Only five of 40 KC startups make the cut for InvestMidwest VC pitch forum
February 20, 2019 | Startland News Staff
InvestMidwest has whittled down the applicants for next month’s venture capital forum, announcing five Kansas City area companies will take the stage at the premier pitch event.
Thirty-six fast-growing startups overall — representing 15 Midwest, East Coast and Southern states — are expected to present to venture capitalists, corporate investors, private investors and other key business professionals who attend InvestMidwest.
While 40 Kansas City companies accounted for nearly 30 percent of the forum’s applicants, only about 14 percent of the final list reflects startups from the KC metro, according to InvestMidwest figures.
Names of applicants and presenters are not released before the event. (Applications closed in early January.) Among the KC-based presenters are an Olathe life sciences company, two Overland Park tech firms, a KCMO life sciences startup and a KCMO tech company.
InvestMidwest also features startups in agriculture, food and bioenergy tracks.
“These young companies represent some pretty spectacular high-growth businesses seeking to power their businesses to a new level,” said Christine Walsh, executive director of InvestMidwest. “We received some great applications from all over the country. It’s fortunate that we have such a strong panel to handle the selection process. Their insights consistently result in some dynamic businesses representing a well curated group of investment prospects for venture capitalists and other investors.”
The venture forum is set for March 19-20 at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Click here to register for the event.
Companies that presented at the previous 19 InvestMidwest events have raised funding in excess of $1 billion in equity, corporate collaborations and exit proceeds, according to the organization. The forum alternates between Kansas City and St. Louis each year.
Two Kansas City startup veterans are expected to headline the speaker portion of InvestMidwest’s breakfast and luncheon programs: Tim Barton, Edison Spaces co-founder and former chairman/CEO of Freightquote, which was acquired by a Fortune 200 company in 2015; and Steven St. Peter, MD, founder and managing director of Vie Ventures, a life sciences venture capital company, and former president and CEO of Aratana Therapeutics in Leawood.
“The Midwest has a wealth of talent, and we are fortunate to have two terrific businessmen to speak at our 20th InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum,” said Walsh.
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Porter House KC earns $400K in renewed support for inclusive entrepreneurship, retail incubator
Support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation is expected to help The Porter House KC make good on its founders’ promise to help emerging entrepreneurs in their community get their promising ventures off the ground, said Dan Smith. “Like many of the small business owners that we encounter, we started our organization based on a need…
Black Pantry expands to Troost, setting a cornerstone for new Black business hub
A second location for the Black Pantry is about more than adding a “cool little gift shop” to Troost, said Brian Roberts, detailing his plan for a broader mission: a whole block of Black-owned businesses and a hub for Black entrepreneurs and creatives. It begins with Roberts’ in-the-works standalone space at 3108 Troost Ave., he…
‘Why would you put that on a cake?’ The C Word Cakery frosts the boundaries of good taste
The C Word Cakery is a reflection of the baker behind the business, Savannah Brady shared. “It doesn’t take itself too seriously,” she explained. Brady — a southwest Missouri native who moved to Kansas City during the pandemic — specializes in, as she puts it, “good cake, bad words” — vintage-looking, classic, floral cakes that…
CRWND as a KC pitch contest winner, Keliah Smith expands her product line (and comfort zone)
Keliah Smith was nervous. She’d never been a fan of speaking in front of a crowd, but knew exposing her discomfort and weakness through the Alchemy Sandbox pitch competition was just part of the ongoing journey of an entrepreneur, she said. Avoiding that spotlight, Smith noted, already had kept her — and her business, CRWND…