Digital Sandbox partners with Olathe to lift startups
July 6, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Business incubator Digital Sandbox KC is widening its reach to suburban Kansas City.
Digital Sandbox is partnering with the City of Olathe, Kan., to help launch businesses and boost entrepreneurship with its proof-of-concept model. The organization invests up to $25,000 in businesses for specific projects that help them secure additional funding.
“Digital Sandbox has done a phenomenal job helping early-stage entrepreneurs move from concept to business start,” Olathe city manager Michael Wilkes said in a release. “We know that we have many creative entrepreneurs in Olathe who can use Digital Sandbox to turn their idea into a growing Olathe business that creates new jobs in our city.”
Digital Sandbox Director Jeff Shackelford said that he’s excited to work with the city, which already has one business in the program. He added that he’s confident other entrepreneurs in Olathe will be able to tap the program to accelerate their growth.
“What we intend to do with this partnership is quickly turn concepts into business startups that create new jobs for Olathe,” Shackelford said in a release. “In the long run, we hope to find the next Garmin that benefits the entire metro area.”
Digital Sandbox recently welcomed six new companies to its program, including Olathe-based PerfectCube. PerfectCube offers business analytics tools for small retailers, offering users information on trends, comparisons and predictive information. Digital Sandbox’s funding will help the company add functionality to help small retailers grow.
Digital Sandbox has funded 52 proof-of-concept projects and helped to create 23 new businesses that have gone on to create 181 jobs. Companies that have participated in its program have gone on to raise $17.7 million in follow-on funding, according to Digital Sandbox.
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Young mom’s apparel for crawling babies wins best fit for UMKC Side Hustle Challenge
Riley Rhoads knows firsthand how overwhelming it is to shop for baby clothes, the University of Missouri-Kansas City student and new mother shared, so she created a product to help fellow moms. Hold Tight Baby — Rhoads’ venture that earned her first place at UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge — makes pants for crawling babies. The…
Investor market turns Midwest conservative: ‘Everyone here is feeling a changing landscape’
After years of soaring valuations across the startup scene, venture firms like M25 are observing a shift to more risk-averse investors and stricter examinations of even the most-exciting company’s worth, said Abhinaya Konduru. “We’re seeing a new normal,” said Konduru, a principal on the influential Chicago-based M25 team and a panelist at Thursday’s MidxMidwest event…
Power & Light: $10M in Live! Block upgrades planned before downtown’s Big 12 ‘opening day’
The Kansas City Live! Block in the Power & Light District — a place KCMO Councilman Crispen Rea calls the living room of Kansas City — is set for a $10 million upgrade, local business and civic leaders announced Thursday. Key updates also target the popular District nightclub Mosaic. “It’s become an engine that generates…
Google makes new $120K pledge to KC schools; region embraces a future built on flexibility
In an era of artificial intelligence and high-tech solutions, the children of Kansas City remain a vital piece of the region’s future economic sustainability, said Utaukwa Allen, announcing a new financial pledge from Google that targets local students. Kansas City Public Schools have been selected for a $120,000 partnership with Google to strengthen KCPS’ STEM…