Royal Street Ventures

Pepper IoT

Pepper teams with Switzerland cyber security expert to combat ‘terrifying’ IoT threats

A new, long-term collaboration between KC-based Pepper IoT and an international leader in digital security has an opportunity to aggressively boost consumer confidence in the rapidly expanding — and potentially hostile — Internet of Things, said Scott Ford. “It is terrifying to see millions of vulnerable connected devices being distributed to U.S. consumers who have…

Techweek 100 list

Techweek 100 list released: Dozens of KC’s top cultivators, ambassadors and innovators

Techweek Kansas City on Friday released its Techweek 100 list of the premier leaders pushing innovation in Kansas City. The collection of cultivators, ambassadors and innovators is a who’s who of familiar names across the startup, entrepreneurship and tech communities. Released in the runup to Techweek KC’s Oct. 8-12 festivities, the list isn’t a ranking,…

Pepper

GXPI-led $3.25M deal pushes Kansas City IoT firm Pepper over $15M investment mark

Pepper topped $15 million in investments this week — adding to its ownership structure through a sizeable deal led by GXPI, the investment arm of Evergy. “This strategic investment by Evergy gives us a great partner in the retail electric utility industry where IoT is beginning to play a critical role,” said Scott Ford, CEO…

Student investors hope to make inroads with KC founders through pitch day

A group of student investors in the Kansas City University Venture Program are working to jump start deal flow and create relationships with Kansas City entrepreneurs. Launched in 2017, the student-led fund is hosting a pitch event to start a dialogue with area startups in hopes of finding their newest investment deals, said Nate Crosser, a…

Pepper

After $8.5M raise, KC-based Pepper eyes IoT dominance

From app-controlled toilets to smart egg trays, the world of IoT is rapidly expanding. In fact, by 2020, it’s expected that more than 24 billion internet-connected devices will be online. And now one well-heeled Kansas City-based IoT startup wants to serve as the hub for those gadgets. After it recently raised a $8.5 million Series…