2020 Startups to Watch: backstitch shifts tech conversation to company culture, communication
January 22, 2020 | Anna Turnbull
Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2020’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch.
Employers can win the fight against disengaged workers, said Jordan Warzecha, noting the battlefield stretches from right outside his company’s Crossroads offices to the coasts and beyond.
Elevator pitch: Backstitch provides organizations in effective technology to communicate better to their employees.
• Founders: Jordan Warzecha, Stefanie Warzecha
• Founding year: 2012
• Amount raised to date: $2.45 Million
• Noteworthy investors: Serra Ventures, KCRiseFund
• Programs completed: Techstars Sprint Accelerator Class of 2016
• Current employee count: 17
“Every week it seems we are discovering a new company that is based right in our backyard that is a perfect fit for our technology,” said Warzecha, co-founder and CEO of growth-stage Backstitch — a startup that aims to mitigate the impacts of poor internal communication by helping companies engage their employees directly, a problem costing companies upwards of $36 billion a year.
“We feel like we are still just scratching the surface of the type of customers that we serve,” Warzecha said, noting the startup has long placed its focus on companies with massive employee rosters — and Kansas City has plenty.
2020 will see the startup take on a new position, placing emphasis on aiding businesses as culture around communication continues to shift, he added.
“What separates us in the market is our investment in customer success. It is not just, ‘Here’s technology, go run with it.’ Its, ‘Here is technology and we are going to strategically work with you on how to implement it,’” explained Warzecha.
Click here here to connect with Backstitch.
The development of new resources for customers at large/enterprise national and multinational companies will further drive growth for the company in 2020, made possible by the success of a recent funding round, which included participation from the KCRise Fund.
Stefanie Warzecha and Jordan Warzecha, backstitch
All in all, 2020 is about growth for the startup — which relocated to Kansas City from Detroit in 2016 — and the path to success is clear, Warzecha said.
“We are growing on all fronts: sales, development, and customer success. For us, we provide a leading-market technology … What separates us in the market is our investment in customer success.”
Strategic partnerships and team growth will also fuel the year ahead, Warzecha noted, citing experience gained in 2019 as a driver for what’s to come.
1) United American Hemp
2) Tesseract Ventures
3) ELIAS Animal Health
4) Healium
5) Fishtech
6) Draiver
7) Backstitch
8) Stenovate
9) Boddle Learning
10) Destiny
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
A ‘Doodle’ in the rough: Ben Kittrell unearths a global business
What initially began as a desire to help his friends build websites has now blossomed into a startup with a booming international presence for Doodlekit co-founder Ben Kittrell. And it took gaining thousands of users a month to give Kittrell a wake-up call that it was time to refocus on a business he often let…
Pennez wants to turn the page on youth illiteracy with AI app
If you’re reading this, congratulations, you’re literate. Statistically, this is something to be proud of as 773.5 million people are illiterate around the world. It also means that you’re more likely to have a higher-paying job and be able to more fully participate in society. Rebecca Dove, a former elementary school teacher, saw first-hand that…
‘A relentless pursuit of perfection’ earns Niall national nod
Kansas City watching-making startup Niall recently topped a list of leading American-made watches. A publication that features social impact brands,The Good Trade dished a cornucopia of commendations to Niall, a two-year-old startup that’s surged in popularity and snagged headlines around the nation. The online media group made note of CEO Michael Wilson’s tireless pursuit of excellence with…
Fund Me, KC: FireBoard’s thermometer cooks up smarter chefs
Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Fireboard founder Ted Conrad — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Back FireBoard’s Kickstarter here. Who are you? Ted Conrad, founder of FireBoard What does FireBoard…