Latest Stories

Andrew Dowis, Pro Athlete

Pickleball pickup: Why KC’s top small business is launching JustPaddles amid sports slowdown

Pro Athlete’s secret to success: going against the grain, Andrew Dowis said.  “We’re known to do things that aren’t the norm,” said Dowis, who serves as the CEO of Pro Athlete. “I think that’s why we pursued JustPaddles [during the COVID-19 pandemic]. We said, ‘Let’s look at this [pandemic] from another angle. This may be…

Davyeon Ross, ShotTracker

Verizon dials into ShotTracker’s 5G potential, leading $11M financing round for veteran startup

One of Kansas City’s most celebrated startups is getting a boost as a new $11 million financing round led by Verizon Ventures and Evertz Technologies Limited takes the court. Funding is expected to support accelerated product deployment across NCAA basketball conferences and expand remote live sports production in the cloud with 5G enabledtech for venues,…

Maria Meyers, KCSourceLink

KC business survey: Entrepreneurs increasingly confident in full recovery from pandemic

Business owners are feeling more optimistic about the future of their companies, according to a survey of 236 businesses and nonprofits newly released by the Greater Kansas City Area Chamber of Commerce. “By nature, entrepreneurs and small business owners are problem solvers — they rise to a challenge — and 2020 certainly doled out more than…

Hunter Browning and Ben Schultz, LaborChart

2021 Startups to Watch: LaborChart constructs high-growth mindset built on value, resiliency

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. LaborChart wants to be among Kansas City’s top-tier tech…

Riddhiman Das, TripleBlind

2021 Startups to Watch: TripleBlind opens historically inaccessible data without violating privacy

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Because of stringent regulatory, competitive and consumer privacy restrictions,…

John Bertrand, Daupler

2021 Startups to Watch: Daupler brings ‘profound change,’ equity to citizen-government interplay

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. When a homeowner or renter discovers a sewage backup,…

Sean Finley, Tanner Wiles and Erik Anderson, Scissors & Scotch

2021 Startups to Watch: Scissors & Scotch clips pandemic with line ups and top line growth

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The slow and steady hum of clippers isn’t the…

David Hensley and Leib Dodell, Bar K

2021 Startups to Watch: Bar K cultivates companionship as KC’s premier ‘puppy pub’ destination

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Starting as a pop-up idea that combined cocktails and…

Milad Ghasempour and Jannae Gammage, The Market Base

2021 Startups to Watch: The Market Base launches on-demand into a new era of e-commerce

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. You don’t live through a year like 2020 and…

Dr. Shelley Cooper, SureShow by Diversity Telehealth

2021 Startups to Watch: SureShow turns no shows into cash flow amid virtual healthcare boon

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The stage is set, Dr. Shelley Cooper said, recalling…