MTC gifts $2.6M to 10 Missouri tech firms, including one from KC
December 9, 2016 | Bobby Burch
The Missouri Technology Corporation is making the holidays extra special for 10 Show Me State startups.
With an aim to grow the state’s tech and bioscience sectors, the MTC announced that it approved $2.6 million in co-investment awards to 10 firms, including $225,000 to Kansas City-based SquareOffs. Founded in 2012 by Jeff Rohr, SquareOffs created an interactive polling platform that increases engagement and communication for publishers, bloggers and brands.
“This early-stage support allows startups to gain some traction in their capital raising efforts,” MTC executive director Bill Anderson said in a release. “It’s another way for these young companies to demonstrate validation of their concept to potential investors and for the state to solidify its reputation as being a growing innovation hub.”
MTC also allocated funding awards to six startups from St. Louis and one each from Brentwood, Chesterfield and Wildwood.
The capital derives from the MTC’s IDEA Fund, a program that will match other capital investments in high-growth tech companies. Since 2011, the program has co-invested in 95 companies, which have in turn been able to raise over $350 million in additional capital to grow their businesses and create jobs.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why a globally-trained Spanish chef is building his new homebase from City Market
It’s all about the pan for Carlos Saura, a Spanish chef whose new paella and tapas spot in Kansas City’s bustling and diverse City Market is set to arrive in late summer or early fall — helping bring the historic marketplace district to 100-percent-leased capacity. The Paella Mix, at 25 E. Third St., is expected…
On the map and in the mirror: 1 Million Cups contrasts international eship visitors with KC startup scene
The fail-fast mindset and high risk tolerance many American entrepreneurs employ in their quests to build unicorn startups are arguably foreign concepts to business builders on the other side of the globe, said Lucy-Llonna Larbi. Her experiences in Germany reflect a slower, security-first focus, she said, expressing admiration for the American approach. “We think that…
After coffee, calm: Messenger co-founder, partner envision West Bottoms bathhouse as retreat from what has been
Nearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…
KC-built delivery platform recruiting drivers, retailers ahead of summer app launch
Dwayne Overton is no stranger to the hustle, he said. The Kansas City entrepreneur once juggled gigs with Lyft and DoorDash — jobs that gave him an up-close look at the struggles drivers face every day. Now, as founder and CEO of VendiSafe, he’s building a delivery platform that spins the traditional model on its…