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‘Get a glimpse of your future’ — Investors want data with your pitch
Editor’s Note: This content is sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. For more on the tools discussed in this article, click here. Imagine this. Your wearable tech firm is thriving — so much, in fact, that you need an injection of investment capital to maintain sustainable growth. You’ve booked some…
Launch It Successfully hopes to reduce early stage frustration, struggle for startups
A new accelerator program produced by key leaders of software development firm Illumisoft is helping innovators start their businesses by “cutting through the nonsense,” said Tyler Prince. “We want to help entrepreneurs succeed,” he said. “I think we live in an age when change happens so rapidly.” Launch It Successfully’s goal is to assist early…
Is government helping startups enough? Founders feel isolated, Kauffman survey finds
Early stage entrepreneurs struggle with the technical steps to getting started, a new Kauffman survey found, and founders don’t believe the government is helping them. The prevailing sentiment that entrepreneurs view themselves as isolated from assistance is understandable, said Melissa Roberts, vice president of strategy and economic development at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County….
Kauffman survey: Women more critical of their own early-stage entrepreneurial efforts
Women entrepreneurs are more likely than their male counterparts to grade their performances harshly during the first year of business, though that tendency typically fades over time, according to a new survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It often is about approaching the venture a realistic viewpoint, said Jeff Shackelford, executive director of Digital…
Video: ShotTracker fan app courts NAIA tourney crowds with AR experience
A new ShotTracker fan app — expected to launch today — will combine real-time analytics with augmented reality for a first-of-its-kind fan engagement opportunity at next week’s Division 1 NAIA basketball tournament, said co-founder Davyeon Ross. “We want to make the experience as great as possible for the end user,” Ross said, noting his company’s…
TechAccel, UC Davis lab developing wheat seed to combat climate change
A Kansas City-based tech and venture development firm hopes to engineer wheat seeds that produce higher yield by withstanding warmer temperatures. “We’re taking a concept that is pretty important for wheat worldwide,” said Brad Fabbri, Chief Science Officer of TechAccel. Increasing temperatures make growing wheat more difficult across the globe, studies show. Reports indicate climate…
Startup stakeholders: Opportunity zones could prompt culture shift on redevelopment
Startup community stakeholders think opportunity zones in some of Kansas City’s poorest areas could work, but only with collaboration between the government and private sector. A number of low-income communities in Kansas City are eligible for designation as opportunity zones — areas in which investors may defer paying capital gains taxes over a certain period…
OP-based motion capture startup DARI Motion sells to Omaha firm
DARI Motion, an Overland Park-based startup that created a motion capture platform that provides biomechanical analysis of athletes, patients and more, recently was acquired by a Nebraska firm. DARI, which stands for Dynamic Athletic Research Institute, was purchased for an undisclosed amount by Omaha-based Scientific Analytics Inc. With the acquisition, the firm aims to transform how…
Alex Altomare: How KC students touched by gun violence changed my perspective
Editor’s note: Kansas City entrepreneur Alex Altomare served as a mentor for Tuesday’s MECA Challenge, which prompted students in Kansas City’s urban core to develop solutions for school shootings. The following is Altomare’s reflection on the experience. MECA Challenge and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation. Volunteering, especially with education…
Axing the status quo: Swell Spark builds experiences from West Bottoms HQ
Human interaction is about more than texting and social media posts, said Matt Baysinger, co-founder and CEO of Swell Spark. “One of the best things in life is sharing a meal together, but sharing a meal together is only as good as the conversation you get to have over that meal,” Baysinger said. “If you…
