Latest Stories
15 local companies selected for latest ScaleUP cohort
ScaleUp Kansas City announced Thursday the 15 entrepreneurs that were selected to the program’s latest cohort. Since its launch in 2015, 62 local business owners have graduated from the four-month program, which offers immersive training for companies looking to scale. “ScaleUP! KC has been — and continues to be — such a critical program for…
Hyper-sustainable coffee shop opens in Hyde Park
A Kansas City coffee roaster with a focus on sustainability and creating zero landfill waste is hoping its first shop will be a model for cafes around the nation. A product of the Kansas City-based Paris Brothers food and coffee distribution company, Mother Earth Coffee has been available in local grocery stores and via wholesale…
Silicon Valley accelerator 500 Startups invests in KC tech firm
A Kansas City firm planning to transform the world with its artificial intelligence tech recently landed in a highly-esteemed startup accelerator in Silicon Valley. Mycroft announced Wednesday that it’s in the latest cohort of 500 Startups, a global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator that manages $200 million in assets and has invested in…
Virtual reality field trips offer black history experiences for KC students
With backgrounds in tech, education and business, five women have joined forces to create technology-based educational experience to impart lessons on black culture. Last month, the V Form Alliance received a $19,000 grant from Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund to fund the group’s inaugural project: Virtual Realities in Culture: Explorations of the African Diaspora Project. With…
KCMO creates live-viewing platform of smart city data
Officially launched about nine months ago, the Kansas City Smart City initiative has produced as much enthusiasm as it has technological possibilities. The $15.7 million public-private project — which has transformed Kansas City’s downtown into a lab of Wi-Fi connectivity on and around the 2.2-mile streetcar line — is now further empowering citizens. The City…
Events Preview: Life Equals graduation, Coding & Cupcakes
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 The Marketing Series: SEO Made Easy with Brandon Kenig When: Feb. 8, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Where: Sprint Accelerator…
Animal tech startup FitBark fetches huge Australian pet insurer
Animal tech firm FitBark is headed Down Under thanks to its landing of a big Australian partner. The Kansas City-based company announced that it’s partnered with PetSure, Australia’s largest pet insurance underwriter to help launch its wearable dog activity tracker to the Aussie market. PetSure opens FitBark up to 360,000 policyholders, a network of 22…
Kansas City hosting NIST national smart cities conference
Kansas City’s smart city creds are on the national stage. The National Institute of Standards and Technology selected Kansas City as the first city to host a national conference that encourages collaboration and establishes standards for smart cities. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Think Big Partners and the City of Kansas City, Mo. will host Global…
With investors clamoring for more, Blooom raises $9.15 million
One of the area’s top startups, finance tech firm Blooom has landed a significant round of financing to accelerate its online tool to boost users’ retirement savings. The firm announced Monday that it raised $9.15 million in an oversubscribed Series B round that features some behemoths in finance tech investing. The round was co-led by…
Celebrity Apprentice features Kansas City fitness startup OYO Fitness
A trio of celebrities were briefly among the sales staff for a surging fitness tech firm in Kansas City. In a recent episode of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, musician Boy George, basketball hall-of-famer Lisa Leslie and former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy expert Carson Kressley helped sell for Kansas City-based OYO Fitness. OYO founder Paul…
