Olathe biotech startup represents Kansas in MassChallenge’s 50th accelerator program
July 8, 2021 | Channa Steinmetz
More than 3,000 startups across the world applied to the 2021 MassChallenge accelerator program with Olathe-based biotechnology lab Ronawk earning one of the 229 slots to participate, shared A.J. Mellott.
“[MassChallenge] has a really good reputation for accelerating companies that are in the startup mode and growing,” said Mellott, who co-founded Ronawk in 2019 with fellow scientist Heather Decker. “We’re given access to a wide network of mentors, resources and investors, along with helping companies in refining the pitch.”
The 229 invited startups represent the best of innovation and entrepreneurship from around the globe, wrote Cait Brumme, the senior vice president of MassChallenge Early Stage.
“The founders of each of these startups represent innovation at its core: they saw a problem and reframed it as an opportunity to improve the way we all live, work, and play by creating new businesses,” she shared on the accelerator’s website. “… Never has it been clearer that the ideas and the talent to bring innovation to life come from all corners of the world.”
Ronawk represents Kansas as the only startup from the Sunflower State in the 2021 cohort. Relay Trade in KCMO joins Ronawk in representing the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
Click here to read why Ronawk was listed as one of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2021.
From the accelerator, Mellott and Decker hope to connect to other metropolitan areas with parallel research that might provide more insight into Ronawk’s state-of-the art technology, Tissue Blocks (T-Blocks) — which allow for researchers to rapidly expand the growth of cells.
“We’re hoping this program helps us gain access to national advisors who are in Texas, Boston and San Francisco,” Mellott noted. “Also — the big thing is we’re hoping to gain more exposure outside of Kansas City.”
Watch a video below of Mellott’s interview from Startland News’ Startups to Watch interview special, then keep reading.
Heather Decker and A.J. Mellott, Ronawk
The MassChallenge cohort is broken down into various groups, based on geographical location. Ronawk is participating in the Houston program. Other programs include Austin, Rhode Island and Boston.
News of the accelerator follows Ronawk’s announcement of plans to launch a STEM training facility amidst expanding their team.
Click here to read more about how Ronawk plans to create 150 jobs over the next seven years.
The MassChallenge Accelerator concludes Oct. 28, 2021, with a startup showcase and awards ceremony.
“It’s an intensive accelerator program, so Heather and I are definitely tag-teaming it,” Mellott said. “But we are really excited for what’s to come.”
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
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
UMKC’s top student entrepreneur has a not-so-secret play: Startups are a team sport
Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. From crafting custom-made bracelets in elementary school to prepping the launch for the world’s first interactive dog crate, Jonaie Johnson said she’s wanted…
No more band-aid solutions or pats on the back: How one firm connects companies, people with disabilities
Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. What might seem like an obvious truth to some employers — that people with disabilities need extra help, becoming a drag on productivity…
Founders’ Lab aims to open access to the world of capital for underrepresented would-be startup, investment leaders
A pandemic-founded program has students leading the charge as a new generation of founders and venture capitalists rises together against the backdrop of an evolving and accessible Kansas City, Maggie Kenefake said. “With underrepresented founders, it’s really shocking,” said Kenefake, managing director of Kansas City University Venture Fund (KCUVF) and venture partner at Royal Street…
ScaleUP! KC seeks top-tier small businesses primed to scale; applications open through Dec. 23
Impact doesn’t stop with the end of a ScaleUP! Kansas City cohort, said Jill Hathaway, and the program certainly isn’t pausing amid the ongoing pandemic, which has thrown many entrepreneurs for a loop. ScaleUP! KC is set to return in January for its 11th cohort, which now is a 16-week interactive virtual experience that blends…