‘Kansas City Startup House’ aims to be smart home incubator
June 9, 2016 | Bobby Burch
A local tech founder is transforming his Kansas City, Kan., home to eventually become the area’s next incubator program.
Sports Photos founder Brandon Schatz recently launched the “Kansas City Startup Home” to host entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world. While it’s now serving as an Airbnb destination for techies, Schatz said in the next two months his house will become an incubator for those developing smart home technologies.
“It’s budding up now,” Schatz said. “Smart home technology is a huge market and also a personal interest. I love this stuff. … There are so many more things that companies can put together for smart homes. It’s an enormous industry.”
The program is located in the Kansas City Startup Village — near 45th and State Line Road — and adopts an idea from one of its neighbors, the Homes for Hackers program. Homes for Hackers welcomes techies from around the world to stay at the home rent-free for three to six months to work on projects.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to come to Kansas City to build connected-home technologies.” – Matthew Marcus
But instead of working on their own and staying for free, Schatz’s program will negotiate an equity swap in exchange for rent, mentorship and tech consultation. Schatz also would put an application process in place to select candidates for the incubator. Schatz has spent $15,000 on renovating the six-bedroom, two-bath house and plans to host up to six founders for the incubator. The home also has access to Google Fiber’s gigabit internet plan.
Schatz is already working on smart home technology called “Fridge Share.” Geared toward those in the home-sharing economy with services like Airbnb or VRBO, the tech would allow hosts to easily track and charge tenants for food in their refrigerators.
The incubator would become the latest asset for the Kansas City Startup Village. Founded in 2012, the village is a community of entrepreneurs that serendipitously moved to the first neighborhood to receive Google Fiber. It now serves as a home to more than 25 startup firms.
Matthew Marcus, a co-leader of the Kansas City Startup Village, said that the community is thrilled to see the idea.
“We’re super excited to hear about these types of innovative initiatives that continue to make Kansas City a fantastic place for entrepreneurship and tech,” Marcus said. “For the village itself, it’s fun to see the transformations that happen over time. … It’s an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to come to Kansas City to build connected-home technologies.”
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
In second term, Mayor Q says he’ll help get City Hall out of entrepreneurs’ way as they build a more diverse economy
Creating economic equity in Kansas City goes hand in hand with building a sustainable city, said Mayor Quinton Lucas. “We will not be the city that we need to be — we won’t have the workforce, the entrepreneurs that we need — if we’re not actually investing in equitable tools in any number of ways,”…
Sandlot Goods takes a swing at a brick and mortar; new JoCo storefront expected to be a home run with brand’s fans
Sandlot Goods — Kansas City’s only local hat manufacturer — is hoping to score big with its first, dedicated, standalone retail space. The new location at Park Place in Leawood — 11530 Ash Street — is slated for a soft opening Aug. 15 and a grand opening Sept. 16, shared Garret Prather, Sandlot vice president…
‘Oppenheimer’ actor says new Missouri tax incentives could bring investors, more film productions to KC
David Dastmalchian’s screenplays for movies set in Kansas City now have a realistic chance to be filmed in and around his hometown, said the acclaimed actor, writer, and producer who grew up in Overland Park. Recently-signed legislation paves the way for increased film production in Missouri by reauthorizing — and strengthening — tax credit incentives…
She witnessed short-staffed hospitals as a COVID patient; How her ‘Airbnb for health care workers’ could save lives like hers
After her own hospitalization with COVID-19, Shapree’ Marshall set out to make sure local hospitals have adequate staffing to care for the community, she shared. In February 2022, Marshall — now a 2023 Pipeline Pathfinder cohort member — founded A Traveled Path Homes, which she describes as Airbnb for the medical industry. She plans to…