Lantern scores big with Sporting Kansas City deal
June 26, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Tech firm Lantern Software’s mobile app hit the right pitch with its hometown soccer team.
Lantern CEO Aaron Sloup
The startup, located in Kansas City, Kan., recently partnered with Sporting Kansas City to offer its mobile concessions ordering platform. The deal, effective Saturday, will allow fans in Sporting KC’s Boulevard Members Club to order and pay for concessions on their phones, and then pick up orders quicker at a separate “fast lane.”
Lantern CEO Aaron Sloup said that working with Sporting KC’s affiliate tech company — Sporting Innovations — enabled the companies to try new, innovative approaches to improve fans’ experiences at the stadium.
“This is definitely a big deal for us,” Sloup said. “Their whole team has been great to work with. They want to stay at the leading edge of technology and that means they’re willing to do some new things to move quickly.”
The app, named Gameday, allows fans to choose concession items and pay for their order via credit card or PayPal. Featuring Sporting KC colors and photos, Gameday then tracks fans’ orders, notifying them of when an order is placed and ready for pickup from a separate line.
Gameday app
Fans may draft an order before entering the Boulevard Members Club, but must enter the club to activate the order via small Bluetooth beacons confirming one’s proximity. The app is now available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.
“We’re continuously looking at ways to improve the fan experience at Sporting Park,” Sporting KC CEO Robb Heineman said in a release. “Lantern has a proven track record of using micro-location to improve the fan experience at sporting events. We are excited to form a relationship with a local company to provide a service that will greatly benefit our fans.”
Lantern previously was conducting pilot testing with the same app technology with the Kansas City Chiefs. Sloup said that testing has yet to result in a contract, though he remains hopeful for a partnership.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
It began as a one-man DJ; now this ‘Platinum’ experience is landing KCI’s first big event at the new terminal
In-person events are back with vengeance, said Kris Nardini; and Platinum XP is positioned to plan experiences coming only from one’s wildest imagination. “Platinum XP is a single-source, full-service event planning agency. This means that we can quickly create proposals — that are very creative — but also on budget,” explained Nardini, the owner and…
‘Every business matters, every job matters’: How $69M in federal funds is already boosting KS entrepreneurs
Kansas will use a recent influx of federal funding to strengthen the state’s small business and venture capital ecosystems, according to project leaders of a new high-profile effort focusing on equitable access. The state was allocated $69 million earlier this year as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a federal program that…
Scavenger Tech greenlights indoor-outdoor exploration with box that only unlocks by visiting GPS markers
An inventor’s GPS-driven scavenger hunt device provides needed adventure in the physical world — minimizing screen time while unlocking meaningful challenges and experiences, said Jeff VanDeusen. “I’ve always been someone who likes to go outside and enjoy nature, and I know that’s not always what engineers are known for,” said VanDeusen, creator of Scavenger Tech and…
‘Newbie’ maker collective adds gifts, plants and untamed flair with new West Bottoms shop
The West Bottoms might be known for its vintage shops, but a just-opened maker collective full of new retail is hoping to add to the neighborhood’s narrative. 12th Street Post — a mixed-use retail space with about 80 local makers and vendors at 1501 West 12th St. — celebrated its grand opening Dec. 2. The…