Digital Sandbox taps K-State Olathe for office space
April 18, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
The partnership between Digital Sandbox KC and the City of Olathe, Kan. is now a bit stronger.
Companies funded out of the Olathe program will now have access to an office and coworking space via the Kansas State University Olathe campus, located at 22201 W. Innovation Dr., Olathe, Kansas.
“We’re constantly working to break down the barriers that are impacting startups. For Olathe-based startups, co-working space was an issue,” said Digital Sandbox KC executive director Jeff Shackelford in a release. “Teaming up with K-State’s Olathe campus is the perfect solution.”
In 2016, four Olathe-based companies received funding from the proof-of-concept program — MovinHouz, PreScreend, PerfectCube and Windsor Trucking Solutions. But prior to the support from K-State Olathe, there was no dedicated space available for the Olathe-based startups that participate in the Digital Sandbox 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 of 85 proof-of-concept projects which have gone on to raise almost $30 million in follow-on investment capital.
In 2015, Digital Sandbox expanded its reach and partnered with the city, which is in the southern part of the Kansas City metro area. Olathe city manager Michael Wilkes said he’s pleased with the impact the program has had on Olathe-based early-stage entrepreneurs.
“The first round with Digital Sandbox KC was all that we’d hoped it would be,” Wilkes said in a release. “We’re excited to bring K-State Olathe in on this partnership and do more to support early-stage entrepreneurs in our city.”
In March, Digital Sandbox welcomed a new cohort of six area startups. It welcomed 17° 73° Innovation Co, Anticipate Ventures, FEWDM, Homegrown & Happy, Live-K and TicketRx to the program.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
SafetyCulture acquires safety app for decentralized frontline workers who often go it alone
A global workplace operations company with its U.S. headquarters in Kansas City on Tuesday announced the acquisition of SHEQSY, a cloud-based lone worker safety app — a move meant to address an underinvestment in frontline processes, enablement, and emerging technologies, said Luke Anear. “Frontline workers make up 80 percent of our global workforces,” said Anear,…
Startup embraces ‘digital labor’, creating personalized robots for tedious tasks — beginning with cold calls
Salespeople spend too much time searching for emails, making cold calls and setting up meetings — leaving less energy for comprehensive conversations and closing deals, said Nick Smith. His solution: robots for salespeople or, as he calls them, “Sailebots.” “One day I had a revelation that there could be a tool for these mundane tasks.…
Forbes names EquipmentShare to list of best startup employers for third straight year
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…
Meet the people-first small biz advocate helping decode the language of entrepreneurship for KCMO
Editor’s note: The following profile on Samuel Morris, small business advocate for Kansas City, Missouri’s, KC BizCare Office is made possible by the office’s financial and programmatic partnership with Startland News. When the bell rang on Samuel Morris’ Kansas City teaching career, he knew he had to do something big as he stepped back out…