Discover the stories shaping the future of Kansas City.
From emerging startups to the people making headlines, catch up on the latest in entrepreneurship and innovation across Greater Kansas City.
Homeowners need a handbook for maintenance, founders say; their app puts to-do’s in the past
Tanuj and Rupal Gupta are taking what they know about preventative care from their medical backgrounds and applying it to homeownership, the husband-and-wife duo shared.
Speed pitch event accelerates founder funding IQ; venture capital isn’t always the right move, investors say
During the event, more than a dozen entrepreneurs rotated through small pods of investors for eight-minute conversations: one minute for the founder to lay out the company and opportunity and seven minutes for investor questions, feedback, and discussion.
How are founders building faster with less? MidxMidwest match-making earns credit alongside AI
When Scott Coons scaled his company into a $650 million global business with more than 3,000 employees worldwide, the Perceptive Software founder felt like he had to do it alone, Coons told a crowd Thursday at MidxMidwest.
Rock Island Bridge adding OneKC Roof branding as eco devo leaders celebrate 50 years of wins
A high-profile addition to one of Kansas City’s most popular new destinations is more than a marker of KCADC’s half-century anniversary, David Campbell said; the OneKC branding atop Rock Island Bridge showcases shared identity, economic strength and regional partnerships.
Rebecca Gubbels promoted to top ECJC exec role after years shaping efforts to boost entrepreneurs
A longtime entrepreneurship and banking advisor is advancing to the top leadership position at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County, succeeding Jeff Shackelford, who will retire as president and CEO by the end of the year.
Full Scale built growth, loyalty around cheaper overseas tech talent; Go inside its offshoring experiment
Full Scale developers earn unusually high incomes relative to the Philippine economy, founder Matt Watson said, creating opportunities that would otherwise be difficult for many workers there to access. That’s a convenient trade for an American CEO whose business benefits from the gap between overseas and US employees.
French company bringing 100 jobs to KC for sustainable autotech facility in Riverside
A new Kansas City-area operation is expected to grow OPmobility’s North American manufacturing footprint while strengthening its ability to serve customers across the Midwest and broader U.S. market, regional and company leaders said Tuesday.
Tesseract advances in Department of War’s hunt for tech-in-a-box to control US drone fleets
A Kansas City-launched invention company that has dived deep into robotics and drones for national security applications announced today its selection by the Defense Innovation Unit for a competitive prototype project tied to next-generation autonomous warfighting tech.
UMKC-led effort wins potential $160M grant: Feds back KC in race to control tech’s most critical materials
A just-announced award from the National Science Foundation is expected to help Kansas City develop the regional ecosystem needed to boost U.S. production of the metals and critical materials manufacturers require for batteries, aircraft engine parts, semiconductors, medical devices, and other advanced tech.
Sports leaders who tied their legacies to World Cup: KC businesses, fans impressed the world
Kansas City seized its moment in the international spotlight, said Clark Hunt, sweeping aside what he called past concerns about FIFA World Cup economic impact and visitor projections to laud work on the ground by local officials, entrepreneurs and fans.
KC to the World pop-up market: MADE MOBB opens its doors to small biz vendors feeling shut out by World Cup
Not every small business could afford a seat at Kansas City’s World Cup table, so the metro’s premiere streetwear shop is pulling up a few extra chairs, said Mark Launiu.
Free kicks with Great Jobs KC: Students develop 3D-printed soccer tee amid World Cup
“We got the idea from rugby kicking tees,” said Campbell Higgins, a UMKC student participating in the Great Jobs KC program. “We looked at that and asked, ‘How can we improve on it for free kicks?'”
Analysis: Is AI eating tech? Traditional entry-level jobs are disappearing with KC at ground level
Kansas City’s tech sector is under new pressure with a consistent picture emerging: traditional entry-level career pathways — the hands-on, lower-risk work that once trained new talent — are shrinking or disappearing altogether. The result is a quiet but consequential shift, experts told Startland News. Companies still need talent. Training programs are still producing it….