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The latest from Central Florida’s dynamic startup ecosystem — innovative ventures, groundbreaking research, student achievements, and local entrepreneurial events.
An Idea, Thousands of Dollars and (3 Years Later) a Breakthrough
ToolCharm, founded by UCF computer science students Mark Bruckert and Owen Burns, developed an AI-powered technology that enables software applications to integrate and communicate seamlessly, reducing the friction of switching between platforms and tools. After three years of development, the company successfully brought its technology to market and was acquired by fintech company OneEthos, where its technology is being used to help make financial services more accessible to smaller banking institutions and the communities they serve.
Read more — An Idea, Thousands of Dollars and (3 Years Later) a Breakthrough
Graduating UCF Student Founded Business to Help Others Obtain Disability Benefits
Unbound Disability Claims co-founded by Alyssa Wilbanks provides a software-driven platform designed to simplify and accelerate the Social Security Disability application process. By offering intuitive self-service claim-building tools, the company helps applicants navigate complex benefits filings without relying on expensive legal assistance.
Read more — Graduating UCF Student Founded Business to Help Others Obtain Disability Benefits
UCF Students’ Simulation Startup Finds Home at UCF Business Incubation Program, Earns First Contract
Ender Technologies, founded by Zack Zuniga and Liam Etan, is a defense technology company developing AI-powered simulation environments designed to improve electromagnetic warfare training, mission planning and battlefield awareness. Through its Ender’s Eye platform, the company creates high-fidelity digital environments that integrate electromagnetic activity, terrain, drones and sensor data, helping warfighters visualize complex operational scenarios and train without the cost and constraints of live exercises.
Read more — UCF Students’ Simulation Startup Finds Home at UCF Business Incubation Program, Earns First Contract
Wriggle Brew ‘Worm Tea’ Fertilizer Wins at UCF’s 2022 Joust New Venture Competition
WriggleBrew, founded by Sam Baker and Gabriel DeGaglia, is an agricultural biotechnology company developing organic fertilizers and soil amendments that improve plant health while reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals. Its Growth & Rescue formula combines worm castings, beneficial microbes and fungi to deliver nutrients, improve soil health and help protect plants from pests, while the company continues researching how worms and microorganisms can be used to address broader environmental challenges such as plastic waste and fertilizer runoff. Awarded a 1.2 Million National Science Foundation grant in 2025 to expand production.
Read more — Wriggle Brew ‘Worm Tea’ Fertilizer Wins at UCF’s 2022 Joust New Venture Competition