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
17 KC entrepreneurs selected to ‘ScaleUP!’
A KCSourceLink program that connects high-achieving entrepreneurs with mentors and resources announced its latest brood of businesspeople. ScaleUp! KC revealed Wednesday a group of 17 Kansas City-area entrepreneurs that hope to kick their businesses into higher gear. The diverse group includes entrepreneurs in such fields as software, transportation, fitness, food and more. It is the…
Kauffman Foundation dishing $2M to programs for entrepreneurs
With a new CEO and revamped strategic plan, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is bolstering its support of U.S. programs aimed at helping entrepreneurs. The Kansas City-based foundation is allocating about $2 million in grants to tax-exempt organizations expanding programs that are successful in supporting U.S. entrepreneurs. The grants, which will range between $250,000 and…
Mentorship opportunities abound in KC
Those hoping to further their businesses with the help of seasoned professionals need not look far. An array of opportunities await professionals seeking help to find their way through the foggy labyrinth of creating a business. Organizations such as KCSourceLink, which helps startups and small businesses find resources to grow, work to connect entrepreneurs with…
KC learning, sharing stories at TECHNA conference
Dozens of leaders in North American technology will be arriving in Kansas City this week to learn about area successes like Google Fiber and the Cisco Smart City project. Set for Wednesday through Friday, the annual Technology Councils of North America (TECHNA) conference will host about 60 cities’ technology councils from the U.S. and Canada.…