Wichita support org for startups lands nearly $1M in funding — including $300K in Kauffman backing
February 3, 2022 | Startland News Staff
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation.
New regional and national funding for NXTUS not only will help grow staff and programs, but expanded services will boost access to capital, connections and customers for innovators, the group and its backers said.
NXTUS — a Wichita-based initiative that includes accelerator programming and an angel syndicate among its resources — announced three significant multi-year grants Thursday, including financial support from the Kansas City-headquartered Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
“If we’re going to build a Heartland that includes all communities and voices, we need to start with focusing on growing an inclusive economy that centers entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Chris Harris, senior program officer in entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation. “As difficult as that work will be, it will be made even more difficult if we try to do it alone and disconnected.”
As part of the Kauffman funding — $300,000 over three years through the funder’s Central Standards grants program — NXTUS is expected to address systemic challenges that affect entrepreneurs’ ability to start and grow businesses in the Heartland. NXTUS will partner with other regional groups, such as the Greater Wichita Partnership and NetWork Kansas, to connect diverse entrepreneurs to customers and collaborators in NXTSTAGE Pilot Competitions.
Click here to read more about recent NXTSTAGE competitions.
“Central Standards grantees are partnering and collaborating to build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Heartland while also connecting the region to the most innovative practices from across the country,” Harris said.
An example of impact: NXTUS provided business planning and community connection opportunities for Wichita-based startup QuickHire, led by co-founders and sisters Angela Muhwezi-Hall and Deborah Gladney. This fall, QuickHire secured more than 1.4 million in funding to grow their business and plans to expand regionally in 2022.
Click here to read more about QuickHire’s funding round, which included an investment from NXTUS’ Accelerate Venture Partners regional angel syndicate, as well as Kansas City-based KCRise Fund.
NXTUS also on Thursday noted the following funding:
- $350,000 (over three years) through a Capital Grant from U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to strengthen innovation and tech-based economic development. NXTUS is expected to use these dollars to expand the region’s early-stage investor base and help diverse entrepreneurs build scalable companies.
- NXTUS, as part of a regional team led by Wichita State University, will also benefit from $300,000 (over three years) of a previously announced Venture Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), which will allow the organization to focus NXTSTAGE programming on entrepreneurs in the region who are working to connect with new customers and pilot partners.
“This is a phenomenal milestone for our region and the early-stage companies we support,” said Josh Oeding, president and CEO of NXTUS. “We are thrilled with the Kauffman Foundation’s and EDA’s support that, combined with continued backing from the local community, will allow us to grow and diversify the investor base and startups we can serve. We will use this as rocket fuel to accelerate the growth of innovative startups in Kansas.”
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
2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Artist who won rare Jayhawk licensing deal — scoring a $150K payday — set to rebound
Seemingly routine for many Kansas fans, crimson and blue are once again among the colors flooding the canvas of the 2019 NCAA tournament. But for artist Megh Knappenberger, the Jayhawks’ familiar palate has painted an entrepreneurial journey with as thrilling ups and downs as Big 12 basketball, she said. “It’s a pretty special and unique…
Cloud platform Packet opens KC office after $25M funding round in New York
New York-based Packet’s newly established Kansas City office is expected to take full advantage of the area’s wealth of tech talent, said Ihab Tarazi. “There is actually a very good technical base in Kansas City — so here’s validation of that,” said Tarazi, chief technology officer at the cloud infrastructure firm committed to “building a…
Fast track Missouri Hyperloop: Bipartisan support for 670-mph travel builds speed
It isn’t just a pipe dream. The arrival of bipartisan state and federal support for high-speed, cross-region travel means the much-anticipated Missouri Hyperloop project continues to shoot forward, Ryan Weber said. “For businesses, this could be a huge opportunity to create a new industry, attract new businesses and leverage a much larger workforce,” Weber, KC…
Skip restaurant lines (and downloading another app) with text-based ordering
In an increasingly automated world, American consumers are experiencing app exhaustion while continuing to need innovative solutions to address daily pain points like waiting in lines at their favorite restaurants, said Eric Tucker. “People are tired of downloading apps,” said Tucker, founder of KC-based Digital Baron, which delivers Skip, an app-less mobile and pay platform.…