News Stories
Firebrand Ventures inks $17.7M for oversubscribed seed fund
Kansas City-based seed fund Firebrand Ventures has crushed its original goal to create a $7 million seed fund for startups in the Midwest. Led by investor and former Techstars managing director John Fein, the fund raised $17.7 million for tech ventures in the Midwest, exceeding its initial goal by about 250 percent, said Fein. “I’m…
Integrated Roadways testing smart pavement tech in Colorado
Integrated Roadways is launching a pilot test of its smart pavement technology in Colorado in an effort to save lives. In partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Integrated Roadways will install one-half-mile of its smart pavement technology on U.S. 285 near Fairplay, Colorado. The technology, which makes roadways touch-sensitive to vehicle positions, will collect…
Digital Sandbox KC funds four new area tech startups
Four early-stage companies have joined the ranks of the Digital Sandbox KC. The proof-of-concept incubator program is awarding grants to the quartet of startups, two in partnership with the Ennovation Center in Independence, Missouri, and two out of the Innovation Stockyard in St. Joseph, Missouri. “We continue to see a high volume of creative, innovative…
Entrepreneurs’ innovative thinking pays off for smart cities, Think Big co-founder says
There’s a difference between innovation and invention, said Herb Sih, managing partner and co-founder of Think Big Partners. “Invention is a good idea in search of a home — or, as someone said this morning, a solution in search of a problem,” Sih said. “Reverse that: Innovation. It’s a problem in search of a solution.”…
IXKC: Want top talent in Kansas City? Stop talking about yesterday (Photos)
Kansas City already has what it takes to recruit and keep top talent, Neal Sharma told Wednesday’s Innovation Exchange crowd. What the metro seems to lack is the confidence to boast about itself, he added. Sharma, CEO and co-founder of DEG, a full-service digital agency in Overland Park that has grown to about 300 employees,…
