News Stories
Privacy-first startup reimagines how cities, enterprises access real-world intelligence
As AI moves beyond screens and into streets, buildings, and logistics networks, Surge meets real-world demands by providing data delivered continuously and in real time to build an infrastructure layer that smart cities and autonomous systems actually need to function, its founders said.
Startup World Cup opens bracket (and $1M prize) to KC startups; regional tournament this fall at CPKC Stadium
Ten Kansas City finalists are expected to compete this September for a spot in the world’s largest startup conference and pitch competition — pitting Heartland innovation against founders from more than 100 regions around the globe.
Sports entertainment veteran homers with interactive gaming sports bar, baseball outing indoors
Serial entrepreneur Lance Windholz — who spiked a career in tech to build community around beach volleyball in Shawnee — is batting again; this time, taking a swing at sports entertainment and the resurgent popularity of baseball.
They closed their restaurant for weeks to prep for World Cup; six months later, that pause is paying off (at least on big game days)
One Crossroads favorite is capturing some of the bursts of travelers city officials and local FIFA World Cup organizers told businesses would come this summer. A freshly painted mural along the KC Streetcar line helped drive traffic, but success isn’t as simple as just hanging a soccer-themed welcome sign.
Founders urge confidence, not Midwest nice: Stop apologizing for thinking bigger, builders say
Kansas City should be a hotbed for talent and startups, said Usman Wajid, lamenting a trend where entrepreneurs allow themselves to be penned in by a mentality that they’re overlooked locally and need to relocate to raise capital. Sometimes the catalyst for funding is confidence, the Block & Mortar AI founder told a crowd gathered…