Latest Stories
Joni Cobb and Pipeline took ‘a leap of faith’ that’s paying off
In 2006, Joni Cobb was busy coaxing Kansas business executives to apply for a program honing their leadership skills. Then a state-subsidized program, Pipeline would cultivate promising entrepreneurs that would tangentially grow the Sunflower State’s economy with their firms. Extolled as rigorous, the Pipeline sales pitch hit snags with its intensiveness and novelty. Skeptical entrepreneurs…
The Pipeline fellowship’s journey to the Emerald Isle in photos
In an educational adventure focused on finance and global business strategy, the Pipeline entrepreneurial fellowship program ventured across the pond for a week of relationship building. I tagged along not only to observe the experience — expect more on that front soon — but to capture some moments with my camera. This smattering of photos, which…
Kansas City startups flex pitch skills in national Kauffman contest
Four Kansas City area startups — and one Lawrence, Kan. firm — have qualified to the top 40 of Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s 1 in a Million pitch competition. The competition offers those who have presented at 1 Million Cups in the last year a chance to snag a $25,000 prize. Hundreds of applicants — who…
Big Bang leverages smart city success, LaunchKC momentum
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. As Kansas City becomes a hotbed for smart city tech, one local startup is providing a spine for streamlined communication among the devices cities will leverage. Kansas City-based Big Bang’s Internet of Things software aims to work as the “central nervous…
JE Dunn leads $5M round in a local, ‘skunkworks’ tech spinout
One of Kansas City’s top corporations has led a $5 million investment round in a local tech firm that helps manage the torrents of paperwork associated with building maintenance and management. Kansas City-based JE Dunn led the Series A round in Site 1001, a software company that spun out of the construction giant to digitize…
Growing tech startup Campus Eye wants to make schools safer
College campuses aren’t the safest place to be. Nearly one in four female college students in the U.S. have experienced sexual assault. In the same study, 11 percent of female college students said they’ve experienced rape. And since 2013, there has been more than 76 instances of gun violence on college campuses. Campus Eye founder…
Obama’s $80M reinvestment in smart city tech touches Kansas City
In a move that will provide the Kansas City area more resources to develop Internet of Things technology, President Obama’s administration announced Monday that it’s boosting support of U.S. smart city infrastructure. The White House issued a statement that it’s expanding its Smart Cities Initiative with more than $80 million in new investments. The move…
UK firm lured by Kansas City’s charm, opportunity
Born in South Africa and a resident of Great Britain for over a decade, Fred Hefer, CEO of Pomerol Partners, never would have guessed he’d be moving his family to Kansas City. “Really? This place in the middle of America?” Hefer said. “With the tornados and the story about Dorothy?” Hefer said his wife and…
Events Preview: Launch[ED] Day 2016
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Investor & Startup Panel When: September 22 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Where: Grid Collaborative Workspace Happy Hour and…
KCRise fund lands $10M to kickoff startup investing
Kansas City-area startups have a new, local fund to boost their investment rounds. The KCRise fund announced Thursday the closing of $10 million that will co-invest with institutional venture capital groups in early-stage companies based in the Kansas City area. Launched in February in conjunction with the KC Rising economic initiative, the fund was created…
