Accuity, GISDATA.io, PURED & REEM to compete for $25,000 in Shark Tank-style competition
By UCF College of Business
ORLANDO, Fl. (April 4, 2024) — Four student ventures will compete for nearly $20,000 in cash prizes and more than $50,000 in business services at UCF’s version of Shark Tank—the Joust New Venture Competition Finals— on Monday, April 14, from 2-4 p.m., in the Student Union on main campus. The student business proposals include technology platforms that aim to reclaim electronic waste, keep drinking water safe, train future accountants and help urban planners harness the power of thousands of geographic information systems. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Cape Florida Ballroom (Room 316) at the UCF Student Union.
The Joust New Venture Competition is UCF’s premier startup showcase event hosted by the College of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Blackstone LaunchPad. The event provides key resources to finalists in the pursuit of launching their ventures and connects them to community leaders as the teams present their models for a viable business to a panel of judges. Previous competitors have gone on to appear on ABC’s Shark Tank and have launched successful businesses.
A panel of expert professionals representing corporate partners, area businesses and alumni assess the students’ business plans. This year’s judges will be:
- Jacques Fu ’08, Founder, PETE Learning
- Kevin Miller, President & CEO, Addition Financial
- Michael O’Donnell ’09, Founder & CEO, MOD Ventures LLC
- Michael Shannon ’76, Managing Principal, Liquid Strategies
- Justin Wetherill ’07, Co-Founder, UBreakiFix & President, Jeff’s Bagel Run
This year’s finalists beat out 12 other teams in the semifinal round April 3 in the college. The finalists include:
Accuity
Team Members: Jake Glidden
Accuity is a course platform and tutoring service designed to help UCF students succeed in challenging accounting courses, especially ACG 3131. With videos, exam reviews and one-on-one tutoring, Accuity aims to improve pass rates and achieve 75% adoption among students.
GISDATA.io
Team Members: Parker Dinkins
GISDATA.io transforms how enterprises access and use geospatial data for energy, urban development and environmental conservation. By consolidating over 2,000 data sources and one million datasets into one platform, it reduces search time and boosts efficiency, helping users make better decisions faster.
PURED
Team Members: Andrea Bardales
PURED is a rapid, portable device for detecting multiple waterborne pathogens, ensuring safe water and public health. Designed for diverse users, from agencies to researchers and homeowners, it makes water quality monitoring seamless and accessible.
REEM
Team Members: Gad Lisker
REEM uses AI and IoT technology to optimize rare earth element recovery from e-waste, improving efficiency and reducing costs. With 95% detection accuracy and up to 10-times higher recovery rates, the company aims to reclaim $1B+ in REEMs annually by 2030, advancing sustainability and the circular economy.
For more information about the Joust New Venture Competition, a list of past winners and more, please visit: https://cel.ucf.edu/competition/joust-new-ventures-competition/.