K-State accelerator opens applications to startups; university dives deeper into regional K-State 105 initiative
January 29, 2025 | 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.
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Sunflower State startups are invited to apply for Kansas State University’s entrepreneurship accelerator, which now boasts a more-than-10-year track record, as well as a refined focus on economic development.
Applications are now open for the fully online Center for Entrepreneurship Accelerator program, which runs April through July 2025. Led by K-State’s College of Business Administration, the premier initiative is designed to support early-stage startups in Kansas.
Chad Jackson, Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, Kansas State University
“Our accelerator program allows us to leverage K-State’s unique resources to foster innovation within the community,” said Chad Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. “By connecting entrepreneurs with our faculty, alumni mentors and students, we aim to provide invaluable support for startup ventures.”
Click here to apply or learn more about the criteria and application process. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply by Feb. 24.
The accelerator directly supports many of the goals of K-State 105 and the University’s Economic Property Plan through: direct jobs created, capital and equity investment attracted and leveraged, new businesses established or expanded, and businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities/municipalities receiving funding or technical assistance.
Applications are open to founders of scalable, for-profit businesses or ideas, including student-led ventures. Selection criteria include identifying a meaningful problem and offering an innovative solution, demonstrating drive and adaptability, and showing a strong commitment to the venture.
The industry-agnostic accelerator opened in 2014, and has played host to a diverse range of Kansas City-area startups and businesses, including among the 2024 class:
- CC Thrift (Makenna Baldwin, then-junior in entrepreneurship), Lee’s Summit, Missouri — A closet cleanout service that pays people to pick up their old, unwanted clothes; Clothes are sorted and resold or donated.
- Partydip (Heidi Brown and Angela Hein), Manhattan — An online marketplace that saves parents’ time by putting everything they need to plan a child’s party at their fingertips.
- Room Décor Alley (Reese Reitz, then-junior in entrepreneurship and innovation), Louisburg — A gift boutique that provides quality, affordable and unique products for everyone.
- Sammy Kopecky Photography (Samantha Kopecky, then-senior in marketing), Leawood — A photography company with a passion for creating glowy, joyful and timeless photos that capture special moments in your story.
- Wool Processing (Samuel Manus, then-senior in entrepreneurship and innovation), Tonganoxie — A business focused on alternative wool processing and products.
This story is made possible by Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures.
Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV) is a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. NetWork Kansas promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the expertise, education and economic resources they need to succeed.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Another tool in my tool bag’: Digital artist uses AI to collage KC Streetcar stop
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Artificial intelligence had a hand in a new art installation at a Kansas City Streetcar stop; David Morris’ abstract digital collage…
Why a globally-trained Spanish chef is building his new homebase from City Market
It’s all about the pan for Carlos Saura, a Spanish chef whose new paella and tapas spot in Kansas City’s bustling and diverse City Market is set to arrive in late summer or early fall — helping bring the historic marketplace district to 100-percent-leased capacity. The Paella Mix, at 25 E. Third St., is expected…
On the map and in the mirror: 1 Million Cups contrasts international eship visitors with KC startup scene
The fail-fast mindset and high risk tolerance many American entrepreneurs employ in their quests to build unicorn startups are arguably foreign concepts to business builders on the other side of the globe, said Lucy-Llonna Larbi. Her experiences in Germany reflect a slower, security-first focus, she said, expressing admiration for the American approach. “We think that…
After coffee, calm: Messenger co-founder, partner envision West Bottoms bathhouse as retreat from what has been
Nearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…