Startland News Staff

Sometimes we share credit. The “Staff Writer” byline appears on stories reported, written, or edited collaboratively by members of the Startland News team — especially for quick hits and breaking news.

Recent Stories by Startland News Staff

Flight Schedule Pro

Overland Park aviation software firm flies in $31M growth equity investment from Austin

Flight Schedule Pro — the maker of industry-leading cloud-based tech for flight schools, universities, and flying clubs — recently opened the hangar doors on $31 million in funding from an investor landing deals with fast-growing, bootstrapped software companies. Financial terms of the investment from Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm that boasts offices in Austin…

Legalfit management team on a trip to Colorado; photo courtesy of Robert Zhou

Kansas legal tech startup’s exit unlocks opportunity to accelerate innovation, founder says

An Overland Park startup developing intuitive websites and marketing solutions for small law firms says its just-announced acquisition by a leading cloud-based legal operations platform is the verdict needed to push its services to mid-market clients and beyond. “Combining the best-in-class websites with practice management software unlocks a unique opportunity to deepen product integration and…

Hays Bailey, SHEQSY, and Luke Anear, SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture acquires safety app for decentralized frontline workers who often go it alone

A global workplace operations company with its U.S. headquarters in Kansas City on Tuesday announced the acquisition of SHEQSY, a cloud-based lone worker safety app — a move meant to address an underinvestment in frontline processes, enablement, and emerging technologies, said Luke Anear. “Frontline workers make up 80 percent of our global workforces,” said Anear,…

EquipmentShare, Columbia, Missouri

Forbes names EquipmentShare to list of best startup employers for third straight year

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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…

Rendering of the Meta Kansas City data center at Golden Plains Technology Park

Facebook coming to Kansas City; Meta selects KCMO for massive, $800M data center

A new hyperscale data center is expected to be operational in Kansas City by 2024 — bringing global social media and tech giant Meta to the metro and making good on promises that a Northland development could be the next great national technology hub. The Kansas City Area Development Council and its partners announced the…

Dr. Richard H. Linton, president of Kansas State University, board of directors for TechAccel

New K-State president joins KC startup’s board, bringing expertise on food science, academic collaboration

The president of Kansas State University has joined the board of directors of TechAccel, an Overland Park startup focused on scientific breakthroughs to produce healthier plants, animals and foods. Dr. Richard H. Linton, who assumed the leadership of K-State following the Feb. 11 retirement of former Richard Myers, comes with an array of experience expected…

Steve Radley, NetWork Kansas

NetWork Kansas gets $3M Kauffman boost to build inclusive ecosystems across state

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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. WICHITA…

2018 LaunchKC winners

LaunchKC grants competition gets boost toward relaunch with newly announced funding, MTC says

A popular grants competition that helped raise the profiles — and buoy the bank accounts — of dozens of Kansas City startups could be relaunching with renewed funding from the Missouri Technology Corporation, the agency announced Tuesday. LaunchKC was named one of seven organizations to together receive more than $1 million in grant funding to support…

Letter to KCMO City Council from the entrepreneur, small biz community (via Eze Redwood)

Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to Kansas City, Missouri, city council members March 11 by serial entrepreneur Eze Redwood, advocating for $11 million in funding for entrepreneur support from KCMO in its 2022-2023 budget. The city council is set to vote on the budget by March 24. The opinions expressed in this commentary…

John Boucard, Tesseract Ventures

Tesseract taps into KC’s sticky innovation culture with homegrown partnership to build IoT tools

A new partnership between a leading robotics creator and one of its fellow Kansas City tech innovators showcases the founder’s longstanding commitment to harnessing the region’s potential as a collaboration powerhouse.  “When I moved back to Kansas City to start Tesseract, I made up my mind to lead by example and attempt to build close…