Latest Stories

Google Fiber nixes free Internet offering in Kansas City

It’s often said there’s no such thing as a free lunch. And in Google’s case, there’s no such thing a free fiber connection — at least anymore. The tech titan last week nixed its free Internet offering, which dished out download speeds of 5 megabits-per-second and upload speeds of 1 mbps. Google has offered the…

Regional Roundup

When your tech becomes an expensive paperweight

Here’s this week’s dish on expensive paperweights, company culture and bootstrapping. Check out more in this series here.   The Verge: Nest is permanently disabling the Revolv smart home hub In a shot across the bows of any early-adopter interested in startup tech, Nest announced that it’s shutting down Revolv’s IoT smart home hub. Google-owned…

QM Power snags $9M round for high-tech electric motor

Kansas City-based QM Power recently raised significant capital to accelerate development of its electric motor that the company says will transform its industry.   The tech firm raised $9.06 million from undisclosed investors to boost development of the “Q-Sync Smart Synchronous Motor.” QM Power says the motor is as much as 80 percent more efficient…

After ‘largest product launch ever,’ Tesla attracts KC futurists

In a week, electric car maker Tesla has spurred an automotive ardor whose fervor may only be rivaled by the replacement of horses with the Ford Model T. Tesla’s new Model 3 has received more than 325,000 pre-orders in seven days, which corresponds to about $14 billion in implied future sales. The sales represent the…

Events Preview: Start Fest, HBD Village Square

There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW     Start Fest When: April 8 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm Where: KCKCC Technical Education Center It is time for…

Kansas City Design Week

Kansas City Design Week convenes community for creatives

A quick trek through the Crossroads Arts District effortlessly affirms that Kansas City is a hub for creativity. And with Kansas City Design Week, those creative-types have a hub of their own. The KCDW, set for April 7 through 16, brings together a plethora of creative minds to challenge skills, connect designers with business resources…

Kansas City’s Five Elms injects $4M in Omaha startup

Kansas City-based Five Elms Capital recently led a round of financing for an Omaha blog-hosting startup. Five Elms led a $4 million round for Flywheel, allowing the startup to add features to its platform for designers and agencies, as well as beef up marketing and sales operations. Linseed Capital and the Nebraska Angels, a network…

Rapid growth propelling grand ambitions for PopBookings

Only weeks after releasing its latest product, event staffing tech firm PopBookings is hiring staff and looking for capital to accommodate for rapid growth. In the last six weeks the Kansas City-based startup has added thousands of users to its platform on which staffing agencies can hire and manage temporary labor for specific events. Now…

Video: Foosball and whimsy are integral to the RFP365 ethos

  Kansas City foosball virtuoso Stuart Ludlow knows his way around the fútbol table. With a strike rivaling a Black Mamba’s, Ludlow’s instincts and supple wrist on the foosball pitch puts to shame most any adversary. But perhaps equally as cunning is Ludlow’s savvy to integrate the table game into the workplace culture of RFP365, of which he’s a co-founder. Founded in 2012,…

Enterprise Center in Johnson County mentorship Growth Mentoring Services

MIT-modeled mentorship arrives in Kansas City

A new MIT-modeled mentorship program is available to Kansas City entrepreneurs. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County is now accepting applications for its new mentoring program, the Growth Mentoring Service, which adopts the approach of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Venture Mentoring Service. The free, two-year program is welcoming all entrepreneurs who meet its guidelines…