Funding Stories

Regional Roundup

Regional venture capital and why Valley firms moved to the Midwest

In this week’s regional roundup, we have the dish on everything you should know from regional venture capital and cyber security to building a company that survives a dynamic tech market. For more on this series, read our introduction.  St. Louis Biz Journal: Big raises, new funds highlight year for venture capital in St. Louis Not only…

‘Happy we don’t have to leave’ Little Hoots’ $450K raise will keep KC home

Once on the verge of departing its hometown, Kansas City-based Little Hoots recently raised funds to boost development of its app, allowing the startup to remain in the City of Fountains. Led by CEO Lacey Ellis, Little Hoots’ memory-keeping app struggled to find traction with Kansas City area investors, which nearly forced the company to…

Funding roundtable: ‘You can’t fake it’ and more funding advice from KC founders

Your company is steadily growing, but it looks like you’re nearing a plateau. Perhaps your startup is doing just fine, but a well-heeled competitor just entered your market and slapped a target on your customers. Or maybe you’ve got a solid idea but little dough to get it off the ground. Regardless of the case,…

Funding roundtable (part II): Entrepreneurs compare KC investment scene to other cities

Welcome back to part two of our roundtable discussion on the early-stage investment sector in Kansas City. For a more formal introduction on this series and its five participants, please refer to part one on Kansas City’s investment culture and evolving economy. Check out the third and final installment of the series with the entrepreneurs’ advice for…

Funding roundtable: Kansas City still has a lot to learn about venture capital

After growing demand for more coverage on Kansas City’s early-stage investment capital landscape, Startland News decided to start a conversation on the subject. In November, we hosted five Kansas City entrepreneurs for a frank discussion on their experience raising funds in and outside of Kansas City. The aim of the conversation was to create a…