Latest Stories
ScaleUP! KC welcomes 16 new entrepreneurs to the program
On Wednesday ScaleUP! KC welcomed 16 new entrepreneurs into its incubator program’s sixth cohort. To qualify, ScaleUP! companies must be in business for at least two years, generate annual sales of between $150,000 and $750,000 and have the potential to reach to $1 million in sales. Startups from the latest cohort represent industries such as…
KC Digital Drive summits aim to catalyze engagement with tech, innovation
Area non-profit, government and tech leaders are planning to help broaden community involvement in the Kansas City metro’s innovation ecosystem. Organized by KC Digital Drive, the Gigabit City Summit: Local Edition — set for June 16 at Plexpod Westport Commons — will offer an immersive look into high-profile initiatives such as the Smart City effort and…
KC startups join Techstars, Amazon and Kickstarter to support net neutrality
Amazon, Kickstarter, Etsy, Mozilla and other tech giants are planning a “day of action” on July 12 to oppose efforts to undo net neutrality regulations by Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai. As national momentum grows, the fight for a free and open Internet already has garnered local support. More than a dozen Kansas City-area…
Flyover Capital leads $1.5M round in Illinois startup
Overland Park-based venture capital firm Flyover Capital has led a $1.5 million Series A round in an Illinois-based tech firm. Flyover led the investment round — which included Serra Ventures and other private investors — in Inprentus Precision Optics, which designs and manufactures X-ray and EUV diffraction gratings for “synchrotron radiation” facilities. The technology is used…
Faster-than-expected visa process helps BLITAB relocate from Austria to KC
Eight months after the Austria-based firm BLITAB won a LaunchKC grant, its co-founders have finally settled into their new home of Kansas City, Mo. BLITAB — a startup that developed the world’s first tablet for blind people — was the only internationally-based firm to win a $50,000 LaunchKC grant in September. But before co-founders Kristina Tsvetanova and Slavi…
KCultivator Q&A: Adrienne Haynes on microwave etiquette, Madam C.J. Walker, Beyonce
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a new, lighthearted profile series we’re kicking off to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out our other features on Robert Manigold, Susan Wally and Donald Carter. Adrienne Haynes caught an entrepreneurial bug as a teenager. With a passion for helping young people, she aspired to…
Events Preview: Startup Weekend KC, Second Fridays
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Feel free to add it to the FWD/KC calendar for increased exposure. Once your event…
Compute Midwest rebrands, announces expansion to the Windy City
The Kansas City-based tech conference formerly known as Compute Midwest has announced a rebrand and expansion to Chicago. The conference, which has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top tech conferences in the nation, has changed its name to become Dare Mighty Things. Since its launch in 2012, the conference has consistently…
Meet Project UK, an accelerator helping entrepreneurs from underserved KC communities
Project UK founder Quest Taylor was ecstatic Tuesday when he received news his accelerator earned funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “It was a stamp of approval for the organization,” Taylor said of the accelerator, which was founded in early 2017. “I was not expecting to receive the grant. We really had to prove…
ArtsKC launches new online guide to arts, cultural events
ArtsKC is offering residents in the region a new digital resource that hopes to grow engagement at area arts and cultural events. On Friday, the regional nonprofit organization launched ArtsKCGo.com, an online guide that features information on art, music, theater, dance, film, festivals and other cultural events in the area. Already with hundreds of events…
