Startups Stories

KC entrepreneurs tapped to team up with top-tier Kansas enterprise businesses

A trio of emerging Kansas City startups are among 20 cohort members selected to forge new strategic connections with big-name Kansas enterprise partners like Koch, Evergy, Cargill and Spirit AeroSystems. Wichita-based NXTUS this week announced the latest program participants for the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series — a diverse array of growth-minded entrepreneurs offering innovative tech…

Mpruv Sports adds pickleball, tennis to its on-demand edtech platform, strengthens C-suite roster

Just six months after teeing off, Mpruv Sports — and its first offering, Mpruv Golf — are seeing momentum on the course and the court, shared founder and CEO Mark Lukenbill. The peer-to-peer, on-demand sports education marketplace is expanding to include tennis and pickleball, pivoting to a progressive web app, adding corporate partnerships, and growing…

TokenTourney brings daily fantasy sports to the casual fan, fielding a video game feel with real-world experiences

In April, Davis Engle asked his lifelong friend to quit his job in Dallas and come take a gamble on his startup. For Sam Shortall, it was an easy decision. “It didn’t take long for me to weigh the pros and cons of leaving consulting and doing something revolutionary,” Shortall said. The two have known…

Flint Group’s new strategic partner invests in taking the home services platform national

SEATTLE — A newly announced strategic investment from the global firm General Atlantic is expected to help a home services platform with Kansas City leadership enhance its business offerings and accelerate its growth, ultimately toward scaling the company nationally. Founded in 2019 by industry veterans Collin Hathaway and Trevor Flannigan, Flint Group has quickly expanded…

Biotech startup’s $6.5M Series A expected to cultivate expanded workforce, research capabilities

Ronawk’s Bio-Block Universe has already revolutionized cell and tissue production, Tom Jantsch said, and the recent investment of $6.5 million is set to further research and development. “We have really changed the paradigm of how not only cell culture is done, but how researchers are able to scale. They can go from the bench, all…