KCRise Fund
‘Food is Medicine’ tech platform shows appetite for growth with new $2.1M seed round
A patient-driven digital platform that empowers lower income Americans living with chronic health conditions to order the diet-specific foods and support they need announced Thursday it has closed a $2.1 million seed investment. The funding for Free From Market — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2023 — allows the company…
2023 Startups to Watch: Free From Market feeds your food identity for health that fits culture, bodies
Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City scaling businesses to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. Now in its eighth year, this feature recognizes founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2023’s companies. Click here to…
KC startup Pepper secures deal to create new IoT platform with investment from Comcast
The merging of a homegrown IoT startup’s tech and a corporate innovator’s existing smart property management system is expected to accelerate growth for Kansas City-built Pepper, said Scott Ford. The companies on Wednesday announced Pepper and Notion — Comcast’s insurtech business unit — had joined to create a new IoT and smart home platform that…
Vytelle doubles its bovine IVF lab capacity; outpacing goals since its $13.2M round
A five-year plan initiated by Vytelle’s Series A funding round called for the agtech startup to double its laboratory capacity to produce bovine embryos through in vitro fertilization. Just a year later, the Lenexa-headquarted company already has opened its fifth new lab. Vytelle’s latest facility — in Franklin, Tennessee — is accessible to beef and dairy…
Saile closes $1.35M round; set to double team in 2023 as mass production of ‘robots for salespeople’ under way
A Kansas City startup building an army of “Sailebots” — an artificial intelligence solution to a classic industry problem — impressed its new lead investor with its customized approach that avoids a “one size fits all” strategy. “I’ve been in sales and marketing automation for 20 years,” said Lisa Calhoun, founder and managing partner at…








