Latest Stories
KCUR and Startland chat Techweek, Kansas City entrepreneurship
Startland News editor-in-chief Bobby Burch hopped on KCUR’s Central Standard to discuss Techweek Kansas City and challenges facing area startups. Listen to the conversation below. Special thanks to KCUR for sharing its content!
Photo gallery: Techweek’s LaunchKC Top 100 Expo
Hundreds of Techweek Kansas City attendees converged on Union Station Thursday afternoon to explore dozens of startups part of the LaunchKC grants contest. Now in its second year, the popular grants competition LaunchKC was again met with an enthusiastic response by applicants in 2016, drawing more than 400 applicants. The competition — which will distribute $500,000 via 10, $50,000 non-dilutive…
Look into serial entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman’s toolkit of inspiration
“What if you applied the skills of entrepreneurship to everything that you do?” serial entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman asked a crowd at Union Station on Thursday. As Hoffman took the stage as Techweek Kansas City’s keynote speaker, he did just that. Applying the skill of “adaptability,” he decided to nix his slide deck and improvise. A…
Events Preview: The Power of Inventing
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 Women in Tech Breakfast at Union Station When: September 16 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am Where: 30 W. Pershing…
HEMP welcomes 20 area entrepreneurs for mentorship
The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program has selected 20 new entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area to take part in its 2016 program. Inspired by Barnett Helzberg Jr.’s mentoring relationship with Kansas City business legend Ewing Kauffman, HEMP matches seasoned area entrepreneurs with promising mentees. The three-year mentoring program aims to offer its participants new opportunities,…
Mycroft raises $335K for artificial intelligence platform
Weeks after becoming a finalist in the LaunchKC grants competition, Lawrence-based startup Mycroft is riding a hot streak with the closing of its angel investment round. Mycroft — which developed an open-source, artificial intelligence device similar to Amazon Echo — recently raised $335,000 from Kansas City’s Northland Angel Investor Network and Star Power Partners. An affiliate…
1 Million Cups offers new mobile app
One Kansas City’s most popular entrepreneurial events is offering its thousands of fans an app to increase engagement. The 1 Million Cups community in Kansas City and around the world has long asked for an app, and now it’s becoming a reality, said Jordan Marsillo, 1 Million Cups program coordinator. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation…
Kauffman Foundation, Uber launch grant contest for women-led startups
Female entrepreneurs in Kansas City may not have the luxury of riding a “glass escalator,” but on Oct. 26 they can take an Uber ride for a chance at $120,000. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Tuesday announced UberPITCH, a nationwide pitch competition in partnership with Uber and business accelerator The Refinery. Women-led startups will…
5 glimpses into Uber VP Brian McClendon’s crystal ball
Brian McClendon — vice president of maps and business platform at Uber — may reside in Silicon Valley, but his roots are here in the prairie. Originally from Lawrence, Kan., McClendon graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in electrical engineering and now serves on several advisory boards for his alma mater. Sporting…
EyeVerify sells to Alibaba affiliate for more than $100M
In what represents one of the metro’s most notable exits in the last decade, Kansas City-based startup EyeVerify announced Tuesday that it has been acquired. Ant Financial — the payments affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding — purchased EyeVerify for more than $100 million, according to an unnamed local source familiar with the deal. Ant Financial…
