Funding Stories
Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor
A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Several years ago we raised our first funds — Boulder-based Blue Note Ventures and Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures I —…
Divide and conquer: Splitsy pulls $70K from crowdfunding, ‘extra bump’ toward launch
Splitsy is ready to cash in on its widespread consumer appeal, revealed Brad Starnes, announcing the close of the startup’s first crowdfunding campaign and what it might mean for its rapidly scaling future. “We’re sitting at about $130,000 in funding right now,” said Starnes, co-founder of Splitsy, noting a nearly $71,000 chunk of the startup’s…
KC Pioneers secure six-figure funding from up-and-coming investment firm backed by MySidewalk exec
“Investment” goes deeper than simply writing a check, Mark Josey said, noting Kansas City’s premier esports league plans on being intentional in raising its $2 million seed round. “When you’re looking for partners, investors and sponsors, it starts at the core with asking: Do they believe in our mission, vision and value? Do they have…
Beacon analysis: Restaurant relief funds flowed to whiter, more affluent areas of Kansas City
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon, a nonprofit, public-service journalism newsroom serving Kansas and Missouri. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the free Kansas City Beacon email newsletter. Local businesses received a total of $53 million from the fund, but few of those dollars flowed…
Bodify joins Tulsa accelerator with $70K investment, ‘knocking down a lot of dominoes’
One of Kansas City’s most tenacious founders is in the midst of an intensive, six-month accelerator aimed at bringing her fashion tech startup to revenue without decreasing her ownership stake in the company. “Follow-on investment is nice, but you don’t have a company without revenue,” said Carlanda McKinney, founder and CEO of Bodify. “For me,…
