And then there was one: Blooom the sole local firm left in national pitch contest
November 17, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Financial tech startup Blooom is the lone Kansas City-area company to advance in the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s “One in a Million” pitch competition
Out of an initial field of more than 350 companies, the Leawood-based firm advanced to the final round of five in the foundation’s pitch contest. The competition, which will conclude the morning of Nov. 18 during Global Entrepreneurship Week, will award $10,000 to one startup that previously participated in the foundation’s 1 Million Cups program.
The other four startups to advance in the contest are: SwineTech of New Sharon, Iowa; Upsie of Minneapolis, Minn.; DryBox of San Antonio, Texas; and My Solar of Los Angeles, California. Two other Kansas City-area companies — Idle Smart and AEGLE Palette — failed to advance to the final round of five.
A star-studded lineup of businesspeople from around the nation will be judging Blooom and the other four startups. Judges in the competition’s final round of five startups are: Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint; Nicole Glaros, chief product officer of Techstars; and Paul Kedrosky, managing partner of SK Ventures.
Kansas City Mayor Sly James will present the first-place team the grand prize of $10,000, while second- and third-place winners will receive $5,000 and $1,000, respectively.
The Kauffman Foundation will be providing a live stream of the competition 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
A chip on former Mizzou receiver Tommy Saunders’ shoulder fuels his fitness tech firm
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. “This is for everyone who doubted me.” That’s a phrase Tommy Saunders has been saying to himself for years. Saunders said it after being denied scholarship offers and earned a walk-on spot as a wide receiver for the University of Missouri.…
Young KC entrepreneurs to learn from veteran innovators Fishback, Costello
Young entrepreneurs in the area are set to cultivate their skills with an upcoming event connecting them with successful Kansas City business leaders. On Nov. 14, HatchPad Engage! Kansas City will host a panel, fireside chat and pitch competition geared toward entrepreneurial youth that are still in school or are recent graduates. HatchPad CEO Heather…
Meet the leaders driving Black & Veatch’s entrepreneurial revival
In June, Kansas City construction giant Black & Veatch kicked off an effort to accelerate new, innovative ideas by adopting a concept common among startups. The Overland Park-based corporation launched the B&V Growth Accelerator, which hopes to challenge the global firm’s traditional methods of generating and launching ideas. Black & Veatch — which works with…
One Kansas City startup survives national Kauffman contest
After about a month of public deliberation, the 1 in a Million pitch competition has narrowed participating startups down to a top five — and one hails from Kansas City. Although five area companies advanced to the top 40, The Grooming Project is last startup standing from Kansas City. A panel of Kauffman fellows will…