Digital Sandbox selects five new KC startups for its grant program
June 29, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Kansas City’s top proof-of-concept incubator program announced Thursday it selected five new startups for its newest cohort.
Launched in 2013, Digital Sandbox has worked with more than 400 entrepreneurs and startups to date. Led by Jeff Shackelford, the program offers up to $25,000 in grants to startups with a focus of bringing a product from idea to commercialization.
Shackelford said that the program continues to grow.
“We continue to be amazed by the quality and creativity of Kansas City companies,” Shackelford said in a release. “Now, through our partnerships with Olathe, Independence, St. Joseph and Great Plains Energy, we have the opportunity to help even more early-stage entrepreneurs.”
Earlier this Month, Digital Sandbox announced that it has embarked on a partnership with St. Joseph, Mo.-based incubator Innovation Stockyard. The program previously established partnerships with the cities of Olathe, Kan. and Independence, Mo.
Since the program’s launch, Digital Sandbox has created more than 480 jobs and established over $38 million in follow-on funding.
Here’s more about the five companies:
- 2020 Adventures is a travel company designed the make the process of planning small group trips easier, with personalized itineraries.
- AgVision is an ag tech, artificial intelligence startup that monitors food intake by cattle at feedlots, with the goal of reducing the number of sick animals.
- Billdrill is a website where customers can submit how much they pay for TV, Internet, cell phone and home security services and compares their rates against other area providers.
- Idle Smart created a “smart” thermostat for trucking fleets to save fuel, cut down on pollution and keep drivers comfortable, as well as reducing overnight idle time. Idle Smart was featured as a top startup to watch in 2017.
- Luxe is a provider of amenity services for multi-family housing communities. The firm’s mobile app offers apartment communities a concierge platform for residents to book and manage apartment tailored services.
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
A Bible parable helped connect vegan foods to Made in KC cafes; here’s how two sisters planted the seed
Now served at Made in KC cafes across the metro — from the brand’s popular marketplaces to the new Outta the Blue oasis and downtown trolley cafe — vegan goods from Mattie’s Foods arrive on plates thanks to growing hunger for more healthy options, as well as the wholesome ingredients of a community-built business. Between…
Midtown ice cream shop for pups churns out treats, therapeutic ‘doggo date’ spot for pets, people
Bad days especially call for ice cream, Sherri Corwin said, recalling one of her favorite self-care rituals and the way it became her freshly creamed, Midtown-scooped startup — a venture that’s left tails across the metro wagging for waffle cones. “People really do love their pets,” said Corwin, who in February opened Mixed Mutt Creamery —…
How an artisan leatherworker in KC’s historic northeast is making space for more than a hobby
Faye Steiner-Woods returned from a trip to Brooklyn, New York, inspired — eager to prove quality doesn’t have to mean expensive when creativity is used as currency. “I wanted to purchase this really expensive, $50 keychain, and it just seemed ridiculous,” Steiner-Woods laughed, recalling their impulse to buy — and the origins of a business venture,…
Serial tech entrepreneur, ecosystem builder develops app to help turn everyday purchases into charitable donations
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’s nonprofit newsroom. Operating a nonprofit taught Quest Moffat that it’s easier to raise programming dollars than it is to raise operating dollars — and a lack of the latter brings unexpected stressors, he…