Latest Stories
With $300M under management, Blooom is the fastest-growing robo advisor
Area financial tech startup Blooom has another trophy for its chest of commendations. The Leawood-based firm says its online tool to grow users’ 401(k)s has reached $300 million in assets under management in only 20 months. That swelling growth makes it the fastest-growing robo advisor ever — years faster than competitors in New York City…
Area gamemaker Shoutz partners with Pitbull for mobile arcade
Area tech firm Shoutz Inc. has launched a mobile gaming subsidiary that’s working with celebrity recording artist Pitbull. Overland Park-based Shoutz Inc. recently announced the founding of GameRail, which partnered with Pitbull to offer a variety of casino-style games in both English and Spanish. The PitBull Arcade — which features the artist’s image — offers…
Regional Roundup: Chicago’s megamall turned innovation hub
In this week’s roundup of watercooler talk from the region’s startup hubs, we have the dish on Chicago’s booming startup density, Uber and Lyft’s Austin tantrum, and Denver’s No. 3 rank for digital economy readiness. Check out more in this series here. ChicagoInno: How the Merchandise Mart became the epicenter of Chicago tech How…
Futuristic transportation vision for Kansas City includes self-driving buses
Kansas City hopes a pioneering vision for public transportation will help it emerge as the top contender for a $50 million award. Kansas City is one of seven finalists for the “Beyond Traffic Smart City Challenge,” which will dish $50 million to a mid-sized city dealing with rapidly-changing transportation needs. With stiff competition from tech…
New STEM leader Martha McCabe wants to prioritize diversity
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas City cannot continue to grow as a tech hub without first establishing a vibrant — and diverse — local STEM talent pipeline. As a community, we’ve put the wheels in motion. For example, about half of metro school districts now offer the…
Events Preview: Startup Waffles, NKC Showcase
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 Startup Waffles When: May 27 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am Where: Think Big Coworking Are you a founder, hacker or investor…
Kansas City’s east side to receive free wireless gigabit network
Kansas City is diligently continuing work to become the most connected city on earth. Three organizations are now working to create a free, large-scale wireless gigabit network on Kansas City’s east side. The project — led by Siklu Communications, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and KC Digital Drive — will help eliminate cost barriers to help…
New ScaleUp! cohort vies for $1M in revenue
There’s a new batch of entrepreneurs in town ready to take their companies to the $1 million level. ScaleUp! Kansas City on Tuesday announced its fourth cohort of business owners. The 17 entrepreneurs will spend an intensive four months learning how to scale their businesses through specialized curriculum, coaching and networking. The program offers business…
Gallery: The Sprint Mobile Accelerator’s demo day
The Techstars-led Sprint Mobile Accelerator held its third demo day on Tuesday. Hundreds of Kansas Citians trekked to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to watch 10 startups from around the world deliver pitches on their tech firms. Learn more about the event and the future of the accelerator here. Check out photos or a…
Regardless of Sprint support, Techstars ‘committed to Kansas City’
The expiration of Sprint’s three-year agreement with Techstars to fund the Kansas City-based Sprint Mobile Accelerator is opening up new opportunities for both firms. Sprint — which has funded the accelerator’s operations for three years while Techstars has managed the program — is now examining support of the accelerator by exploring new corporate and civic…
