Funding Stories

Godfrey Riddle and Jennifer Lapka, Rightfully Sewn, AltCap winner

AltCap winner launching its first Rightfully Sewn-label little black dress at TEDxKC Women

Winning $10,000 in this week’s AltCap Your Biz Competition will help Rightfully Sewn expand, Jennifer Lapka said — a move coming on the heels of the social endeavor releasing the first dress under its own label to support the Crossroads-based seamstress training program. “It’s a stylish, well-made LBD (little black dress) that women can wear…

Kevin Williams and Brittany Williams, WISE Power

Saudi Arabian investment pushing KC’s WISE Power into Nigeria, Japan, Middle East markets

The multimillion-dollar investment from a Saudi Arabian accelerator and capital firm is pushing WISE Power from the West Bottoms to global growth, said Kevin Williams. “The injection will allow us to expand quickly to get this technology out to the world, which was what our original intent was with WISE Power,” said Williams, founder of…

Kyle Smith, Determination, Incorporated, Rise Up Get Started

Fund Me, KC: ‘Rise Up, Get Started’ competitions give spotlight to formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs

Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like startup community leader founder Kyle J. Smith’s Rise Up, Get Started campaign— to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Who are you? I am Kyle J Smith, founder of…

Target Hill Capital defusing risk on startups between friends and family, seed funding stages

An opportunity to deliver exponential impact in a community committed to entrepreneurship has resulted in the launch of Target Hill Capital –– an outside-the-box venture capital fund, Marshall Dougherty said.  “When we were involved [with previous startups], we compared notes and surveyed the startup ecosystem in Kansas City,” Dougherty said of the events that led…

LendingStandard plans innovation upgrade with $2.5M investment from Flyover Capital

An investment in innovation has landed Kansas City-based LendingStandard $2.5 million in investment funds following the close of a Series A funding round led by Flyover Capital, CEO Andy Kallenbach said. “These are folks that are well-known in Kansas City and have had software businesses in the past, and that’s a really rare combination,” Kallenbach…