Meet the 2020 class: BetaBlox demo day returning with events across startup sister cities
January 6, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Audience tickets for BetaBlox’s Overland Park demo day are nearly gone, said Weston Bergmann, just weeks before the incubator program showcases its newest startups across three events in two cities.
BetaBlox is an exclusive school for startups. Every year, its team picks the best-of-the-best and then puts them through a rigorous curriculum of classes, one-on-one consultation, and mentorship designed to give them a higher likelihood of survival.
The “can’t-miss entrepreneurship event” Jan. 20 at the GRID Collaborative Workspace is expected to entail a combination of pitches, expo-style networking, and a panel of investors speaking about developing startups, said Bergmann, founder and lead investor at BetaBlox.
“It’s kinda like Shark Tank, but you get to be the shark,” he said, comparing the overall event structure to the popular reality TV pitch show.
Two more demo days featuring BetaBlox’s 25th cohort are set for Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the program also operates its “gym for entrepreneurs.” The 10-year-old incubator boasts graduating companies collectively doing more than $100 million annually, Bergmann said.
While tickets for the events are free — thanks to sponsorship support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, he noted — only 200 are available in Overland Park.
Click here to secure a spot at BetaBlox’s Jan. 20 demo day.
“Essentially anyone who wants to support the development and growth of the Kansas City economy should attend,” Bergmann said.
The twelve companies pitching at the event include:
• Flexy, Kansas City (Mallory Jansen and Aja James) — Fitness staffing agency
• BioGen Ag, Kansas City (Chad Shoefield) — Agricultural food manufacturing
• LockedUp, Kansas City (Eric Ulleberg) — Breathalyzer that literally locks up your car keys
• FlipperForce, Kansas City (Dave Robertson) — House flipping and project management software
• Fantastic55, Kansas City (Ann O’Meara) — Media company for empowering an aging community
• Everwild, Kansas City (Sarah Yaeger) — On-demand and subscription-based floral company
• Cherry Marketing, Kansas City (Jenni Kulzer) — Marketing agency
• River Watch Beef, Kansas City (Chris Kovac) – Grass-fed subscription-based beef
• KC Hemp Co, Kansas City (Kyle and Heather Steppe) — Organic CBD manufacturing
• Tulsa Birth Center, Tulsa (Sarah Foster) — Modern network of midwives
• Baby D’s Sting, Tulsa (Dillon Hargrave) — Hot sauce manufacturing and distribution
• Add Multiply Sports, Tulsa (Corey Else) — Sports performance technology
Nathan Corn, founder of Kansas City’s FlexPro, a subscription-based meal prep company, is expected to be featured in a “Where are they now?” segment focused on BetaBlox success stories.
Founders from the companies plan to practice pitches before the event during a weekend-long session that puts startups in close quarters with each other, as well as about 20 people from the BetaBlox portfolio (entrepreneurs, mentors and investors) and another 20 curated guests from the entrepreneur ecosystem.
Learn more about BetaBlox and its demo day below.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Jazz musician opens sell-out BBQ spot; here’s how he’s spicing up KC’s chorus of flavors
Even with more than 90 barbecue restaurants across the metro, Gerald Dunn still figured there was room for his flavor profile on the Kansas City food scene. But before opening Dunn Deal BBQ in Grandview, he made a pilgrimage of sorts, stopping in to see legendary Ollie Gates. He reveres the local barbecue pioneer and…
For the loaf of the grain: Jonny Bakes bread, expands to keep community nourishment rising
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Brookside bread baker works to reestablish the local grain shed Jon Szajnuk’s sourdough…
Thai Orchid opening in Northland: How this family business is getting out of its comfort zone with street food focus
A second location for a longtime Johnson County restaurant is expected to honor the origin story of the family business — building on its menu with a new emphasis on casual Thai street food items and small plates. Thai Orchid — a Mission, Kansas, restaurant that has been in the Rojjanasrirat family for 26 years…
mySidewalk teases Sidekick — a data assistant at the forefront of AI’s difficult-to-simple transformation
A new purpose-built community data and visualization tool from mySidewalk is designed to revolutionize decision making and empower those willing to embrace change when supplied with accessible and reliable data. The Kansas City-based govtech company this month announced the beta launch of Sidekick, an AI-powered data assistant meant to drive meaningful progress through insights gleaned…