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
Meta promises local jobs, impact; How its $800M plan could post growth (and disruption) to KC’s story
There’s more to Meta’s $800 million upload into Kansas City’s Northland than face value, company officials said Thursday, outlining plans for community impact that extends well beyond anticipated tech jobs. “We have programs that help to equip people, schools, and organizations with the resources to build skills and increase the use of technology,” Darcy Nothnagle,…
Facebook coming to Kansas City; Meta selects KCMO for massive, $800M data center
A new hyperscale data center is expected to be operational in Kansas City by 2024 — bringing global social media and tech giant Meta to the metro and making good on promises that a Northland development could be the next great national technology hub. The Kansas City Area Development Council and its partners announced the…
New K-State president joins KC startup’s board, bringing expertise on food science, academic collaboration
The president of Kansas State University has joined the board of directors of TechAccel, an Overland Park startup focused on scientific breakthroughs to produce healthier plants, animals and foods. Dr. Richard H. Linton, who assumed the leadership of K-State following the Feb. 11 retirement of former Richard Myers, comes with an array of experience expected…
$4M dream childcare center opened on Prospect as planned; why the 24/7 KD Academy is struggling to fill its beds
Penny Dale-McCant built a childcare model — and a $4 million expansion of her KD Academy brand with her husband, Myron McCant — unlike anything else in the region, she said. Today, however, the center serves only a third of its intended capacity: a product of pandemic trends that have limited staffing. “I’m just proud…