Zaydan Ahmed
Winning element: KU-linked startup mines critical spot-cash support at Pure Pitch Rally
Bri Farris was a little surprised at the backing — and stack of novelty checks — given to Electravera at Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally, she said, even though her startup’s innovative electrochemical process to recover high-purity lithium and cobalt derivatives tracks well with the region’s momentum around critical materials.
Pure Pitch Rally narrows cohort to five startups, focusing resources for spot-cash pitch event
A new format for one of Kansas City’s longest-running pitch competitions is expected to help winning startup founders earn a larger share of funding, greater resources and more individualized guidance from industry experts, said founder Karen Fenaroli, announcing five contenders selected for the 2026 Pure Pitch Rally.
Just funded: Digital Sandbox KC awards $160K+ to eight emerging tech startups
Boosting innovators with up to $20,000 in proof-of-concept support can be the catalyst for a company surviving to see its next stage of growth, said Kayla Anderson, announcing eight newly funded startups that are joining the ranks of Digital Sandbox KC.
How a car crash after football practice flipped this top recruit from student athlete to founder
“If I’m going to go through something that traumatic, something good should come out of it,” said Zaydan Ahmed, a Pembroke Hill graduate who built a wearable stress management device after an epileptic seizure caused his car crash.
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…
