Wichita investors propel startup helping underserved schools, nonprofits boost workforce

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. 

WICHITA — A more than $500,000 oversubscribed round from accredited investors — mostly Wichita backers — is just one milestone in tech startup KaaS’ plans for $1 million in 2024 investments, said co-founder Robert Feeney.

Wichita-based KaaS, or Knowledge as a Service Inc., is planning two two pre-series-A capital raises this year, with a second round beginning this month with an expected completion in Q3.

KaaS leadership believes it is on the path to securing a Series A funding round of $3 million or more in 2025. The company — which focuses on workforce readiness and performance by addressing attitudes and behaviors that resist change — relocated from the West Coast to Wichita in June 2021 and quickly began its expansion with local partners in tow.

ICYMI: They met in Hollywood, but this startup found its ‘fertile field’ of dreams (and community) in Kansas

Robert Feeney at the headquarters of Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS) and Ringorang in downtown Wichita’s Garvey Center

“Since moving here, I’ve heard complaints that there is not enough investor involvement in Wichita startups,” said Feeney, who also serves as chief vision officer of KaaS. “Whether or not that’s true, we’ve met our funding needs with multiple seed rounds in Wichita.”

The first of this year’s capital rounds for KaaS was led by Bonavia Industries which has diversified investments including properties like downtown’s Garvey Center, where KaaS now boasts its headquarters.

Nick Bonavia, the company’s president, said KaaS’ habit formation software, Ringorang, is transforming lives.

“The platform has a proven track record of implementing positive change and will have tremendous benefits to any organization rising to the challenge,” Bonavia said.

The Ringorang software is used most often by schools, nonprofits and government agencies like the USDA and Kansas Department of Commerce to develop effective behaviors for life and work.

In the recent school year, KaaS launched a national game tournament called Future Ready by Ringorang where students from USD259 and Smoky Hill schools in Salina earned prizes and badges while learning what success habits are expected of them by employers.

ICYMI: Startup launches workforce readiness game, scaling its Kansas-built talent crisis solution national

“The Future Ready game has been an exciting addition to our work in preparing students for post-secondary success,” said Kareema Williams, career specialist for the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) program at Wichita North High School. “Every new employee needs these employability skills and using the Ringorang app makes it engaging for them.” 

KaaS benefited from the Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit program, which supports qualified businesses like KaaS to incentivize investors with state tax credits that match their investment allocations by 50 percent. 

“It’s a great way for the state to stimulate startup investing in Kansas,” said Feeney.

Garvey Center Plaza in Wichita, home of Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS) and Ringorang

Feeney founded the company with business partner, B.W. Barkley, in California’s Silicon Valley before moving it to Wichita.

“I was proud to bring a tech company to my home town,” Barkley said. “We want Kansas to become Silicon Prairie!”

KaaS led a successful crowdfunding campaign in Wichita upon moving to town, raising over $300,000 in seed capital. They initially officed out of co-working space Groover Labs and then custom-built new offices in Page Court of the Garvey Center, which is also a home to tech startups PLOT and Factory Universe.

RELATED: PLOT digs into commercialization with $2M round, earns backing from KCRise Fund

“Robert and his company bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the startup scene,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, CEO of Accelerate Venture Partners in Wichita, which manages a portfolio of early-stage venture investments. “I’m glad we had investors in our group who saw value in their work and jumped aboard.” 

KaaS is targeting the talent crisis by helping to develop the talent pipeline for Wichita employers and beyond, putting special focus on at-risk students in Title 1 school districts.

“We’ve spent years helping large-scale employers to develop the behaviors of their employees,” says Feeney. “Now we’re sharing that capability with schools and nonprofits like YMCA and Goodwill Industries so students have the best shot at starting careers. This has an impact on disadvantaged communities as well as on economic development in our region, and that’s a big reason I believe investors have joined us.”