FitBark

Venture capital Kansas City

Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2020

The 2020 Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List reflects a range of success stories and COVID-era challenges among Kansas City’s community of growth-stage, venture-backed companies. The list — updated annually by Startland News and its parent organization, Startland — shows that while few companies were spared from COVID-19’s impact, many of Kansas City’s leading entrepreneurs continued to grow…

Davide Rossi, FitBark

FitBark GPS launches with embedded sim card for tracking lost pups via cell service

FitBark’s latest treat for pet lovers: A four-legged friend finder. FitBark GPS recently launched in the Kansas City-based startup’s U.S. market, said Davide Rossi, co-founder and CEO, detailing new features that allow owners to pinpoint their dogs’ locations in case of emergency via embedded Verizon cell service. “We send all of the owners an alert…

Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2019

The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List recognizes the momentum pushing an emerging cohort of Kansas City growth-stage, venture-backed companies.  Simply put, the list — updated and now published annually — shows a massive increase in venture capital deployed to Kansas City companies in 2019, as well as a significant jump in jobs at those businesses….

John Fein

Firebrand Fein: KC needs more audacious startups, ‘crazy ideas’ to attract investors

Kansas City companies need to buck the Midwestern, risk-averse mindset and sell audacious plans to investors, said John Fein. “I would just love to see more crazy ideas, more big game type ideas,” said Fein, founder and managing partner at Firebrand Ventures. “We invest when [the startup] starts to generate revenue, so they have to…

FitBark

Best-in-show FitBark pet tech now groomed for 2019 launch on FitBit

Kansas City-bred FitBark is set to unleash a new partnership with industry-leading fitness wearable FitBit in early 2019, the company announced Monday. “For many of us, happiness is about helping others achieve their goals,” said Davide Rossi, CEO and co-founder of FitBark. “We may not have the motivation to get in the gym every day,…