Latest Stories
Adapting, but preparing for the worst: Curbside KC site helps restaurants pivot to takeout-only mandate
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. Kansas City’s restaurant scene already is struggling amid Coronavirus (COVID-19)…
Boddle offers free access to its edtech platform as remote learning surges during COVID-19 school shutdown
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. Widespread school shutdowns because of Coronavirus (COVID-19) doubled Kansas City…
Blockchain Basics: It’s more than a tech buzzword, but how does it actually work?
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kenyon Briggs is an attorney at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. This op-ed is part of a limited series on blockchain sponsored by Husch Blackwell. What is blockchain technology? Technically precise definitions found on Google define it as “a distributed, decentralized, public ledger.”…
Five Elms Capital doubles down on RFP360, bringing its investment to $12M
RFP360 proved its worth and ability to push itself in the months following Five Elms Capital’s first investment in the software platform, said Thomas Kershisnik. The payoff? Five Elms today announced a second strategic growth investment in RFP360 — bringing its total backing of the Leawood-based startup to $12 million, said Kershisnik, managing director at…
OHUB set to lose $1M+ in SXSW sunk costs, pivots to virtual experience; KC event plans in the air amid Coronavirus concerns
Opportunity Hub is moving forward with a two-day virtual “Black and Hired” experience from its Atlanta headquarters after Coronavirus concerns prompted the cancelation of SXSW — where OHUB planned to spotlight members of its Kansas City cohort. Canceling the SXSW festival — which was expected to draw more than 400,000 to Austin over two weeks —…
One of KC’s first coworking leaders passes ownership to longtime Cowork Waldo members
The new owners of Cowork Waldo have already seen the impact of community through one of Kansas City’s first neighborhood coworking spaces, said Melissa Saubers. “Powerhouse entrepreneurial duo” Zubin Talib and Talyn Good — who Saubers called “trusted, long-standing” Cowork Waldo members — are set to take over operations of the shared workspace April 1, she…
Cooking cash-free: Strang Hall leans into tech framework with its OP restaurant incubator
A cashless dining experience at Strang Hall is about more than efficiency, said Jason Roberts. It’s part of the Overland Park chef collective’s engrained tech framework. “It allows us to shut down the place super fast at the end of the day,” explained Roberts, Strang Hall CIO and principal at Edison Factory, the startup builder…
DisruptOps raises $9M Series A with serial entrepreneur, cyber security veterans taming the cloud
With security threats to cloud-enabled businesses outpacing the ability of most companies to respond, a fresh funding infusion is expected to help DisruptOps strengthen its team and its ability to react, said Jody Brazil. The Kansas City startup — a SaaS-based cloud security management platform that helps enterprises address the critical challenges of cloud security at…
Fishtech, BacklotCars, Bardavon named to Forbes’ 2020 best startup employers list
A trio of fast-growing Kansas City companies are among the 500 best startup employers in the nation, according to a new ranking from Forbes. Fishtech Group — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 — lead the local honorees at No. 277 on Forbes’ list. BacklotCars was ranked at No. 339,…
Scaling tech startup with door-to-door ‘Knoqers’ plans no-contact option amid Coronavirus
A tech startup with offices in Kansas City and Boston plans to hire 200-plus “Knoqers” in 2020, but the company admits its growing army of door-to-door neighborhood representatives face an unexpected challenge this spring and summer: the spread of the Coronavirus. “Like everyone across the world, we have been closely following news about the Coronavirus…
