Kauffman report: KC startup momentum builds for 3 years running, improves national rank
May 18, 2017 | Bobby Burch
It’s not just a feeling.
Momentum in Kansas City’s startup community continues to grow, according to new data from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
The Kauffman Index of Startup Activity found that for the third consecutive year, entrepreneurial activity in the Kansas City metro has grown. The index — which presents entrepreneurial trends nationally, at the state level and for the 40 largest metro areas — revealed that Kansas City’s startup activity moved from a No. 19 ranking in 2016 to No. 15.
The report is the latest indication that Kansas City’s startup community is growing not only in size but also in economic impact. The data shows Kansas City’s ranking improved thanks to an increased density of area startups, a higher rate of new entrepreneurs and a boost in the opportunity share of new entrepreneurs.
Let’s look at the improvements.
In 2016, there were roughly 84 startups per 1,000 Kansas City firms — which is a 8 percent increase in startup density from 2015 data, according to the report. Startups, as defined by the index, are firms less than one-year-old and employing at least one person besides the owner.
The number of Kansas Citians becoming entrepreneurs also grew. Kansas City’s rate of new entrepreneurs increased from .32 percent in 2016 to .37 percent in 2017. The metric measures the percent of the adult population of an area that became entrepreneurs in a given month.
Lastly, the percentage of Kansas Citians that became new entrepreneurs because of market opportunities — rather than starting a business out of necessity — slightly increased. The opportunity share of new entrepreneurs in the area grew from 77.72 percent in 2016 to 77.8 percent in 2017. This metric measures the percent of new entrepreneurs who were not unemployed before starting their businesses.
The index is the latest validation point for momentum behind Kansas City’ entrepreneurial community, which in recent years has been bolstered by a variety of sources. In addition to increased coverage on national and local media on startups, more investors have rallied funds targeting startups, more organizations have developed programming to help entrepreneurs grow their firms and the area has seen more high-profile exits.
The Miami metro area claimed the No. 1 spot for startup activity, followed by No. 2 Austin and No. 3 Los Angeles, according to the report.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why this KC esports startup is betting on a gambling app to scale into new NFT, cryptocurrency levels
The Kansas City Pioneers became the first professional esports organization to step into the head-to-head gaming and gambling sphere thanks to its pairing with PLLAY Labs — an AI-based wagering platform. “We see this partnership as a tremendous opportunity to tap into a community of folks who love competition — and then inject the KC…
Can tech save the family farm? E-commerce farmers market plants seeds in Kansas City
An Indianapolis-based startup is planting seeds of change it hopes can enhance the ways growers and producers get their products into the hands of customers. Kansas Citians are harvesting from it in bushels. “This is definitely a business of passion for me,” Nick Carter said, recalling his upbringing and days spent on his family’s farm…
‘Everybody at TripleBlind is better than me,’ founder says as top startup’s global team firewalls groupthink
Startup companies are on a continual mission to create, define and own the category in which they operate within, Riddhiman Das noted, and to do so — startup founders must build a proficient team. “If you’re not the category-defining company, then it’s not as big a win. Categories are typically defined at the global level,…
First bite of Tyler Shane: This spicy new pairing with Westport favorite Café Corazón has cacao lovers going nuts
‘I want people to sit down and really have a moment with their chocolate’ When Tyler Shane bites into a piece of chocolate, all of her senses come alive to fully indulge in the experience. “Food, for me, is almost like a religious experience,” she said. After spending seven years at Christopher Elbow Chocolates, the…