Techstars KC returns: Meet 10 startups bringing diverse solutions to the rebooted accelerator
June 1, 2020 | Tommy Felts
The hotly anticipated Techstars Kansas City 2020 accelerator class features startups enabling greater transparency and access in healthcare, the food supply, and justice for all, said Lesa Mitchell.
Two of the ventures are based in St. Louis.
Lesa Mitchell, Techstars Kansas City
“We’re also welcoming companies with new platforms and new business models that will attract and facilitate broader talent pools and improve productivity for both technology companies and Main Street businesses,” said Mitchell, managing director for Techstars KC, which returns today after a hiatus in 2019.
Because of social distancing limitations, the accelerator is beginning with remote programming with hopes of cohort members eventually coming to Kansas City in August to complete the program at Techstars’ space within the Regnier Institute at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
“We will look for opportunities to do some community convening during that time,” Mitchell said, noting the initial remote start will allow a wider array of mentors to assist the companies than would be possible in person.
Click here to see a full list of 2020 mentors for the intensive, 90-day program, which also includes seed funding and access to Techstars’ global network of alumni.
The diverse, internationally-sourced, 10-member class draws from as far east as Ireland and as far west as Los Angeles and Portland — and six other cities in between — she added. They include:
- Cherry Blossom Intimates, Glenarden, Maryland — Changing what post-mastectomy shopping looks and feels like, creating beautiful lingerie shopping experiences for all women, and using innovation and inclusion to be impactful across the globe.
- Courtroom5, Durham, North Carolina — Offers an end-to-end legal toolbox that helps people represent themselves in court.
- MusicBuk, Atlanta — Connects world class music instructors with students virtually.
- MuukTest, Raleigh, North Carolina — The first and only QA Acceleration Platform, we help companies ship fast with full, automated test coverage.
- OjaExpress, Chicago — A digital marketplace for discovering and shopping for ethnic groceries.
- Petabolix, St. Louis — Provides pet parents and professionals with advanced nutritional assessments and personalized diet recommendations.
- Pocket Mentor, Portland — Advice and connections for code school students to land their first jobs in tech.
- Performetry.ai, Dublin, Ireland — Intranet with live behavioural data, sentiment analysis and predictive recommendations for leadership and Human Resources.
- Provider Pool, St. Louis — An online labor marketplace connecting healthcare organizations to nursing professionals for on-demand staffing needs.
- West Tenth, Ventura County, California — Bringing you crafted services and custom goods from the home-based businesses in your neighborhood.
“We will support these founders focusing on building a strong foundation that will allow accelerated growth,” Mitchell said. “Techstars founders and mentors know the power of the network that enabled their own growth and are #GiveFirst in supporting these founders over the next 13 weeks. We look forward to sharing the stories of these founders and how they will be positively impacting our world in the years to come.”
Adam Larson, Techstars Kansas City
Salem Habte, Techstars Kansas City
The 2020 class features an array of diverse founders, she noted. Among the more familiar names: MusicBuk, which was among five edtech startups to win $50,000 and a trip to pitch at SXSW — canceled in March because of COVID-19 — as a finalist in Opportunity Hub’s Kansas City-based OHUB.KC minority accelerator.
Along with fresh companies, the rebooted Techstars KC accelerator comes with new faces from within its campus host. Former UMKC Enactus president Salem Habte is now serving as marketing associate after leading media and events for the Fountain City Fintech accelerator and the Regnier Institute; and Adam Larson, an undergraduate UMKC business student who has worked with the E-Scholars program at the Regnier Institute, serves as operations associate.
Click here to learn more about the Techstars Kansas City team, which also includes Rachel Morris, program manager, and Arynn Larson, design associate.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Meet KC’s cowpunk basement guitar hero: This DIY dreamer is demanding more from himself
Kansas City’s DIY music scene has long been a hub for raw, creative talent — with eclectic frontman Kole Waters quickly becoming one of its standout names. As the lead guitarist and co-vocalist for post-country phenomenon Big Fat Cow and the centerpiece of synth-infused Dreamist, Waters blends influences ranging from folk storytelling to cathartic soundscapes.…
Build to barrel: Inside Holladay Distillery’s ironclad plan to boost bourbon production by one-third
WESTON, Missouri — Holladay Distillery is breaking ground with Rickhouse D — its first new barrel-aging warehouse in 75 years — marking a major step in expanding bourbon production from the historic plant. Renowned as the only Missouri operation to age bourbon in ironclad rickhouses, Weston-based Holladay Distillery is increasing capacity to meet surging demand,…
So you think you’re CEO material? UMKC’s ‘CEO Academy’ puts that ambition to the test
Aspiring executives with an eye on the C-suite need to be ready well before the opportunity arises, said Dan Hesse, leaning on his years of past experience as president and CEO of Sprint. It’s not about just being the boss, he emphasized. “Of all the roles, that of the CEO is so different than any…
Pitch locally or look to outsiders? How founder bias toward funding at all costs could leave your distracted startup without a why
Kansas City’s funding gaps often feel deeper for women entrepreneurs, two top founders said Tuesday, describing a startup ecosystem that pits emerging entrepreneurs against each other — but perhaps more critically, against time — in a highly competitive fight for a limited amount of local capital. “Kansas City is very startup friendly — at least…