Startups Stories
End-of-life care platform wins top UMKC prize in young startup’s first-ever pitch competition
Serving as someone’s informal caregiver is a rewarding experience, but the pressure of being fully responsible for taking care of a loved one can take a toll on a person physically and mentally, acknowledged Nicole Staab and Rachel Blankenship. Through their startup, Rings of Care KC, they are providing support and resources for informal caregivers…
Kin crafts flavor into hard seltzer market, targeting overlooked Black consumers looking for authentic social experiences
The founding trio of a new hard seltzer crafted in Kansas City hopes the drink will add much-needed inclusivity to the craft seltzer space. Kin Seltzer is a collaboration between Joshua Lewis and Kearra Johnson of UpDown Nightlife, and Eric Martens of Border Brewing Company. Currently, leading seltzer brands target their marketing predominantly to white…
Pitching in: Meet the founders tapped for Launch KC’s second Social Venture Studio
Seven social ventures from Kansas City and beyond are joining the second cohort of LaunchKC’s newest entrepreneur-focused initiative — a program that specifically supports founders working to solve social, racial or environmental problems. The startups selected for the Social Venture Studio, powered by LaunchKC, were revealed Wednesday afternoon at the Keystone Community Corporation’s event space…
Raven’s return-to-earth science is complete, founder says; a new space accelerator will help get the KCK-built tech off the ground
A KCK startup that could revolutionize space transportation is among 14 companies selected this week for an accelerator program from Amazon Web Services that focus on “transforming the future of space for all of humanity.” Kansas City-based Raven Space Systems — led by co-founders Ryan Cowdrey and Blake Herren — is building entirely 3D printed reentry…
Tesseract earns $1.25M contract to help Space Force, military ‘predict the future’
Industry-defining tools built by Kansas City’s Tesseract Ventures will help the U.S. Space Force accurately track machines, people and objects on base, and create a clearer understanding of launch conditions through next generation data visualization, said John Boucard. Tesseract announced Tuesday that the company has been awarded a direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation (SBIR) contract…
