Latest Stories
Illness forecaster Sickweather lands local investor, opening KC office
As part of a recent investment round, Sickweather will be returning to familiar stomping grounds to open a Kansas City office. A graduate of the 2014 Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator, Sickweather raised a seed round of an undisclosed value to accelerate sales of its tech that forecasts and maps illnesses for consumers and enterprises. “We’re thrilled…
Entrepreneurial card game Idea Jab spurs creativity in students, startups
Editor’s note: Startland News is continuing its Fund Me, KC segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Idea Jab co-founders Matt Callegari and Alex Laughlin — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Back Idea Jab here. Who are…
MTC gifts $2.6M to 10 Missouri tech firms, including one from KC
The Missouri Technology Corporation is making the holidays extra special for 10 Show Me State startups. With an aim to grow the state’s tech and bioscience sectors, the MTC announced that it approved $2.6 million in co-investment awards to 10 firms, including $225,000 to Kansas City-based SquareOffs. Founded in 2012 by Jeff Rohr, SquareOffs created…
Ag venture group TechAccel invests $250K in research partnership
A new partnership will advance agricultural innovation in the state of Missouri. TechAccel, a Kansas City-based technology and venture development firm, recently announced it will work with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a St. Louis-based nonprofit research institute. TechAccel will provide $250,000 in grants to the Danforth Center to help it demonstrate proof of…
Kansas City Chief Dontari Poe challenges students, startups with new contest
Veteran Kansas City Chief Dontari Poe is hosting a competition that bridges young Kansas Citians and entrepreneurship. Set for Dec. 13 at Think Big Coworking, Poe Man’s Challenge will pair nine local startups with 30 Kansas City high school students and pitch the companies to a panel of celebrity judges, including Poe and his teammates….
Router Ventures plans to make more KC startup investments
Led by regional startup champion Jeff Slobotski, Omaha-based Router Ventures is hoping to grow its early-stage investment portfolio with more Kansas City firms. With seven startups in its roster, the $1.1 million seed fund plans to accelerate its dealmaking in 2017 and Slobotski said Kansas City is key to the strategy. “I strongly believe that…
Gary Fish invests $4M in Virginia security firm Haystax Technology
Kansas City-based technology accelerator Fishtech Labs announced its second investment Thursday. Just four months after the firm invested $3 million in Overland Park’s Foresite, Fishtech injected $4 million in security analytics provider Haystax Technology. “Once I became aware of their technology platform, there was never a second thought as to whether or not I should…
With scholarships available, urban business effort grows Kansas City
An effort to increase entrepreneurship in the urban core of Kansas City is increasing its area economic impact as well as its scholarship opportunities. Launched in 2013, the Urban Business Growth Initiative offers a variety of programs that help applicants access resources, classes and counseling to create jobs and support urban business growth. The UBGI…
Sprint parent company to invest $50B in U.S. startups
The billionaire behind Sprint’s parent company plans to unload some serious investment capital in American startups. After a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced that he plans to invest $50 billion in U.S. startups that will create tens of thousands of jobs in the next four years, according to the Associated…
Led by a ‘give first’ ethos, Techstars becomes a B-Corp
When your company mantra is “give first,” it’s bound have a philanthropic focus. And that ideology seems to have driven Techstars’ recent move to become a certified “B Corporation,” entailing the investment and accelerator group adhere to strict standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. A “B Corp” — or benefit corporation —…
