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
GEWKC submissions open: Organizers seek community-sourced ideas for fall event series
One of Kansas City’s largest interactive educational experiences for entrepreneurs is inviting community members to drive the conversation when Global Entrepreneurship Week returns in November. Festivities are set for Nov. 17-22 at Union Station in Kansas City. The GEWKC event series’ programming is crowd-sourced through submissions from community members and organized by KCSourceLink. Selected concepts…
Federal arts funding cuts hit AMERI’KANA festival in KC’s northeast; organizer says the show will go on
Creating space for healing and connection in Kansas City’s historic northeast is too critical to abandon, said Enrique Chi, whose nonprofit — and a popular music and arts festival — faces federal funding cuts targeting heritage-related initiatives that don’t align with the priorities of President Trump. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently rescinded $85,000…
Call for Heartists: Sprawling sculpture project needs storytellers willing to open portal to KC’s soul
When the Parade of Hearts returns in April 2026, as many as 150 pieces of Kansas City’s story will be scattered across the metro — offering a summer-long scavenger hunt of the region’s identity for hometown fans and World Cup revelers alike. “The Parade of Hearts is more than public art — it’s a catalyst…
KCMO sets aside $1.4M to get small biz, artists in the front door before World Cup arrives
A city-led and funded effort to fill vacant storefronts in downtown Kansas City ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is still taking shape, officials said this week, noting that crafting the infrastructure for the program alongside private property owners is expected to extend through the summer. “The World Cup is just the beginning of…