Wilson Bautista, CEO of Jün Cyber, is preparing the St. Petersburg-based cybersecurity firm for its next growth phase. (Photo by Mark Parker / Tampa Bay Reporter)
A local cybersecurity startup is blending combat-tested determination with a forward-thinking AI roadmap to better protect businesses, defense contractors and consumers from rapidly evolving technological threats.
Wilson Bautista, a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain, founded St. Petersburg-based Jün Cyber in 2019 to address complex, high-stakes problems. The boutique firm has grown from a two-person operation into a team of 20 by carving out a niche as a compliance-focused managed services provider for small and mid-sized businesses.
The veteran-led company is now preparing to take another significant leap forward. Bautista has announced that within two months, Jün Cyber will launch new AI-powered agents specifically designed to mitigate crushing administrative burdens associated with rigorous compliance requirements.
Bautista and his team have also developed a separate suite of digital project management tools for clients in the global defense industry. The overarching goal is to capitalize on “how technology improves and optimizes businesses.”
“We’re very forward-edge when it comes to technology,” Bautista said. “We are building some great products internally for us because we have the technology and capability to do that. When everybody was talking about ChatGPT and utilizing AI or cloning their voice, we were already doing that – like two years before.”
Before the coding and compliance, however, there was the Corps. While most tech firms design defense-industry products from the comfort of a boardroom, Bautista has the added perspective of someone who relied on similar systems while in the line of fire.
As a communications officer serving in Afghanistan, he saw firsthand how critical networks – radios, satellites and computers – were the backbone of battlefield operations. Bautista, who led a regiment-level platoon while deployed, was also responsible for ensuring front-line connectivity for thousands of defense contractors.
He would further hone his cybersecurity skills as a compliance analyst at Marine Corps headquarters. Bautista then applied his unique expertise to a global manufacturing company before launching Jün Cyber, which now operates from spARK Labs by ARK Invest.
“Friction in a combat environment has helped me become a better business owner,” said Bautista, while noting his life is no longer in constant jeopardy. “If I can do all that and survive, I can survive anything. The rest is a breeze.”
Many people throughout Tampa Bay share that mentality. MacDill Air Force Base is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and the 927th Air Refueling Wing.
The region is also a burgeoning hub for tech, cybersecurity, and life sciences. Jün Cyber offers a personalized suite of solutions for all three industries that reduce risks and increase productivity.
Bautista believes the new tools will further that mission. While “everybody is doing different things with AI agents,” those systems don’t “share the context with people who need to do the same type of work.”
“As the team works with that agent, they get the same skills, the same context,” Bautista elaborated. “We also have a lot of lessons learned from different engagements that we want to bring into an agent to provide us with consolidated views.”
Wilson Bautista retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a captain before launching Jün Cyber in 2019. (Photo by Mark Parker / Tampa Bay Reporter)
Bautista also plans to begin offering digital products to privacy-concerned consumers in 2027. Those include radio frequency-blocking wallets, cell phone cases, and mobile virtual private network (VPN) software.
Opening a merchandising division will reinforce Jün Cyber’s security-focused mission and bolster Bautista’s broader push to “diversify the services we’re providing – not just for businesses, but for day-to-day people,” he said.
While the firm is entering its next growth phase, Bautista’s commitment to “openness, family, and determination” will remain unchanged. “I don’t like to be close-minded, because ideas lead to more ideas, and you get more innovation,” he said of the first core principle, while noting that all new concepts must be “tempered with logic and realism.”
“And then, family is huge,” Bautista added. “My family was there during the hard times. We are literally a family-run business. I work with all of my kids, and that is a blessing.”
He emphasized that, at its roots, Jün Cyber is a company determined to support war fighters. Bautista once relied on client products in combat, and intimately understands “the importance of what they’re doing.”
However, a business-wide service-first mentality and dedication to operational excellence extend to all partners, regardless of their industry, Bautista pledged. “If there’s one thing I have to say – I’m super proud of my team and what we have achieved over the past several years,” he said.
“It’s amazing to see the growth, and not just from a revenue standpoint, but from an experience standpoint.” Bautista continued. “It has been an amazing experience.”
