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The campus field guide

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida·University
Explore 17 programs ↓Campus website ↗

At a glance

Indexed programs

17

All currently active

Top direct funding

No direct cash prizes indexed

Equity

Mixed equity terms

Program mix

10

Small Business Center · Coaching · Incubator

Programs to explore

Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.

17 programs indexed

Startups

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  • Capacitech Energy

    UCF alumni supercapacitor startup (Joe Sleppy '18); Forbes 30 Under 30 2026, $2.5M raised.

  • Luminar Technologies

    UCF alumni-founded lidar company (Jason Eichenholz); $3.4B SPAC merger, Nasdaq LAZR, HQ in UCF Research Park.

  • Relativity Networks

    UCF faculty-linked hollow-core fiber optics startup for AI data centers (Jason Eichenholz + Prof. Rodrigo Amezcua Correa).

  • Soarce

    UCF alumni advanced materials venture (Derek Saltzman '23, Mason Mincey '23); Forbes 30 Under 30 2026.

  • ZuLeris Interactive

    UCF digital twin defense tech startup (Zack Zuniga, Liam Etan '24); E4D program graduate.

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More about this ecosystem

Ecosystem Overview

  • Student hub: Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) at College of Business, Cameron Ford (founding director) — coordinates Blackstone LaunchPad, UpStarts Accelerator, Joust Challenge, and academic programs
  • Coaching & mentoring: Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars — free coaching in Student Union, 1,200-1,500 students/year, ~3,500 appointments/year, $5K Fellowship grants, national showcase up to $75K
  • Student accelerator: UpStarts Student Venture Accelerator — free office space, advanced mentoring, cohort structure, Student Starter Award ($500), path to UCFBIP
  • Pitch competitions: Joust Entrepreneurship Challenge (year-long series: Ideas Tournament $5K → Innovation Tournament $15K → Joust New Venture Championship ~$50K), LaunchPad Ideas Competition ($4K)
  • Incubation: UCF Business Incubation Program (since 1999) — 8 facilities, 300+ companies, $120M+ revenue (2023), 1,000+ employees, Traction Phase, Soft Landing Program, Andromeda Ventures partnership (2026)
  • Research commercialization: Office of Technology Transfer — 57 patents (2023), 90 issued (2025), 140 disclosures, 61 licenses; UCF Venture Lab ($6M NSF ART); UCF Innovate umbrella
  • Entrepreneurial training: NSF I-Corps Site (Florida's first, since 2014) — 38+ companies, $1.5M+ raised, themed cohorts across AI/cybersecurity/robotics/sustainability
  • VC partnership: Andromeda Ventures (2026) — dual-use technology focus, venture pipeline development, Soft Landing access
  • Academic programs: BSBA Entrepreneurship major (College of Business), Entrepreneurship Minor (all majors), Undergraduate Certificate, MSM Entrepreneurship Track, Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
  • Small business support: FSBDC at UCF — 2026 National SBDC of the Year, serves 8 counties, free consulting

Known Startups

  • Luminar Technologies — Jason Eichenholz, lidar, $3.4B SPAC/Nasdaq LAZR
  • Capacitech Energy — Joe Sleppy, supercapacitors, Forbes 30 Under 30 2026, $2.5M raised
  • Soarce — Derek Saltzman, Mason Mincey, advanced materials, Forbes 30 Under 30 2026
  • Relativity Networks — Jason Eichenholz + Prof. Amezcua Correa, hollow core fiber optics for AI data centers
  • ZuLeris Interactive — Zack Zuniga, digital twin defense tech, E4D program graduate

News & articles

16 articles

News & articles(6)

University pages(9)

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