Global capital network selects IoT startup as its first ‘Endeavor Entrepreneur’ candidate from KC

Endeavor Heartland, the Northwest Arkansas-based division of a global network built to support high-impact entrepreneurs, has officially made its first foray into the Kansas City market, the organization announced.

Pepper, a full-stack Internet of Things (IoT) platform-as-a-service provider, in May became the inaugural company from the Kansas City region to join Endeavor’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Shawn Morris, manager of entrepreneur selection and growth for Endeavor Heartland, said the organization’s newly launched work with Pepper also signals its interest in further collaboration with other later-stage scalable companies in Kansas City.

“This signifies our commitment to being in Kansas City and supporting founders across Kansas and Missouri, but also hopefully showing how we’re here to support later-stage scaleups versus earlier-stage startups,” Morris said, referencing Pepper’s resilience and longevity since its founding in 2014.

Endeavor was first introduced to Pepper in September as the organization conducted due diligence into the potential expansion into the Kansas City market, Morris said.

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Shawn Morris, Endeavor Heartland

After meeting with Scott Ford, CEO of Pepper, and hearing his vision for the company, Endeavor entered into the four-step selection process with the Kansas City-based startup.

In May, Ford and some members of the Pepper team presented to Endeavor’s National Selection Panel, after which Pepper completed its critical third step and officially became a candidate for Endeavor entrepreneur.

The fourth step involves going before an International Selection Panel, which Pepper will do sometime in the future, according to Canem Arkan, managing director of Endeavor Heartland.

“Just that process alone provided some really significant value to Pepper, through the guidance, advice, perspective, and introductions that they have made, and I’m sure will continue to make,” Ford said. “We’re really excited for the opportunity to be a full-fledged member of the Endeavor network, and definitely take advantage of it, because there’s great value that’s held inside of their network.”

Scaling big dreams

As an Endeavor entrepreneur, Pepper will receive access to investors, mentors, and all resources that Endeavor provides, which Morris said are tailored specifically to meet each company’s needs.

“Our services and what we do for founders are very curated and driven by the demands, priorities, and needs of the companies that we work with,” Morris said. “Whatever it is, that’s our focus — just to be able to be a resource for the Pepper team and whatever they need.”

By doing so, Endeavor hopes to help Pepper scale globally while remaining rooted in Kansas City, Arkan said.

“If you’re a founder who’s like, ‘I’m going to do my thing here and then move to Boston,’ then that’s not a great fit for Endeavor,” Arkan said. “We want to keep, grow, and expand the talent and the innovation that’s happening in Kansas City.”

Endeavor also seeks out companies and founders who “dream big,” Arkan added.

“[We want them] to have the vision of, ‘We’re going to be the anchors for the next generation of founders,’” she said.

Though he described Pepper as “a little bit under the radar by design,” Ford acknowledged the company’s global ambitions.

“We do have big ambitions to be a global company, and that’s another attraction to the Endeavor network, because there are people on the ground everywhere we want to be,” Ford said. “We can get those perspectives as we begin to grow and the advice, frankly, on how to become an international company.”

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Ford plans to harness Endeavor as an “invaluable” resource as the company pursues its vision for extreme growth — he said Pepper has grown its number of employees by five times in less than a year.

“It’s a real advantage to people like me who are trying to figure out how to harness this crazy growth in front of us,” Ford said. “I look at Endeavor as an accelerant to that.”

Scott Ford, Pepper, at Startland News’ June 2019 Innovation Exchange event; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Beyond Step 4

Moving forward, leaders from Endeavor Heartland and Pepper believe this collaboration marks an important milestone in the Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ford said he hopes that Pepper can mentor other companies in Kansas City.

“This focus for me is just really about us as a company trying to really be a model for other companies that come behind us,” Ford said.

In the same vein, Arkan credited Ford and his team at Pepper for trusting in Endeavor and being the first in the region to partner with the organization.

“We’re just really thankful for [Ford] and Pepper, because they took a leap of faith,” Arkan said. “We weren’t in Kansas City. We were certainly doing the rounds and doing our due diligence … but we do ask our entrepreneurs to take a little bit of a leap of faith. We’re really thankful for Pepper for helping lead the way for Kansas City.”

As Pepper continues to raise capital from private equity firms, grow its team, and tap into Endeavor as the “ultimate global advisory group,” Ford also hopes that the company’s new relationship with Endeavor can help put others in Kansas City on the global stage.

“It’s a super exciting time,” Ford said. “ For us, we’re busier than one company should be, but we’re going to continue to hire, and continue to grow, and hopefully be a big success story here in Kansas City. … Kansas City ought to be excited about the opportunity to align with Endeavor.”