Computer science major Harrison Keating, information technology major Noah Magill and cybersecurity master’s student Joshua Walsworth participated in the Shark Tank-style competition at The Celeste Hotel with three other teams. Their venture, CyberColosseum Solutions, aims to assist users in defending against cyber threats and protecting companies from potential attacks. This software company is the first to win since 2015.
Walsworth, who works as a security engineer at Lockheed Martin, stated that their main priorities will be developing their product and finding customers in the early stages. He also mentioned that in the future, more businesses will rely on their product to train their cybersecurity staff to effectively combat cyber-attacks.
Similar to the TV show Shark Tank, the teams presented their ideas to a panel of six judges, which included Jacques Fu, Kevin Miller, Mark Norato, Michael O’Donnell, John Paccione, and Edward Schons. The Joust is an annual startup showcase event at UCF organized by the College of Business’ Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, open to students of all majors. Participants present their business models and compete for funding and resources to launch their ventures. This event serves as a platform to celebrate student entrepreneurs, connect them with community leaders, and provide necessary resources for their projects.
CyberColosseum Solutions was one of the four finalists selected from a pool of 16 semi-finalists. Unbound Disability Claims, represented by Rollins College student Samson Lachman, Amanda McDonald, and health sciences major Alyssa Wilbanks, developed a platform similar to Turbo Tax for Social Security Disability claims and secured second place, winning $7,000. ZuLeris Interactive, a team comprising mechanical engineering major Liam Etan, computer science and mathematics major Jacob Noel, and photonic and electrical engineering major Zackary Zuniga, created a virtual training environment for electromagnetic warfare and earned $4,000 for third place. Emergency Insights, with team members Aref Abdala, Javier Arocha, Julio Wall Chirinos, and Sonia Alvarez, aerospace and mechanical engineering majors, developed technology for hazard awareness and received $2,000 in fourth place.
The 2024 Joust New Venture Competition was supported by sponsors such as NPerspective, The Orlando Law Group, the Institute of Internal Auditors, Ecobyte, UCF’s Business Incubation Program, and Think Integrated.