Victor Gutwein
KC ranks No. 11 among Midwest startup hubs; why it needs its own big news day to get VCs’ attention
Investors are looking for more big outcomes — from billion-dollar valuations to IPOs — and plentiful startups in the pipeline behind them, said Victor Gutwein, delivering the verdict on Kansas City for his firm’s 2026 ranking of Midwest startup cities. Cues from KC’s most competitive neighbors could help it move up the list, he added.
Midwest-focused M25 rolls out new venture partners across region, adding high-profile STL founder
CHICAGO — An influential venture capital firm with portfolio companies in Kansas City and across the region on Thursday announced a St. Louis serial entrepreneur as the latest venture partner joining its mission to back a new generation of Midwest unicorns. Guy Friedman, co-founder and CEO of SteadyMD, brings an invaluable founder’s perspective — plus a…
M25 rankings: Startup hubs are slowing; why KC could be losing ground to Midwest neighbors
Kansas City’s startup scene is walking a fine line between flat and stagnant, said Victor Gutwein, teasing caution and other insights into KC’s No. 11 ranking — a position it’s held since 2022 — on M25’s latest Midwest startup cities list. “We’re seeing fewer startups (registered in our datasource Pitchbook) than we used to in Kansas…
Corral raises $1.38M to expand virtual fence solution’s US hoofprint; M25, Grit Road beef up deal
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. LINCOLN, Nebraska — Agtech pioneered by a third-generation rancher-turned-startup founder has corralled an oversubscribed $1.38 million funding round with backing from a healthy herd of regional investors. Corral Technologies, a…
KC ranks No. 11 among Midwest startup cities, holding its spot thanks to funding wins amid VC slowdown
A healthy dose of recent funding events kept Kansas City in the No. 11 spot in the 2023 edition of M25’s annual ranking of Midwest startup cities, said Victor Gutwein, founder and managing partner at M25. The comprehensive report explores how metropolitan areas across the Midwest are performing relative to each other based on startup…
