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Dan Smith and Charon Thompson, Porter House KC

Porter House KC receives $175K from JPMorgan Chase Foundation to support inclusive entrepreneurship 

An investment by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation will help The Porter House KC fill a void in entrepreneur support programming in Kansas City, said Dan Smith. “Our goal is always to find a solution to the problem. We felt there was a gap. There was a whole population of people being missed. People who come…

Clarence Tan and Edna Martinson, Boddle Learning

Boddle raises $1.35M with KCRise Fund on board, reaches 450,000+ students, expands team

Editor’s note: KCRise Fund is a financial supporter of Startland News. This report was produced independently of that relationship. TULSA — As schools across the country navigate in-person and remote learning models, Boddle Learning, a math gaming platform that was founded in Kansas City continues to grow, raising another round of more than $1 million…

Wesley Hamilton, Disabled But Not Really

KC social entrepreneur Wesley Hamilton surprised with $1M on Good Morning America 

Wesley Hamilton experienced a roller coaster of emotions Wednesday morning, with a grand finale surprise of a $1 million donation from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.  “Thank you, everyone, for believing and watching the journey. It’s always been about the people we’ve been serving. I’m just grateful,” Hamilton said through joyful tears on Good Morning…

Matt Condon, Bardavon Health Innovations

Bardavon announces $90M funding round to fuel health tech expansion; a moment built by people in KC, founder says

A $90 million Series C funding round for Bardavon Health Innovations is not only big deal for the startup and Kansas City — but a testament to a community of support that made the health tech company’s growth and expansion possible, said Matt Condon. Led by investor Matrix Capital Management, a public and private investment firm,…

KC’s housing market makes young professionals’ first homes more elusive; here’s how four of them are making it work

As newcomers to Kansas City in 2019, Ria Rao and Morgan Bannerman found community co-living with other young professionals under the same roof. Now they’re hoping to replicate that environment — this time as homeowners. The move comes in large part out of necessity. Amid a highly competitive housing market, locating an on-budget home — and…

Fresh Factory KC, India Wells-Carter; Cafe Cà Phê, Jackie Nguyen; Heart and Seoul, Rachel Cayetano; Peak Roofing - Mechanical, Jade Teixeira

Meet 10 finalists for AltCap Your Biz pitch payout; competition returns during GEW KC

A diverse group of nearly a dozen small businesses are advancing to the next round of the annual AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition with finalists ranging from a mobile vegan soul food service to a Northland selfie experience. The “Closing the Deal” live pitch event showcases the 10 best concepts from a pool of 43…

Zachary Oshinbanjo, Vetelligence, Pure Pitch Rally

Just funded: Sharks, crowd salute veteran-led tech newcomer with $32K in Pure Pitch Rally checks

A fresh face to the startup stage, Zachary Oshinbanjo left Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally with the most-funded venture of the event — taking home more than a third of the day’s nearly $90,000 in cash prizes. A U.S. Army veteran, Oshinbanjo pitched “land sharks” on Vetelligence — a tech platform that aims to create a…

Tristan Mace, Flyover Capital

Flyover Capital adds managing partner with fresh perspective on KC, tech investment expertise

A month after announcing its more than $60 million Tech Fund II, Flyover Capital is adding to its leadership team — appointing Tristan Mace, a serial tech entrepreneur and investor, as a managing partner at the Overland Park-based venture capital firm. “I’m excited to join Flyover Capital as we build on our success of contributing…

Riddhiman Das, TripleBlind

TripleBlind posts $24M round as interest in its data privacy tech expands, founder talks $100M+ valuation

An oversubscribed $24 million Series A funding round announced Monday is expected to push Kansas City-coded TripleBlind into new verticals as it rapidly scales and finds itself a leader in data efficiency.  The startup — which previously secured $8.2 million in seed funding in April — found return support in Mayo Clinic, which co-led the…

Recyclverse products

Fund Me, KC: UMKC alums aim to transform recycled plastics into functional home décor

Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like Nicole Dover and Tony Jordan, and their newly launched venture, Recyclverse — to share their crowdfunding stories and potentially…