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Corral raises $1.38M to expand virtual fence solution’s US hoofprint; M25, Grit Road beef up deal

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. LINCOLN, Nebraska — Agtech pioneered by a third-generation rancher-turned-startup founder has corralled an oversubscribed $1.38 million funding round with backing from a healthy herd of regional investors. Corral Technologies, a…

These KC students just won $50K for their school’s STEM efforts — and exhibit space in Science City

Winning the $50,000 grand prize at Burns & McDonnell’s Battle of the Brains competition made for the best school day ever, shared Reese Moreno, a member of the victorious Delta Woods Middle School team. “This is mind blowing,” she explained Tuesday after the awards ceremony at Union Station in Kansas City. “The moment they announced…

Start from the top: How these newsmakers forged companies to watch (Event Photos) 

Maybe it was an open opportunity in a market that couldn’t be ignored. Perhaps a calling to do something bigger than themselves. Or, for some, just a transparent bid to find profit in a world of problems waiting to be solved. Each of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch launched with a motivation…

WeCode KC, CAPA selected for free services from this Top 10 KC small business winner

A company lauded among Kansas City’s top small businesses for three consecutive years this week announced the nonprofit recipients of $100,000 in pro-bono marketing services through a first-time expansion of its annual Crux for a Cause initiative. WeCode KC and Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) will each receive marketing investments of $50,000 for 2024, said…

KC startup on a mission to show women’s health is more than a niche; a nationwide advocate could help

A women-led Kansas City health startup is among 10 companies chosen for a new innovation cohort from Springboard Enterprises, which made a name for itself locally in recent years through its popular Dolphin Tank pitch showcases. Marma was selected for the Springboard program — a comprehensive entrepreneurial bootcamp and an expansive workshop series — because the…

Startup launches workforce readiness game, scaling its Kansas-built talent crisis solution national

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  WICHITA — A newly opened, nationwide digital game tournament aims to help students adopt the life skills needed to start careers wherever they live, said Robert Feeney, describing how his…

What if they connected: New leader wants to use puppets to give toddlers their first arts experience

Amanda Kibler has long admired What If Puppets, the nonprofit’s new executive director shared. “It’s a great company,” she said of the Kansas City arts institution known for years as the Mesner Puppet Theater. “I’m just over the moon to be involved. I’ve been saying for a long time, it’s the one company in town…

Her fund targets investments for women of color; why this VC is fighting a lawsuit that would curb equity-focused funding 

The fight for equity — especially among Black and brown entrepreneurs — isn’t easily won, said Ayana Parsons, likening the setback-laden struggle to a boxing match that seemingly never ends. “There are many rounds,” Parsons recently told a Kansas City crowd gathered at Burns & McDonnell’s campus for an event to honor diverse legacies. Parsons’…

West Coast health tech company bringing dozens of jobs to new River Market headquarters in KC

A West Coast health tech startup’s relocation to Kansas City is expected to give the company direct access to key clients in the region — as well as creating 35 high-paying jobs, representing more than $3 million in annual payroll, regional officials announced Thursday. Orange County, California-based Hart, Inc. plans to transition its operations to new…

$100K in federal funds take stage at Kansas City theater forced to relocate because of COVID

Challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact the arts, said Evie Craig, whose organization was forced to relocate because of an unexpected revenue drop caused by the global health crisis. A recently announced $100,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding from the Entertainment Industry Grant Program administered by the State of Missouri Department of…