Latest Stories

Philip Hickman, Plabook; Nomi Smith, PMI Rate Pro; Max Schanker, SWOT; and Jerren Thornhill, The Guy Experience

Digital Sandbox KC deploys funding to four new startups as uncertainty becomes ‘new normal’

Startup leaders’ needs — and the development of their ideas — don’t stop with the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), said Jill Meyer, announcing the latest round of funding selections for Digital Sandbox KC. “We know our entrepreneurs are facing so much uncertainty in this current situation,” said Meyer, senior director of technology ventures at the UMKC…

Buttman illustration by TJ Hanscum

Mysterious comic character resurfaces, offering an escape from unpredictable times

Buttman is missing? Well, he might just be out hunting toilet paper like everyone else. About a month before Kansas City workers were forced to abandon their downtown offices in response to the city’s Stay At Home order and ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, a strange series of “missing” posters papered the Crossroads Arts District. Illustrator…

Andy Page and David Alburty, InnovaPrep

‘Never used like this before’: KC-built biosurveillance, sensor tech, disinfectant firms poised for team COVID-19 battle

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 companies are expected to play a role on…

Hyleme George, IgniteX accelerator

LaunchKC, Black & Veatch open COVID-19 grants competition with $250K (or more) for startups

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. A newly announced grants competition could boost both the health…

COVID-19, Fusion Medical Animation

Biotech firm seeks to advance novel exosome isolation-based therapy for COVID-19 into clinical trials

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. As the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak grows, Clara Biotech is…

Stimulus bill update: Additional SBA relief open to businesses impacted by COVID-19

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the authors’ alone. Jessica Zeratsky and Kyle Gilster are partners at Husch Blackwell. This op-ed is sponsored by the Husch Blackwell law firm, which has offices in Kansas City and across the nation, and intended to provide additional insight into the just-signed federal stimulus bill in response…

LEANLAB: Homebound KC students need $4.6M in tech, WiFi hotspots to bridge digital divide amid Coronavirus creep

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 has long talked about the impact of a…

Open source face shield, Dimensional Innovations

Thanks to KC’s Dimensional Innovations, you can now download designs for an open source face shield

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. An industry leader in design and fabrication, along with its…

Nic Rodriguez, right, with MIT classmates

Facebook-bound software engineer: Senior year at MIT ‘ripped away’ by COVID-19 

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. A global pandemic and social distancing weren’t part of the…

Rodney Sampson, Opportunity Hub

Lead Bank donates $25K for OHUB.KC to support minority-led startups during ‘unprecedented times’

The moment is now for corporate partners to support entrepreneur initiatives like OHUB.KC, said Rodney Sampson, just a day before the KC.UP minority accelerator pushes ahead with a virtual demo day to showcase its first cohort. Kansas City-based Lead Bank on Thursday announced a $25,000 donation to OHUB.KC — a joint effort between the Economic…