Electrical engineering student Joe Sleppy earned first place in the UCF Joust New Venture Competition with Capacitech Energy, a startup developing lightweight, cable-based supercapacitors designed to reduce the battery load carried by soldiers in the field. Sleppy and his team received $12,000 in funding and more than $60,000 in business services to advance their technology, which is initially aimed at Department of Defense applications with future plans to expand into hybrid vehicle systems.

Capacitech topped a strong field that included ventures focused on drug testing innovation, interactive communication platforms, and collaborative music creation. Dr. Cameron Ford, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, praised the creativity and courage displayed by student participants. The Joust, one of UCF’s premier entrepreneurship competitions, continues to empower student founders by providing funding, mentorship, and exposure to industry leaders and judges from across the business community.
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