UCF I-Corps Announces Third Cohort

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Nine Entrepreneurial Teams Selected
Representing Cross Section of University Programs

(ORLANDO, Fla) – Nine teams were chosen by the University of Central Florida (UCF) I-Corps selection panel, as part of its activities that support the Florida Innovation Network, to move research discoveries out of university labs and into the marketplace.

Created by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Innovation (I-Corps) is an important economic development initiative that identifies university researchers, and provides them mentoring and startup funding, to connect research into emerging products and services that benefit societal needs.

The third class (cohort) represents a cross section of students from various UCF programs ranging from entertainment media, nanoscience, virtual simulation, communications, political science, as well as modeling and simulation.

I-Corps Selection Panel selects cohort 3 teams. Panel consists of (from left to right): Tom O'Neal, Phil Dumas, George Gramatikas, Oscar Rodriguez, Ben Patz, Michael O'Donnell and Ivan Garibay.

I-Corps Selection Panel selects cohort 3 teams. Panel consists of (from left to right): Tom O’Neal, Phil Dumas, George Gramatikas, Oscar Rodriguez, Ben Patz, Michael O’Donnell and Ivan Garibay.

Selected teams include:

  • UTA SiM – developing a simulation-based tool that allows for fast, easy and automated construction of simulation models from a spreadsheet.
  • Wear Lab – developing a vibro-tactile belt that facilitates safe, efficient, urban navigation for visually impaired and complements existing technologies.
  • Bygshift – developing an app to bridge information gap faced by transfer students.
  • Safety Simulations – developing a 3 dimensional virtual simulation for safety that can be used by any industry for safety training.
  • Diversity & Intercultural Communication Training – developing a simulation based intercultural and diversity training.
  • AR Enhanced Playing Cards – developing a procedural/process based training tool available on demand.
  • Capacitech – utilizing nanoscale materials to design and develop coaxial cable incorporated with supercapacitors.
  • Wind Swarm – developing a reliable, low to no maintenance, durable anemometer system with no moving parts.
  • iMyth – developing an interactive program, theme-world engine, to provide an enhanced entertainment and immersive experience to customers.

The UCF I-Corps program provides aspiring entrepreneurs with an immersive, hands-on program designed to teach them how to test their ideas, gauge feasibility, understand consumer demand, examine competition and develop mutually beneficial partnerships to help transition their ideas into profitable enterprises. Experienced advisors and mentors oversee the teams and coach them toward success.

“We thought we were brilliant and knew everything we needed to know to succeed, but the I-Corps program made us realize that we didn’t know enough. Throughout the weeks we learned a lot of valuable lessons, as our instructors provided us with the keys to discover our potential and go on to start and grow a successful company,” says David Nash of Smartphone Spectrometer (cohort 1).

Ivan Garibay, Ph.D., serves as Program Director for UCF I-Corps.   Dr. Garibay said, “UCF’s I-Corps program is a collaborative effort to advance innovative projects with the potential to create new products, companies and jobs within the state. It serves as a key economic engine in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

For more information about UCF I-Corps, please contact us.