Latest Stories
Two tech founders identified a coding talent gap; they launched WeCodeKC to help fill it
A future-ready workforce depends on students mastering as many technology, cybersecurity, and computer science skills as possible, said Tammy Buckner. The founder at CTO of Techquity Digital, Buckner joined forces this fall with Dr. Phillip Hickman, author and founder of PlaBook, to launch WeCodeKC — a no-cost, year-round program built to promote computer skills through…
OHUB is sending five startups to SXSW, each infused with $50K; Meet the seven KC finalists
Iron sharpens iron, said Rodney Sampson, announcing 12 finalists — seven from Kansas City — for $250,000 in investments and a coveted demo day stage at SXSW in March. Each startup is rich with founders who have invested the time and energy to earn a payout from the ecosystem, said Sampson, founder of the Opportunity…
Show Me Capital: 6 key goals can help fill funding gaps for early-stage Missouri companies
Missouri is leaving millions of dollars on the table that could fuel early-stage startups, which create nearly 80 percent of net new jobs in the state. A new report from MOSourceLink, a program of the UMKC Innovation Center, reveals Missouri is lacking in alternative loans, access to resources, early-stage capital and locally activated venture capital….
N-GAGE founder gets a grip on weight-lifting pain points (without giving up his day job)
N-GAGE GRIPS will have found success as a startup when Matt Leadbetter’s oldest son thinks he’s cool. “I remember thinking, ‘I have this thing in my head, I just need to make it,’ and I was kinda thinking at the time, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if when my little boy gets older, he’s impressed with…
Digital Sandbox welcomes four new startups led by emerging, veteran KC founders
The latest round of founders joining Digital Sandbox KC includes relative newcomers to the startup scene alongside a Fountain City Fintech alum and a key player behind one of Kansas City’s biggest exits. The proof-of-concept program announced Friday the addition of four new companies for its fourth quarter: TripleBlind, led by Riddhiman Das, who made…
Are venture-seeking women, minority founders at an unfair disadvantage in KC?
Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series of analyses of Startland’s list of Kansas City’s Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies. On stage with a handful of men, Erin Papworth faced a dilemma. The founder of Nav.It — one of the startups to recently complete Fountain City Fintech’s second accelerator cohort — found herself fighting…
Sisters flex startup strength with well-toned, high-performance Angel Competition Bikinis
Bold women are a force to be reckoned with, declared Karah Jones, and they should never feel the need to hide who they are. “Sometimes in this world it’s frowned upon for a female to be confident,” Jones, co-founder and CEO of Angel Competition Bikinis, said of her motivations for launching the Lenexa company —…
Startup Road Trip: Venture, innovation scenes rapidly growing in Kansas City’s ‘backyard’
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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. WICHITA…
DivvyHQ proves ‘unmatched in market’ with top award now spanning four consecutive wins
Voted the No. 1 content marketing tool for the fourth straight year, DivvyHQ plans to capitalize on its momentum to deliver new features and functionality in 2020, said co-founders Brock Stechman and Brody Dorland. “When we won [the honor] the first year, obviously it was a huge surprise. We were so pumped. But then we…
Startups to Watch, Innovation Exchange returning; Startland News announces 2020 events calendar
Startland News’ most popular annual and monthly events are set to return in 2020, Austin Barnes said Tuesday, releasing a full calendar of events for the new year. “In the last six months of 2019, Innovation Exchange drew its biggest crowds since its return from hiatus in March 2018,” said Barnes, programming director for Startland…
