Latest Stories
New app Miles wants to soothe the pain of mileage tracking
The stability of a 9 – 5 corporate work day is fading away, as many entrepreneurs know. Many people are entering the “freelance workforce,” leaving the predictability of a regular paycheck behind. Although this arrangement brings freedoms, it may make things more complicated during tax season. This culture shift inspired serial entrepreneur and software developer…
Five Elms Capital leads $7.4M round in San Diego firm
Five Elms Capital is the lead investor in a $7.4 million finance round for a San Diego-based security firm. The Kansas City-based investment group is backing Trackforce, a SaaS provider of operations management tools for security guard operators. The company’s GuardTek software suite is used by more than 80,000 users at over 8,000 sites in…
Rockstar team forming at KC-based Firebrand Ventures
A venture fund’s success is determined by its ability to find and evaluate the best deals. And that job is a whole lot easier when you have a team with decades of technology investment experience guiding your decisions — as is the case with Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures. Launched in July by John Fein, Firebrand…
Charlotte Street Foundation launches program for arts, culture startups
The Kansas City-based Charlotte Street Foundation is launching a program to support emerging arts and culture startups in the area. The foundation’s “Startup Residency” program will offer its participants 12 months of free storefront space at Charlotte Street’s Project Space in downtown Kansas City, professional development training, mentoring and marketing opportunities. “We noticed that a…
International business program ScaleUpU taps KC as inaugural city
Kansas City has been nationally recognized for its plethora of startup resources. And thanks to the launch of a new, international program, the area has more opportunities to grow its mid-sized firms that hope to become Kansas City’s next billion-dollar business. After its launch in January, ScaleUpU aims to take 15 midsized Kansas City companies…
Events Preview: Second Friday at Village Square
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. Weekly Events Preview Focus on Yourself in the New Year: Expert Panel Discussion on Career Advancement for Marketing Communicators When: Jan. 10,…
Top 10 Kansas City startups to watch in 2017
Kansas City witnessed one of its biggest startup successes in 2016 with EyeVerify’s massive exit. Stories like this bring Kansas City’s potential to the foreground. It validates that not only building a wildly lucrative business is possible but also that the area community can help make it possible. While undoubtedly a triumph, EyeVerify is but…
Mid-America Angels invested $3.6M in record-breaking 2016
For the second consecutive year, the Mid-America Angel Network posted a record-breaking year of investing. In 2016, the Kansas City-based network invested $3.6 million via 15 deals in startups, topping its 2015 totals of $2.8 million in nine investments. “What you see here is the result of several years of work, not just one,“ MAA…
Digital Sandbox’s newest cohort: Hip hop health startup, moving app
Digital Sandbox KC on Friday announced its support of two new Kansas City tech firms. Led by entrepreneur Jeff Shackelford, the Kansas City-based incubator welcomed H3TV and MovinHouz to its program. Digital Sandbox invests up to $25,000 in area businesses for specific projects that help the firms secure additional funding. The organization has now supported…
George Brooks: Two words that can change your business
Some of the biggest moments in any business start with two simple words: What if? After these words, great opportunity can follow. Businesses have started, discoveries made, and movements ignited around this simple curiosity. These words help find the right problems to solve. They help discover the best solutions. They may lead to failure or…
