Techstars pushes KC startup to sharpen long-term vision as it strengthens AI, robotics focus

A Missouri-built startup’s road trip to Alabama is paying off as it evolves into a physical AI and robotics company focused on wastewater infrastructure, said co-founder Jacob Miller, touting the early, catalytic impact of a 10-week Techstars pre-accelerator on SiteScan.

Ian Foster, co-founder of SiteScan, speaks during a Techstars Founder Catalyst Retreat event in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; courtesy photo

The company just passed the midway point of Techstars Founder Catalyst Alabama — organized as a hybrid program through which Miller and co-founder Ian Foster split time between SiteScan’s Kansas City headquarters and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

“Being selected for Techstars is another strong validation point as SiteScan moves from customer discovery into paid work, partnerships, and deeper product development,” explained Miller. “It also reinforces that the problems we’re solving in wastewater infrastructure are resonating beyond just the customers we’ve spoken with directly.”

Led by University of Missouri-Columbia grads, SiteScan is a Digital Sandbox KC-funded company and GMS Tech alum that also has competed in a range of local pitch competitions — most notably Pure Pitch Rally and Missouri Startup Weekend — as well as being featured at InvestMidwest in 2026.

Jacob Miller and Ian Foster, SiteScan, pitch their startup idea during the 2025 Missouri Startup Weekend in Columbia, Missouri; photo by Ryann Schenewerk, EquipmentShare

Cohort members from the Techstars Founder Catalyst Alabama pose together at Lucky Strike Tuscaloosa; courtesy photo

This fall’s 19-company Techstars cohort includes founders using tech to solve real-world problems in healthcare, fintech, AI, infrastructure, cybersecurity, construction, e-commerce, watertech, supply chain, and other industries.

“We’re especially excited about the Alabama program because historically it has focused on companies in the water/wastewater space,” said Foster.

SiteScan builds software for inspection and asset visibility while developing monitoring hardware and, longer term, autonomous systems for inspection, cleaning, and repair.

“The program has helped us sharpen how we think about customer acquisition, product focus, and the way we communicate our long-term vision,” noted Miller. “It has also validated our plan to solve practical software and monitoring problems today while continuing to build toward a larger physical AI and robotics platform.”

Organized by the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority and The University of Alabama — and funded through Innovate Alabama — the Techstars cohort is set for a Nov. 18 demo day in Tuscaloosa.

“We’re excited about what this means for SiteScan,” said Foster. “The mentorship provided by the Techstars network is unlike anything else, and the hybrid format allows us to benefit from the program from HQ here in KC.”