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
Swifts endorsement: KC couple opens Cadillac of Cajun restaurants along streetcar line
Richard and Sheila Swift started small: selling their Cajun cuisine out of an existing bar and grill in Kansas City, Kansas, in late 2022. Within a few months they had a loyal following. Still, they wanted their own operation. So they paused and spent a month planning their next step. They formed an LLC, splurged…
KC founder’s hip hop edtech app for children, families earns earns $50K in 5G innovation competition
A grants program focused on boosting social entrepreneurs — traditionally underfunded women and persons of color — who are using 5G wireless innovation to address pressing community challenges this week awarded a $50,000 prize to Kansas City startup Healthy Hip Hop for its work on child literacy. Catalyst — a competitive grants initiative by the Washington,…
Aussie tech company with KC HQ closes $112M round to scale its global expansion, AI innovation
As global technology company SafetyCulture closes another massive funding round, Kansas City — its largest market and biggest opportunity — stands primed for continued investment at the firm’s U.S. headquarters in the Crossroads Arts District. SafetyCulture on Tuesday announced a $112 million round — which values the Sydney, Australia-based workforce operations company at $1.7 billion —…
K-State 105 entrepreneurship project advances economic growth in Douglas County
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by K-State News. MANHATTAN, Kansas — A K-State 105 project is boosting economic growth in Douglas County by building an entrepreneurship ecosystem. Project organizers say the effort The network of aspiring entrepreneurs and established businesses could add 1,300 technology and 300 non-tech, high-paying jobs to Douglas County…