Digital Sandbox KC mixes in Carroll’s Irish Bitters, TravelHive, iSocial and Grant Company
September 27, 2018 | Startland News Staff
After more than five years, Digital Sandbox KC’s proof-of-concept program continues to see a high volume of quality applicants with a wide range of concepts, said Jeff Shackelford.
Carroll’s Irish Bitters
Four startups receiving project funding from Digital Sandbox KC were announced Thursday. Two of those awards are in partnership with Innovation Stockyard in St. Joseph, said Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC.
“This quarter’s companies range from a virtual learning platform for kids on the autism spectrum that was developed at the University of Missouri to a St. Joe-based startup making unique cocktail bitters,” he said.
The startups slated for support include:
- Carroll’s Irish Bitters — a St. Joseph-based startup making handcrafted small-batch bitters. In addition to timeless favorites, co-founders Brian Carroll and Christina Hitch are developing new bitters recipes and formulas for bartenders across the region.
- TravelHive — a social travel bookmarking and collaborative planning platform. Travelers can use TravelHive to bookmark inspirations from any website to create and share collaborative travel itineraries.
- iSocial — a virtual learning environment that lets children with autism learn and practice pro-social behavior in a safe, controlled space. iSocial is a research and evidence-based program focused on improving student interactions and was developed in conjunction with the University of Missouri and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurological Disorders.
- Grant Company — an entrepreneurial communications and marketing company based in St. Joseph. Established in 2017, Grant Company offers a unique marketing and advertising model for agribusiness clientele in the KC Animal Health Corridor and across North America and Europe.
Grant Company
Carroll’s Irish Bitters and Grant Company received funding from the Sandbox partnership with the Innovation Stockyard in St. Joseph. In addition to up to $15,000 in project development funds, the Innovation Stockyard, located inside the Kit Bond Incubator in St. Joseph, will offer the two startups coworking space for three to six months.
Jeff Shackelford, Digital Sandbox
“When we launched Digital Sandbox KC in 2013, we hoped to find 10 high-growth potential companies,” Shackelford said. “Now with more than 100 projects funded and more than $50 million raised in follow-on funding, we’ve proven by supporting early-stage ideas in Kansas City and surrounding local communities like Olathe, St. Joseph and Independence, we can drive new business starts and help create new jobs.”
The Digital Sandbox KC program aims to significantly and rapidly move early-stage entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization. It is a collaboration among private, public, university/research and philanthropic organizations.
The program has now worked with more than 500 entrepreneurs and early-stage companies across the region, supplying more than $1.9 million in project funding and more than 580 new jobs with more than $14 million in payroll, according to February 2018 impact surveys.
Bob Etzel, iSocial
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Artist who won rare Jayhawk licensing deal — scoring a $150K payday — set to rebound
Seemingly routine for many Kansas fans, crimson and blue are once again among the colors flooding the canvas of the 2019 NCAA tournament. But for artist Megh Knappenberger, the Jayhawks’ familiar palate has painted an entrepreneurial journey with as thrilling ups and downs as Big 12 basketball, she said. “It’s a pretty special and unique…
Cloud platform Packet opens KC office after $25M funding round in New York
New York-based Packet’s newly established Kansas City office is expected to take full advantage of the area’s wealth of tech talent, said Ihab Tarazi. “There is actually a very good technical base in Kansas City — so here’s validation of that,” said Tarazi, chief technology officer at the cloud infrastructure firm committed to “building a…
Fast track Missouri Hyperloop: Bipartisan support for 670-mph travel builds speed
It isn’t just a pipe dream. The arrival of bipartisan state and federal support for high-speed, cross-region travel means the much-anticipated Missouri Hyperloop project continues to shoot forward, Ryan Weber said. “For businesses, this could be a huge opportunity to create a new industry, attract new businesses and leverage a much larger workforce,” Weber, KC…
Skip restaurant lines (and downloading another app) with text-based ordering
In an increasingly automated world, American consumers are experiencing app exhaustion while continuing to need innovative solutions to address daily pain points like waiting in lines at their favorite restaurants, said Eric Tucker. “People are tired of downloading apps,” said Tucker, founder of KC-based Digital Baron, which delivers Skip, an app-less mobile and pay platform.…