Funding Stories
New industry-specific LaunchKC accelerators expected to bring more dollars, winners
Applications for this year’s LaunchKC program are going vertical, said Drew Solomon, announcing plans for three industry-specific accelerators — two of which will launch new funding-rich demo days in the fall. “We’ve always wanted to grow and expand not only the competition, but the program as a whole,” said Solomon, chair of the LaunchKC program….
We Create KC report: Half of top VC-backed companies tapped early-stage support
In 2018, 50 percent of the top venture capital-funded companies in Kansas City got their start with early-stage investment programs that emerged after 2012, according to We Create KC 2019, KCSourceLink’s sixth annual state of entrepreneurship report. “That high percentage shows us how important these early-stage investment programs are to our entrepreneurs and our ecosystem,”…
Time to see green: 3 startups spring into Digital Sandbox KC proof-of-concept program
The path from concept to commercialization has three reinvigorated travelers this spring, Jeff Shackelford said Thursday, announcing the latest early-stage entrepreneurs to join Digital Sandbox KC. The program’s newly joined startups include a tech-driven legal solution and two companies using artificial intelligence to innovate their industries, said Shackelford, executive director of Digital Sandbox KC. “As…
Experts: Coastal VCs getting FOMO on Kansas City; PayIt’s $100M+ investment proves it
Landing more than $100 million in funding is no small feat for PayIt — or any startup, John Thomson said with a mix of humble confidence. “Wins beget wins, and it helps to build the ecosystem,” said Thomson, CEO and co-founder of PayIt. Click here to read more about PayIt’s investment from Insight Partners. For Thomson,…
‘Transformative’ $100M+ investment for PayIt means KC GovTech startup will boost hiring
A massive investment from a New York-based venture capital and private equity firm is expected to help push Kansas City GovTech startup PayIt to 120 employees by the end of 2019, John Thomson said. “We’re already growing at a pretty good clip, and this will really help us accelerate R&D, serving more clients, and putting…
