Student investors hope to make inroads with KC founders through pitch day
March 19, 2018 | Elyssa Bezner
A group of student investors in the Kansas City University Venture Program are working to jump start deal flow and create relationships with Kansas City entrepreneurs.
Crosser
Launched in 2017, the student-led fund is hosting a pitch event to start a dialogue with area startups in hopes of finding their newest investment deals, said Nate Crosser, a University of Kansas law student and an intern with the fund.
The fund aims to not only boost area businesses with funding but also better educate the future of venture capital professionals, Crosser added.
“It gives students in Kansas City real world exposure to and experience with venture capitalism,” he said. “We hope that this will help create a base of knowledgeable young private finance professionals who can get involved in KC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We hope to bolster the local economy by investing in home-grown businesses and by playing a part in further establishing KC as a startup hub — having a robust professional finance sector is a key part of that.”
The KCUVF inaugural pitch event is set for March 30 at the WeWork Corrigan Station, Crosser said. All innovative companies with the ability to scale can apply, he added.
Businesses interested in pitching to the KCUVF can apply here.
A panel of representatives from five or six businesses are expected to participate in the casual and conversational pitches to gain a better knowledge of the startups and the teams, Crosser added.
With one startup already in its portfolio — Apptegy, based in Little Rock, Arkansas — KCUVF’s investments range from $15,000 to $100,000.
Led by Royal Street Ventures in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the University Venture Fund and the Sorenson Impact Center, the KCUVF program is modeled on the long-standing success of the Utah University Venture Fund, the largest student venture program in the U.S.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Victor Hwang: Individual entrepreneurs hold the key to making America great again
Victor Hwang posed a riddle to a TEDx crowd gathered in Georgia. What five-letter word was overlooked during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and almost never mentioned by the candidates or at the party conventions? The answer is rooted in overcoming inequality, said Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “I’m…
Buildings and bus stops: Rebecca Tombaugh paints KC — sometimes with a stick
A lack of clear direction felt liberating as Rebecca Tombaugh unrolled a 12-foot piece of heavy paper in her backyard and got to work, she said. The 59-year-old artist had been tasked with painting a mural of sorts for the Nonprofit Village, a coworking spot that soon would open at 31 W. 31st Street. It’s…
KC-based PatientsVoices pulls $150K in first round of seed capital, additional $75K from MTC
Competing for a spot in a Nashville-based health tech accelerator, PatientsVoices landed its first round of seed capital — with a booster shot from the State of Missouri. A $150,000 innovation grant from Jumpstart Foundry investment group represents a leap forward for PatientsVoices, headquartered in iWerx’s North Kansas City entrepreneurial development center, said founder and…
Beyond buzzwords: Foxtrot Supply mounts protest of an increasingly online-only world
A large butcher block table stands between the owners of Foxtrot Supply Co. and its customers. But the found-object centerpiece of their Crossroads store is meant as a meeting place, not a barrier, said Ryan Hetu. “It’s alluring, inviting and kind of vulnerable,” the Foxtrot co-founder explained. Stitched into the high-traffic fabric of First Fridays…