{"id":119431,"date":"2021-04-13T12:20:49","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T16:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=119431"},"modified":"2021-04-13T18:32:53","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T22:32:53","slug":"eco-friendly-activewear-wins-2021-ucf-joust-new-venture-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/eco-friendly-activewear-wins-2021-ucf-joust-new-venture-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Eco-Friendly Activewear Wins 2021 UCF Joust New Venture Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

When UCF materials science and engineering<\/a> students Mason Mincey and Derek Saltzman became fed up with plastics and synthetic fibers in athletic wear, they developed an entirely new fabric to solve the issue. The two students\u2019 environmentally friendly clothing material and their company, Soarce, earned the top prize at the Joust New Venture Competition, UCF\u2019s version of Shark Tank<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Soarce bested three other student ventures on April 8 to take home a $12,000 check and more than $25,000 in essential business services.<\/p>\n

Mincey and Saltzman pitched Soarce to a panel of judges representing companies including Addition Financial, BBIF and Echelon Fitness Multimedia. The pair won the judges\u2019 favor with a business model that leverages the existing competitive landscape of the athletic apparel industry. Instead of manufacturing clothing themselves, Soarce envisions a \u201cfabric innovation platform\u201d that allows retailers to weave their new fiber into a variety of products made by other companies.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoarce is separating itself as an eco-friendly, high performance brand that is attacking a niche consumer base willing to pay a premium to be early adopters,\u201d says Saltzman, CEO of Soarce. \u201cWe envision other companies integrating our fabric into their clothing as an innovative way to manage body heat and moisture.\u201d<\/p>\n