Latest Stories

Major network provider taps SquareOffs for ‘Rant Offs’

By Tommy Felts / May 26, 2015

SquareOffs recently landed a client that may place its web-based debate technology in front of millions of more people. The company partnered with digital media network Rant Inc. to offer its online debate and polling tech to engage Rant’s readers and increase their advertising revenue. “It’s one of the bigger contracts that we’re apart of,”…

Week of events creates startups, builds entrepreneurial community

By Tommy Felts / May 26, 2015

The Kansas City entrepreneurial community is prepping for a week-long celebration of startups and entrepreneurship. 1WeekKC, which kicks off on May 29 and continues throughout the entire first week of June, will include a series of events created to empower entrepreneurs to come together, share ideas, get inspired, celebrate and connect. A group of community…

Techweek, Launch KC winners have shot at more money

By Tommy Felts / May 26, 2015

The winning company at a demo day competition during Kansas City’s coming Techweek conference will earn a chance at nabbing significantly more dough. In addition to a $50,000 LaunchKC grant, the winning firm would have a shot at an added $50,000 from a national competition. LaunchKC — an initiative to attract 10 tech firms to relocate to Kansas…

KC coworking studios align to create cohesion, understanding

By Tommy Felts / May 22, 2015

A cadre of Kansas City coworking studio leaders are working together to bring awareness to their trade through a new alliance. Twelve organizations thus far have banded together to collectively raise their profiles to attract more businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals to use the array of coworking studios in Kansas City. “Coworking is really starting to…

Think savings: Apps to save time, money

By Tommy Felts / May 21, 2015

In this Think column, Virtual BeanCounters founder Tim Sernett shares his favorite apps that can save your business time and money. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Read Venture Legal founder Chris Brown’s piece on hiring contractors or employees here. Invoices, expense reports, monthly…

OneHQ launches hiring spree for anticipated growth

By Tommy Felts / May 21, 2015

OneHQ, formerly NexusHQ, is beefing up its staff in anticipation of a projected revenue boom. The insurance and finance software company plans to add 13 employees — bringing its total headcount to 20 — in the next year as it anticipates more than doubling its annual revenue. The company reported revenue of more than $1 million…

Former Kauffman Foundation VP on how to scale via networking

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2015

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Lesa Mitchell knows a thing or two about making — and fostering — valuable connections. Previously the vice president of innovation at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and a former executive at Marion Labs, Mitchell now is the founder of Networks for Scale, a company that works…

Moblico snags six-figure investment, announces hiring plans

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2015

Kansas City-based Moblico, a tech firm that creates software for mobile marketers, recently announced a $900,000 investment raise to hire additional staff. The investment came from Missouri Technology Corp. and a local angel investor — both of which are second time investors in the company.  “We raised these funds to help the company grow,” Moblico…

Windhaven Farms, Chemistry take 1 Million Cups stage

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2015

The seemingly disparate industries of agriculture and marketing were on display this week at 1 Million Cups with startups Windhaven Farms and Chemistry. Windhaven Farms founder Kristen Wolf first presented her local meat distribution company, which delivers an assortment of locally-raised, organically-grown meat products, including beef, pork, chicken and rabbit. “The product is really, really…

KC among the best cities to find a job

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2015

The City of Fountains is apparently overflowing with job opportunities. Career data Glassdoor recently named Kansas City, Mo. as the No. 2 city to find employment. Kansas City currently has nearly 28,800 employment opportunities, a median base salary $46,000 and median home value of $138,500. Glassdoor determined the final rankings by looking at hiring opportunity…

Recap: Bill would gut Kansas Bioscience Authority

By Tommy Felts / May 19, 2015

A bill in the Kansas legislature if passed would dissolve the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which has recently served as a venture capital organization investing in early-stage bioscience firms. The measure — SB 305 — would shut down the organization and transfer its funds and obligations to the Kansas Department of Commence. Proponents of the KBA say…

Kansas City named a top tech locale

By Tommy Felts / May 19, 2015

Kansas City again was touted as a top tech destination. Tech publication PC Magazine recently named Kansas City as one of “13 high-tech cities you’ll want to call home.” The magazine noted Kansas City’s access to Google Fiber, its low cost of living and communities such as the Kansas City Startup Village as reasons to…

Flow Forward Medical raises additional $1.3M

By Tommy Felts / May 18, 2015

Flow Forward Medical boosted its latest funding round to further develop its device that helps improve outcomes for hemodialysis patients. The Olathe-based company closed a $1.3 million round of additional Series A financing led by the Kansas Bioscience Authority. Flow Forward previously raised $4.4 million, bringing its total funding raised to date to about $5.7 million.…

Schukman: 5 reasons why KC is the capital of social entrepreneurship

By Tommy Felts / May 18, 2015

Take a walk in Kansas City’s startup scene and you’ll quickly hear something about KC’s devotion to becoming America’s most entrepreneurial city. This mantra is on everyone’s lips, from city leaders to corporate tycoons to scrappy startup founders. It’s amazing that in five years our city has created such clarity of purpose that millenials populating…

KC Digital Drive creates lab to test drive gigabit apps

By Tommy Felts / May 18, 2015

Ever since Google Fiber announced Kansas City as its first fiber project, techies across the nation have wondered how gigabit Internet will shape a new wave of innovation and how the city would tap its new infrastructure. And thanks to a new KC Digital Drive initiative, Kansas Citians may have an up-close look at the…