Editor’s note: Startland News editors selected 10 Kansas City scaling businesses to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. Now in its 10th year, this feature recognizes founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest, most compelling news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2025’s companies.

Click here to view the full list of Startups to Watch — presented by Morgan Stanley, and independently produced by Startland News — and see how the companies (including this one) were selected.

Gonzalo Erdozain didn’t set out to launch a tech startup, the practicing veterinarian said. Increasingly discouraged by outdated paper processes at work, he simply wanted a better way to do his job.

“I started Scout entirely out of frustration with the paper forms that we’re using,” said Erdozain, founder of Scout. “I found myself using paper forms for anesthesia calculations, and dental charting. And I was like, there’s got to be a better way, right?”

That realization sparked the idea for a digital tool designed to streamline workflow in veterinary hospitals and reduce burnout. 

What began as a simple spreadsheet at Erdozain’s hospital has now evolved into a fully functional software platform. Its goal: replace inconvenient paper records with an efficient, scalable solution.

• Elevator pitch: A web-based application designed to alleviate veterinary burnout by replacing outdated, inefficient paper forms for dental charting and anesthesia management with streamlined processes, improved safety and enhanced patient care. 
• Founder(s): Gonzalo Erdozain, DVM, MPH
• Headquarters location: Leawood, Kansas, but relocating to Kansas City, Missouri, via LaunchKC
• Founding year: 2021
• Current employee count: 1 full-time account executive; engineering team on contract
• Funding amount raised to date: $832,219.15
• Noteworthy investors: Friends, family, personal income, Digital Sandbox KC, Pure Pitch Rally, and LaunchKC
• Noteworthy programs/accelerators/incubators completed: Digital Sandbox KC, Pure Pitch Rally (ongoing), and LaunchKC (2025 cohort), GrowthX Revenue Accelerator (2025 cohort)

Scout’s platform has been well received in the market so far, Erdozain said, highlighting the clear need for such a solution among veterinary professionals.

“From our initial surveys, we’ve found that about 75 percent of hospitals still use paper,” he said. “We’ve done demos and meetings with single-doctor practices all the way to corporations that need that product. So it’s definitely needed.”

The company is already gaining traction, with its software now in 39 hospitals. While Erdozain couldn’t share specifics yet, Scout is in final negotiations with a major partner.

“We’re actually going back and forth with the red line on the contract. Hopefully we can make that announcement soon,” he said.

Gonzalo Erdozain, Scout, pitches during LaunchKC’s 2024 event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Erdozain’s journey through Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has been pivotal to Scout’s growth, he added. The company has participated in programs like LaunchKC and Pure Pitch Rally, which have provided valuable mentorship and support.

“Lots of connections,” Erdozain said. “The startup community here wants to help — no matter who you are. If they can’t help you, they’re going to connect you with somebody who can.”

After moving to Kansas City from Manhattan, Kansas, Erdozain has spent more than a decade in the region, calling it home. He credits the supportive network as a significant strength of the area’s startup ecosystem.

Heading into 2025, Scout is focused on scaling its operations to meet growing demand. Erdozain’s goal is ambitious but clear: to hit $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within the year.

“We’ve got some hospitals, we’ve got a validated product. Now we just need to scale,” he said. “That’s the exciting part. By the end of next year, we’ll see how many people we have on the team.”

With the product gaining momentum and customers validating its value, Scout is positioned for a breakout year, he said. For Erdozain, it’s the culmination of years of problem-solving and persistence.

“You hear from customers, you hear from people who keep an eye on us, and you know you’re on the right track,” he said. “I think we’re right at that particular point.”

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10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2025

• Good Oak scales social venture to boost biodiversity in farming, herd ag industry toward change
• Hilltop Technologies targets cybersecurity for Main Street (with help from next-gen talent)
• Icorium matches a complex environmental threat with Kansas-powered innovation
• LPOXY Therapeutics punches back at gut infection (and a foe with a billion-year head start)
• Marma pushes women’s nutrition to the forefront, birthing resources on demand
• Noonan scores under par success with digital caddie as golf market earns deepage
• OLEO roasts plans for slow-drip craft retail concepts, starting with coffee (and soon a diner)
• Raise Health tasks AI tools with a multiplier mission — detecting mental health struggles early
• Trially combines founders’ lived experiences, AI to streamline critical stage of health care advancements