Startups Stories

Dr. F. Nicholas Franano, Artio Medical; photo courtesy of Max McBride

$12M capital infusion pumps Prairie Village-based Artio Medical to $46M in funding

A Johnson County medical device company announced Thursday the closing of an additional $12 million tranche of Series A financing — advancing the startup’s tech toward clinical study and commercialization with the backing of a leading Kansas City real estate developer. “We are thrilled to close this round of financing with strong support from existing investors…

Photo courtesy of Healium

US Air Force contracts Healium for ‘drugless’ therapy amid military suicide epidemic

As suicide rates among U.S. military service members continue to rise, Columbia-based Healium is doubling down on its mission to make mental fitness tools more accessible.  “It’s an honor to serve these service members and their families who’ve sacrificed in ways we cannot imagine,” Sarah Hill, founder and CEO, told Startland News in announcing a…

Nick Bowden, Replica

Overland Park startup secures $41M as infrastructure gets new focus amid COVID, Biden presidency

A massive round of Series B funding will boost Replica’s data platform as it changes how cities are planned and operated — especially in the wake of a global pandemic and a renewed emphasis on infrastructure spending from the federal level down, said Nick Bowden. The $41 million round was led by Founders Fund and…

Franklin’s Stash House rolls MO cannabis opportunity into KC-made hemp blunts

The timing is perfect for a cross-cultural cannabis company, Michael Wilson said Tuesday, announcing the 4/20 launch of Franklin’s Stash House, a hemp blunt maker headquartered near the Crossroads. “It’s a lifestyle brand that represents a segment of the culture that doesn’t get enough attention, trying to capture our creative energy in a cool form…

Matt Watson, Stackify

How one KC founder earned two exits before hitting 40 (Hint: Make time or don’t start)

Ten years after his first startup exit, Matt Watson finds himself at the finish line once again.  “This time was a lot different than the last,” Watson, founder and CEO of Stackify, told Startland News, comparing his run with the APM solutions startup to his tenure as co-founder and CTO at VinSolutions — the startup that…