Latest Stories
Pure Pitch Rally set for October return at Burns & Mac HQ; startups competing for $1M+ in cash, prizes
A new backer — one of Kansas City’s biggest corporate names — will help amplify the laser-focused mission of the Pure Pitch Rally, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing open applications for the 2022 startup competition. Burns & McDonnell, an industry leader in construction engineering, joins the Pure Pitch Rally as a major sponsor of the annual…
Five KC-area projects get green light for $48.2M in federal funds to bolster supply chain, support racial equity, economic growth
A federal push to make U.S. transportation systems safer, as well as more accessible, affordable, and sustainable will boost a handful of Kansas City modernization projects — including two that would reconnect east-west communities within the metro, the nation’s top transportation official announced Thursday. Nearly $48.2 million in funding is slated for local planning and capital…
ROI from PayIt’s recent $90M investment displays value of MTC’s early support, agency says
Marquee successes for two Show Me state companies — including a massive funding round for one rapidly growing Kansas City govtech scaleup — show the value of Missouri Technology Corporation’s early stage investment programs, said state and agency officials Thursday. A key example, they touted: PayIt, a SaaS platform that simplifies interactions between government agencies and…
Window wordplay: More than meets the eye for lettering artist with a hand in Cafe Cà Phê’s new look
Andrea Bosnak’s name and face might not immediately look familiar, but many Kansas Citians have definitely seen her signature work across the metro. The Spur & Serif lettering artist’s craft is featured at local hotspots like The Nelle, Café Corazón, Alma Mader Brewing, Classic Cookie, Rye, and now Cafe Cà Phê’s new brick and mortar…
Can’t-miss Saigons: KC’s Vietnamese coffee shop debuting long-awaited storefront, new drinks after slow drip
Two years after her Vietnamese coffee cart’s opening act — popping up in local businesses and parking lots across the city — Jackie Nguyen has found her audience, formed a community and will soon, finally, take center stage with her own standalone Cafe Cà Phê in Columbus Park. “When I moved to Kansas City, I…
Tesseract Ventures awarded $1.25M grant for R&D at home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber
One of Kansas City’s most innovative startups announced Thursday a direct-to-Phase II SBIR Grant with Whiteman Air Force Base — teaming the next-generation robotics leader with the U.S. military to launch smart technology with global impact, said John Boucard. “We are honored to work alongside some of the military’s most visionary minds, as we develop…
This North Kansas City hub will be base camp for GEWKC 2022; Deadline for event applications nears
KCSourceLink announced this week that Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City, the metro’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship, has a new base camp for its 15th year. The Nov. 14-20 weeklong event series is setting its main events at iWerx in North Kansas City. Popular nearby businesses like Restless Spirits, Cinder Block Brewery and Chicken N Pickle will…
Alone or in the club: Virtual jukebox app spins back after laying new tracks as a social experience
Former music promoter Adell Hendon said he knew he couldn’t keep the turnup going forever on his own. Now the Kansas City native is helping other people party even longer with his socially-interactive virtual jukebox app — YouSpin. “I used to throw a lot of parties with DJs and even independent artists — a lot…
Nightlife app enhances its flavor with Westport Bars, KC brewing company partnerships
A strategic partnership with Westport Bars is going to do more than drive partygoers to the UpDown Nightlife app, Joshua Lewis said; it will give the startup data needed to scale its platform nationwide. “Through this partnership, we’re going to be able to really build out our business model,” said Lewis, the founder and CEO…
Big wins up the odds: KC’s standing among Midwest peer cities rises in new M25 ranking
Headline-grabbing success stories and newly boosted state funding for startup support are a powerful combination, said Victor Gutwein, detailing Kansas City’s higher 2022 spot on M25’s annual ranking of Midwest startup cities. Kansas City rose to No. 11 of 59 in the deep dive report — which explores how micro-environments in the Midwest are performing…
