LAN Party
Bracket bash races to halfcourt, cutting pitch competitors down to 16 Kansas startups
The competition for $25,000 in startup capital is intensifying for more than a dozen Kansas entrepreneurs as a high-profile pitch event announced Wednesday that it had narrowed the field from 32 finalists to 16. Selected companies — half of which hail from the Kansas City region — advance to the next round of the 2026…
2026 Startups to Watch: LAN Party gains steam with nostalgia as a hook, gaming enterprise potential as the real play
Editor’s note: Startland News editors selected 10 high-growth, scaling Kansas City companies to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch project. Now in its 11th year, this feature recognizes founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest, most compelling news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2026’s…
10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2026
It’s that moment just before dawn, as Kansas City awakens to a new year — ripe with possibilities, potential and change. The light breaks and all eyes turn to the horizon; toward the looming FIFA World Cup, sports stadium shifts, and long-awaited developments and destinations coming on line. But tucked within the twinkling edges of…
Real-life KC startup bros create virtual basement gaming vibes, turning once-isolated streaming into a familiar party
In today’s connected world, gaming with or against relative strangers — or “friends” a player only knows from a specific game or platform — is the norm. A Kansas City startup’s new streaming venture aims to recreate old school gaming-with-friends-in-the-basement vibe in the digital world. Available on Steam for free when its beta goes live…
