Digital Sandbox KC nabs $950K to continue regional startup impact
July 10, 2018 | Bobby Burch
Already with a lasting legacy of growing the area entrepreneurial ecosystem, Digital Sandbox KC has received significant support that should fuel its program for years to come.
The proof-of-concept incubator was recently awarded a combined $950,000 — $450,000 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and $500,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation.
The two grants will help the organization’s efforts to award funding to promising startups in the Kansas City area, said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC.
“We’ve found that the Sandbox fills a critical gap for early-stage companies in Kansas City,” Shackelford said. “Support from the Kauffman Foundation, MTC and the surrounding communities allows us to continue to significantly increase the volume of high-growth potential startups, who in turn create more new jobs in the region.”
Launched in 2013, Digital Sandbox offers up to $20,000 in grants to startups with a focus of bringing a product from idea to commercialization. The organization has worked with more than 500 entrepreneurs and early-stage companies across the Kansas City metro.
Digital Sandbox has helped to make a significant economic impact in Kansas City via its support of dozens of startups. Since its launch about five years ago, Digital Sandbox has issued $1.9 million in project funding to 100 early-state firms that have created 585 new jobs with more than $14 million in payroll, according to the organization. The startups also have gone on to raise more than $50 million in follow-on funding.
“Our success is a direct result of the quality and quantity of entrepreneurs in Kansas City,” said Shackelford. “By capping the Sandbox project size at $20,000 we can support even more early-stage ideas and keep the program’s momentum growing.”
The incubator’s impact has been vital to spur growth in Kansas City, said Erin Jenkins, program officer at the Kauffman Foundation.
“Digital Sandbox KC plays a pivotal role in the Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Jenkins said. “Working together creates an excellent opportunity to reduce barriers for early-stage companies.”
Since 2016, Digital Sandbox has established partnerships with GXP Investments, the City of Independence, St. Joseph, Missouri and Olathe, Kansas, to launch proof-of-concept incubator programs.
Featured Business
2018 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…