Funding Stories
Rightfully Sewn awarded first government grant to expand workforce development effort
A $25,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration is expected to help push Rightfully Sewn closer to its goal of community impact through seamstress training. The Crossroads-based venture — with its glimmering atelier focused on economic development via the fashion industry — was among 12 winners of the SBA’s Makerspace Training, Collaboration and Hiring…
KCRise Fund launches second fund; first investments in backstitch, Bungii, Daupler
KCRise Fund today announced the launch of its second fund — KCRise Fund II — along with three new investments in high-growth, early-stage Kansas City tech companies. Backstitch, Bungii and Daupler are the latest startups to join the KCRise Fund family, and the first three portfolio companies for the new fund. All three are featured…
Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2019
The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List recognizes the momentum pushing an emerging cohort of Kansas City growth-stage, venture-backed companies. Simply put, the list — updated and now published annually — shows a massive increase in venture capital deployed to Kansas City companies in 2019, as well as a significant jump in jobs at those businesses….
Project UK banks $50K JPMorgan Chase Foundation investment via ‘united effort’ with UMKC Innovation Center
A hefty infusion of funding is expected to help Project United Knowledge offer more tools to black, Latinx and other professionals from underrepresented groups, according to the UMKC Innovation Center. The $50,000 investment from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation was awarded to the UMKC Innovation Center, which partners with Project UK to deliver programming, resources and…
C2FO’s $200M challenge: Prove the fintech startup is worthy of KC’s biggest investments
A record-busting $200 million investment announced Wednesday easily tops C2FO’s previous headline-grabbing funding rounds, but now the Kansas City fintech mega startup must live up to the hype, said Sandy Kemper. “Investments are always forward-looking,” said Kemper, founder and CEO of C2FO. “Our job is to make sure that we’re living up to our ability…
