Introducing 2017’s Top 10 Under-the-Radar startups in Kansas City

August 29, 2017  |  Startland News Staff

Liberty memorial Kansas City Skyline

Whether they’re intentionally lying low or just working too hard to stop and share their stories, Kansas City is full of inconspicuous innovators.

Consider this list of 10 firms as a spotlight into the shadows of promising, but little-known Kansas City startups.

As we stated in last year’s list, “under the radar” is a relative term — we had to hear of these startups somehow. Even though we might have already written about some of these companies, many still operate in relative obscurity within the broader Kansas City business community.

This list hopes to shed light on promising firms that either you have never heard of or might have an interest in learning more about. Let us know what you think or if you have recommendations for other “under-the-radar” startups.

Without further ado, here are 2017’s Under the Radar startups in no particular order.

Happy Food Co.
Founding Year: 2015
Founders: Kiersten Firquain and Jeff Glasco
Elevator pitch: Happy Food Co makes it easy to enjoy great local food at home, preparing fresh meal kits with everything you need to whip up a restaurant-quality meal in no time flat. FOR MORE ON HAPPY FOOD CO., CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

Happy Food Co

Kiersten Firquain and Jeff Glasco

 

ZOHR
Founding Year: 2015
Founders: Komal Choong and Anoop Choong
Elevator Pitch: Zohr offers a simpler way to get your tires changed by delivering and installing them at your home or office.
FOR MORE ON ZOHR, CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

ZOHR co-founders Komal Choong and Anoop Choong


 

 

MusicSpoke
Founding Year: 2014
Founders: Jennifer Rosenblatt and Kurt Knecht
Elevator Pitch: MusicSpoke is online sheet music marketplace for self-published composers.
FOR MORE ON MUSICSPOKE CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

MusicSpoke

Kurt Knecht and Jennifer Rosenblatt

Venture360
Founding year: 2013
Founders: Rachael Qualls and James Pierce
Elevator Pitch: Venture360 powers the venture capital industry from application to exit.
FOR MORE ON VENTURE360, CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

Venture360

James Pierce and Rachael Qualls

OneHQ
Founding Year: 2012
Founder: Kyle J. Ginavan
Elevator Pitch: OneHQ solves complex operations, sales, marketing and accounting problems for insurance agencies, insurance brokerages, insurance carriers, broker dealers and registered investment advisors.
FOR MORE ON ONEHQ, CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

The OneHQ team

 

 

 

 

 

 

TradeLanes
Founding Year: 2015
Founders: Vijay Harrell, Delvin Higginson, Brandon Jimenez, Corey Myers and Jack Shelton
Elevator Pitch: TradeLanes is a software-as-a-service that enables shippers, merchants and traders to better control their supply chain. FOR MORE ON TRADELANES CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

Vijay Harrel and Delvin Higginson

Dunami
Founding Year: 2012
Founders: Pat Butler, Tony Marshall and Mark Schwalm
Elevator Pitch: Dunami helps clients find relevant audiences and identify those with the most influence.
FOR MORE ON DUNAMI, CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

Dunami

Pat Butler, Tony Marshall, Steve Davis and Mark Schwalm

Sprout Solutions
Founding Year: 2016
Founders: Gretchen Henry and Jim Taylor
Elevator Pitch: Sprout Solutions provides software services for professionals in the animal feed industry, including both mill operators and merchandisers. FOR MORE ON SPROUT SOLUTIONS CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

Sprout Solutions

Jim Taylor and Gretchen Henry

RiskGenius
Founding Year: 2012
Founders: Chris Cheatham and Doug Reiser
Elevator Pitch: RiskGenius organizes the world’s insurance information. Our machine learning algorithms structure insurance policy information and serve it up to carriers, brokers and regulators in our RiskGenius platform.
FOR MORE ON RISK GENIUS, CHECK OUT THIS  PROFILE …

The RiskGenius team

OYO Fitness
Founding Year: 2014
Founders: Paul Francis
Elevator Pitch: Fitness where you are right now. OYO provides On Your Own fitness.
FOR MORE ON OYO FITNESS CHECK OUT THIS PROFILE …

OYO Fitness

Paul Francis

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2017 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Topeka recruited dozens of Filipino teachers for local classrooms; at year’s end, the district hopes they’ll stay

    By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2025

    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.  TOPEKA — Although international educators are not new to the state’s capital city, Topeka welcomed about 50 teachers from the Philippines this past school year to address shortages within the…

    Startup ideas are here, but does Kansas have the risk capital to get them to the next level?

    By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2025

    Eight early-stage Kansas entrepreneurs sat across from Midwest-based investors this week at Aspiria NOW in Overland Park, engaging in rapid-fire, “speed dating” style meetings aimed at moving their ventures closer to real investment. “We’re seeing just a great inflow of companies, especially at the early stage, come in just high levels of sophistication and awareness…

    ‘Buy, buy, buy while we can’: This KC toy store is stockpiling Christmas gifts now as tariff reality unwraps 

    By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2025

    Brett Goodwin and Alan Tipton are feeling even more thankful right now for the large, dry basement at The Learning Tree — the independent toy store they own in Prairie Village — amid worries over tariffs on Chinese imports and how they’ll impact prices from toy manufacturers. The best they can do to prepare: stockpile…

    KC’s pro pickleball team getting new $6.5M home near Arrowhead, Kauffman Stadium

    By Tommy Felts | May 29, 2025

    A long-awaited redevelopment project in Kansas City’s stadium corridor is transforming the former CoCo Key Water resort into a vibrant destination pickleball facility with eight indoor courts, a full-service bar and restaurant, a coffee shop, and event spaces. It also will be home to the Kansas City Stingers, a professional team in the National Pickleball…