Digital Sandbox’s newest cohort: Hip hop health startup, moving app
January 6, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Digital Sandbox KC on Friday announced its support of two new Kansas City tech firms.
Led by entrepreneur Jeff Shackelford, the Kansas City-based incubator welcomed H3TV and MovinHouz to its program.
Digital Sandbox invests up to $25,000 in area businesses for specific projects that help the firms secure additional funding. The organization has now supported a total 79 proof-of-concept projects and helped them raise almost $30 million in investment capital.
With a focus on education and health, H3TV created online programming to empower young audiences to make positive changes to their lives. Founders Reggie Gray and Roy Scott created “H3,” which is a new genre of children’s music that stands for “Healthy Hip Hop.” The music aims to be a learning tool to help children improve academic outcomes, physical health and social-emotional development.
“In order for our company to truly scale, we had to completely develop our technology,” Scott said in a release. “And the funding from Digital Sandbox KC has put us in a position to take H3TV to the next level! Receiving this funding will allow us to improve our mobile and online video platform, making it more seamless for educators and students to utilize our services.”
MovinHouz created a mobile app with which customers can upload photos of each room and major items. The photos will then be seen by multiple vetted movers who will each submit a moving quote.
“Receiving this award from Digital Sandbox KC allows MovinHouz to enhance our offering, specifically our MovinPic technology, which positions us to provide greater value to the overall moving industry,” MovinHouz CEO Dominic Klobe said in a release.
Digital Sandbox welcomes applications on a rolling basis and evaluates startups every eight weeks. Launched in February 2013, the Digital Sandbox KC has worked with more than 300 entrepreneurs and early-stage companies across the metro area. Visit www.digitalsandboxkc.com for more information.
2017 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…