Digital Sandbox alum earns new round of funding — this time for sports tech; Meet the latest batch of just-funded startups
July 7, 2023 | Startland News Staff
From making the college admissions process easier for students to summarizing books and podcasts using artificial intelligence, the latest startups to join Digital Sandbox KC are a great example of the creativity of this region’s entrepreneurs, said Jill Meyer.
The four newly selected companies are expected to receive up to $20,000 in project funding and additional support to help accelerate their innovations.
Jill Meyer, UMKC Innovation Center
“Our team is thrilled to welcome this extraordinary group of startups into the Sandbox,” said Jill Meyer, senior director of Technology Venture Studio, which houses Digital Sandbox KC. “In a landscape where early-stage funding is scarce, Digital Sandbox KC takes pride in being able to fill that gap and offer crucial support to ignite and drive innovation. By providing initial backing, we enable these innovations to gain momentum and attract further funding down the line.”
Among the funding recipients, Tony Caudill, founder and CEO of the new sports tech startup Duesy, is now a two-time Digital Sandbox KC awardee. He knows how important early funding is to a company, he said. With his first Sandbox-funded company, aware3, Caudill used the Sandbox funds to integrate with a strategic partner. In 2018, aware3 had a successful exit and was acquired by Nelnet.
“That integration was one of the key reasons for our rapid growth and eventual exit,” Caudill said. “With Duesy, we’ll be using the funds to accelerate the build of our MVP so we can start our pilot and get to market faster. I’m so grateful for Digital Sandbox KC’s continued support of me and our broader entrepreneur community in KC. We’re lucky to have such an amazing resource in our city.”
The four companies selected for funding include:
- Dropofwisdom, Louis Pires (Kansas City, Missouri) — provides personal growth and self-help content summaries and uses artificial intelligence to give structure to people’s efforts to change.
- Duesy, Tony Caudill (Kansas City, Missouri) — Makes registration and dues easy for youth sports teams.
- Playhaus, Connor Borrego (Kansas City, Missouri) — A smart wallet for your digital identity. The company’s software platform centralizes and transforms user and organizational data stored in third-party software to power an artificial intelligence system built on the blockchain. The company then uses the data vaults to improve the efficiency of digital ad spend on AI-powered systems by 30 to 90 percent.
- VU Scholarships, Andrew Marquez (Roeland Park, Kansas) — Helps high school students see the immense potential they have by awarding them scholarships from colleges before they even apply, making the college admissions process more exciting, effective and transparent.
These companies join 184 startups that have participated in the program since 2013.
Click here to read more about the impact of the Sandbox in the Digital Sandbox KC 2023 Impact Report.
In addition to receiving up to $20,000 in project funding, startups in the program gain access to the Technology Venture Studio community and technical project support.
Click here to submit an idea and pitch to the Sandbox.
Featured Business
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Pipeline opens applications for 2019 fellowship class, reveals three-city 1MC pitch event
An application for Pipeline’s 2019 fellowship class isn’t just about next year, said Joni Cobb — it’s an opportunity for a lifetime of support from the organization’s network of developing and top-tier entrepreneurs. “Pipeline is available for life for each entrepreneur who successfully completes the fellowship year,” said Cobb, president and CEO of Pipeline, in…
Report: Black women’s impact overlooked in KC startup community and beyond
Raise a hand if you know that black women have created more than 1 million jobs, Dell Gines challenged. A statistics-based question –– frequently answered with an expected, yet glacial silence –– acknowledges an unprecedented phenomenon in both the small business community and within the confines of the often-exclusive startup ecosystem, said Gines, Federal Reserve…
‘Class reunion’ collides with newer generation at Top VC-Backed Companies celebration (Photos)
It was a night of old school collisions, said Adam Arredondo, bringing together founders, executives, investors and a curated group of younger startup leaders for Startland’s Top VC-Backed Companies celebration. “The energy in the room was palpable. Many people said it felt like a class reunion, which in a way it was,” added Arredondo, CEO…
Techweek KC addition: Smart City Innovation Workshop builds bottom-up brainstorming
Kansas City residents, entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and city officials plan to come together during the Smart City Innovation Workshop at Techweek KC to brainstorm solutions to day-to-day challenges using smart technology. The workshop pulls into Union Station Oct. 8 — the first day of Techweek KC, which runs through Oct. 12 and is presented by…