, in turn, relies on robust connectivity. Wireless infrastructure effectively serves as the central nervous system of this ecosystem; without reliable data transmission and processing, AI cannot realize its full potential.
This is where we play a critical role. We enable organizations to design and deploy machine-to-machine systems that support real-time data exchange and processing across a range of environments — whether on-grid, off-grid, satellite-enabled, 5G-driven, or leveraging emerging connectivity technologies. In doing so, we help underpin the infrastructure that allows industries to operate more intelligently and respond in real time.
