Photo gallery: Techweek’s LaunchKC Top 100 Expo
September 15, 2016 | Bobby Burch
Hundreds of Techweek Kansas City attendees converged on Union Station Thursday afternoon to explore dozens of startups part of the LaunchKC grants contest.
Now in its second year, the popular grants competition LaunchKC was again met with an enthusiastic response by applicants in 2016, drawing more than 400 applicants. The competition — which will distribute $500,000 via 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants — will allow the top 20 applicants to pitch their firms Friday during a live presentation at Techweek KC. The grant competition is led by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and the Downtown Council of Kansas City.
The expo Thursday featured the top 100 firms that applied in the contest. Below is a gallery from the event — enjoy!
Featured Business

2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
LaunchKC winner Erkios: Hacking attacks will come from inside — Fortifi intellectual property
Tinkering with old technology defined childhood for Philip Van Der Straeten, COO of Kansas City tech startup Erkios Systems. Such adventures could one day provide a nationwide payoff for his company, he said. “Our organization was built by tinkerers and critical thinkers attempting to break things down and get a better grasp of what they…
WISE Power generates plans for 9,000-square-foot entertainment lounge at Hy-Vee Arena
Hy-Vee Arena is the perfect place for a WISE Power demo site, said Brittany Williams, but it also is an opportunity to bring innovative leisure to Kansas City. The startup’s new showroom doubles as an entertainment lounge providing food, drink and virtual reality. “We figured we needed demo space — like the Tesla space on…
Pure Pitch Rally winner says local investment will push Fast Democracy toward focus on KC politics
Offering voters a crystal clear look at the legislative process is winning support for Fast Democracy within the Kansas City startup ecosystem, said Jill Kline, the CEO behind the evolving bill tracking platform. “This was always the roadmap. We started out with some of these basic features, wanting to help the general public get their…
Skipping the line: PayIt driver’s license renewal tech iKan puts DMV stigma in reverse
The market is hungry for consumer-grade digital experiences, said John Thomson, founder and CEO at Kansas City tech startup PayIt. Tuesday’s launch of the firm’s iKan driver’s license renewal technology is a step toward satisfying motorists starved for time and frustrated with inconveniences like long lines and packed parking lots at licensing offices. “Kansas residents…
