“There’s a lot of places that say, ‘Hey, look at all the things we’ve done.’ And then there’s UCF that says, ‘Look at all the things we’re doing,’ ” Sleppy says. “I wanted to be part of building the future.”

“I wanted to be part of building the future.” — Joe Sleppy

In his first year, he landed undergraduate research opportunities thanks to UCF’s , which offers students opportunities for career exploration and experiential learning in STEM the first two years of their college career.

In UCF Professor of Nanotechnology Jayan Thomas’ lab, the two partnered on the idea that would eventually become Capacitech Energy, where Sleppy has served as CEO since its inception in 2016 during his sophomore year.

Future-Proofing the Power Grid

Capacitech is a rapid response energy storage leader building high-power and space-conscious energy storage systems for an increasingly complex grid. Essentially, Sleppy and his team turn supercapacitor components into modular, plug-and-play systems that harden power infrastructure against power demand spikes, outages and equipment damage.

Sleppy explains traditional power infrastructure, such as generators and batteries, are like a marathon runner whereas supercapacitors are more like a sprinter. Modern facilities — like data centers that power AI — demand power 24/7 but also demand even more power than normal for just a few seconds. Ideally, both a sprinter and marathon runner are required. So, Capacitech’s products make it practical to form relay teams between the traditional infrastructure (marathon runners) and supercapacitors (sprinters).

“If we can use supercapacitors to complement batteries, generators, fuel cells and the broader grid to serve this demand profile that’s coming from manufacturing facilities and data centers, then we’re making the world a better place — economically, but also in terms of power sustainability and security. And I think that that’s very important,” Sleppy says.

They made their first commercial sale in 2022 to Red Bull and have been running full force ever since.

Built by UCF

The company was bolstered by many resources at UCF on its way to raising the $2.5 million it has so far through investors and federal research and development programs. To this day, UCF’s continues to house Capacitech’s operations with adaptable leasing structures, physical space, mentoring programs and community that have adapted to their needs as they’ve grown. This year, they’ll expand into new warehouse in research park, adjacent to UCF’s campus.

“The world is watching. Let’s use innovation and entrepreneurship to make it better.” — Joe Sleppy

“UCF encouraged me to think outside of the box,” he says. “UCF is an innovative university because they’ll ask, ‘Why not?’ I think I share the same philosophy with running Capacitech. Let’s try it. The world is watching. Let’s use innovation and entrepreneurship to make it better.”

In 2026 Sleppy expects Capacitech to announce new partnerships and pilot programs in industry. And they’re already engaged in mentoring the next generation of Knights with internship opportunities for students.

“Entrepreneurship is how the world gets better — whether it’s a nonprofit or a tech startup like ours,” Sleppy says. “By reducing strain on the grid and extending the life of critical infrastructure like batteries and microgrids, we’re making energy systems more resilient and accessible. That means fewer vulnerable communities at risk and more room for innovation to grow. It’s hard not to get excited when your work genuinely makes the world better.”

Joe Sleppy was recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Energy & Green Tech list in 2026.

Zuniga founded ZuLeris Interactive in 2023 after realizing the opportunity to create simulations for specialized electromagnetic defense training through his Entrepreneurship for Defense course while earning degrees in both electrical and photonics engineering.

Nearly a year later, the company has earned its first contract and acceptance to the UCF Business Incubation Program where it will accelerate innovation and unleash its potential.

ZuLeris will integrate its electromagnetic warfare virtual training environment into tactical awareness kits through its first contract with Chesapeake Technology International (CTI), its sponsor company. The team will work to enable communication of CTI’s geospatial mapping and constructive electromagnetic capabilities with ZuLeris’ visualization of the electromagnetic spectrum to conduct immersive training scenarios.

The promising company is looking to continue its initial success and harness the UCF Business Incubation Program’s resources in its quest to defend against threats unseen.

“When you see the wars that are happening nowadays, it’s more prevalent than ever, and so it’s important that the soldiers have the training that they need for this,” Zuniga says. “And so how can you be ready for something you can’t see? Well, the answer isn’t through simple presentations; it’s simulations that you can play with. That’s what we aim to do as a company to make that training happen.”

The simulation is played on a computer or tablet to ensure that it is compliant with defense industry standards and easily deployed as a training exercise. Users’ response times and effectiveness are measured as they navigate through a virtual area with varied terrain and obstacles to track and determine where an electromagnetic signal is coming from.

“You walk around with your spectrum analyzer and your map, and then you draw lines on the map to try and triangulate where exactly the signals coming from,” Zuniga says. “Once you find your signal, then you get given a measure of effectiveness report, which is telling you how you did and where you could have done better.”

Existing training consists of searching for an object with a signal embedded in it and then hidden within a challenging environment. It can be costly and time consuming to stage these exercises, Zuniga says. However, their simulations have the potential advantage of being able to create a virtual space that is close to an inaccessible area where users may experience electromagnetic interference.

“The problem we’re trying to solve was, how do we take this training that’s really costly that usually comes with a lot of paperwork, and get all that ready to go for an hour training?” Zuniga says. “We wanted to make it so you can do it whenever and wherever you want.”

Zuniga and UCF student and co-founder Liam Etan ’24 received defense agency sponsorship to develop their ideas through class, advancing through multiple defense-oriented technology competitions that showcased their simulation and validated that their technology was worthy of pursuing and growing.

The journey in developing ZuLeris has been both expeditious and exciting, as the supportive team has been crucial to maintaining direction, Zuniga says.

“Sometimes I wonder, ‘Am I really ready for this kind of thing?’” Zuniga says. “I’m still a student, and it’s a huge jump, and it’s a jump that I’m still learning. The easiest way that I have found to handle that process is having a co-founder on your side to help you along that journey, and vice versa. Liam is fantastic, and he helped me in so many ways that I don’t think I could ever do without him.”

Etan, who received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, is the company’s chief operating office. He says he’s grateful to be a part of ZuLeris and see how the UCF Business Incubation Program can help.

“It’s always important to emphasize how truly grateful we are for the community in Orlando and all of our mentors, especially organizations like the National Security Innovation Network, UCF, and the Tech Grove,” he says. “We are still brand new to the incubator, but so far, we’ve been able to establish a real address and office for the company, rather than using our parents’ homes. We’ve also already been able to have very productive meetings with the incubator team that have helped us decide on next steps.”

The additional boost the mentorship and guidance the incubation program provides can almost literally be a game changer, Zuniga says.

“It gets rid of all those potential roadblocks along the way,” he says. “We can even prepare for those we didn’t even know about. Having that foresight is fantastic, and that’s where the incubator is really helpful.”