Corporate Stories
MADE MOBB bags massive wholesale deal with Scheels; setting its sights on Midwest fit
MADE MOBB’s expansion throughout the Midwest — recently snaring two dozen big box sports store locations across 16 states — isn’t built on luck, said Mark Launiu. The brand hunted its own way to stand out in the crowd: and it starts with camo (that doesn’t blend in). The Kansas City-built streetwear brand on Thursday announced…
Bracket bash races to halfcourt, cutting pitch competitors down to 16 Kansas startups
The competition for $25,000 in startup capital is intensifying for more than a dozen Kansas entrepreneurs as a high-profile pitch event announced Wednesday that it had narrowed the field from 32 finalists to 16. Selected companies — half of which hail from the Kansas City region — advance to the next round of the 2026…
It’s ‘the place that everyone wants to be’: Why Techstars could be back in KC for more than just hugs
Five years after Techstars left Kansas City, the global startup accelerator’s co-founder and CEO teased a comeback for the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. “We’re going to try to figure out how to continue to be a part of the Kansas City startup community,” David Cohen told a crowd of founders, investors, advocates, and Techstars alumni Thursday…
Hack in traction: Startups learn hustle shortcode for winning customers, narrow focus
Drilling into the customer profile for his startup — an AI-powered, curated swag marketplace aimed at early stage tech companies — Ivan Hadzhiev used tailored resources from Wichita-based NXTUS to validate a complaint keeping prospective partners from buying in. In short, a lot of options — even for custom, branded merchandise — isn’t necessarily a…
Kansas’ bracket-style pitch competition just revealed 32 startups vying for its $25K prize
An innovation-led startup tournament taking Kansas by storm is just built different, said Conor Adler, announcing the nearly three-dozen contenders featured in this spring’s competition. “One of the most inspiring facets of Gamechangers and Champions is seeing founders from rural Kansas standing alongside entrepreneurs from our largest cities,” said Adler, investment manager for Wichita-based NXTUS,…
