Roster filled: 32 Kansas startups march into Round 2 of tourney-style pitch competition

WICHITA — Nearly three dozen Sunflower State startups are vying for $20,000 in prize money — and courting the attention of investors — as they advance to the second round of an innovative, state-backed pitch competition set amid the excitement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

NXTUS on Tuesday announced the initial 32 companies advancing in the Gamechangers & Champions bracket bash — culled from 74 total entries. The tournament-style pitch competition will have one more elimination round before the March 21 event in downtown Wichita.

The roster features a number of high-profile Kansas City-area startups — notably past Pure Pitch Rally competitors, Digital Sandbox KC winners, Startland News’ Startups to Watch companies, and veterans of Wichita-based NXTUS programming. 

Entrepreneurs who make it to the Round of 16 will be announced March 17 via the social media accounts of competition organizers NXTUS and Kansas Department of Commerce. “Elite Eight,” “Final Four” and Championship rounds are planned in-person for game-day at the Commerce Club in Wichita.

Click here for tickets to the event, which will be capped at 200, with tickets going quickly.

“Most Kansans have no idea the breadth and quality of entrepreneurs who are building tomorrow’s great businesses right here in Kansas,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of NXTUS. “Thanks to support from the Kansas Department of Commerce, WSU’s Barton School of Business, and dozens of other sponsors, Gamechangers & Champions 2025 will help change that.”

Advancing competitors announced Tuesday include:

• Authentiya, Ellia Morse, Lawrence
• CAP Creations, Rashawnda Wright, Overland Park
• Candid Health Advisors, Molly Breitenbach, Wichita
• Chatterbox, Grant Johnson, Wichita
• Cyphr, Jannae Gammage, Kansas City, Kansas
• FinMan Fishing, Mark Glade, Newton
• Flowpoint Medical, Jason Bobe, Overland Park
• George Consulting and Engineering, Anthony George, Wichita
• Interplay, Jonaie Johnson, Kansas City
• Marma Health, Meredith McAllister, Kansas City
• MD MatchUp, Bob Waddell, Kansas City
• moment*, Miguel Johns, Wichita
• Nitride Global, Mahyar Khosravi, Wichita
• NoDwell, Blake Lappan, Kansas City
• Noonan, Matt Williams, Lenexa
• Novus, Ayaan Parikh, Wichita
• Oak Therapeutics, Sally Maliski, Prairie Village
• PLOT, Chris Callen, Wichita
• Rebound Jerseys, Aidan Scurato, Kansas City
• Seismi, Yale Zhang, Lawrence
• Sharing Solace, Crystal Webster, Kansas City
• ShotTracker, LaDonna Gooden, Merriam
• Sleep Fitter, Liliana Younger, Leawood
• Storytailor, JQ Sirls, Kansas City
• Tacit Technologies, Rye Kennedy, Wichita
• Teddy, Drake Dukes, Wichita
• TokenTourney, Samuel Shortall, Kansas City
• Trident Homes, Christopher Stemler, Topeka
• ULOM, Bing Low, Kansas City
• VU Scholarships, Edward Márquez, Kansas City
• Wrax, Frankie Elder-Reedy, Pleasanton
• Yes! Athletics, Deb North, Topeka

The event — organized in parallel to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament being hosted in Wichita March 20-22 — is expected to feature networking opportunities, industry leader speakers, educational sessions, and the high-stakes pitch competition, providing a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses, connect with investors, and compete for prize money to go toward their startups, NXTUS said.

How the March 21 game-day works:

• At the start of the event, the Innovative Eight will be revealed, and those startups will share their “elevator pitches” with the more than 200 audience members, including investors, other entrepreneurs, and business leaders. 
• Attendees will vote for their favorite pitch to determine the Fan’s Choice award, worth $2,500. 
• Venture capital fund managers will coach the eight remaining competitors and narrow the field to the Final Four.
• The remaining four companies will deliver their full, five-minute pitches to a panel of distinguished judges, who will crown the $20,000 champion at the event finale.

In addition to the pitch competition, Gamechangers & Champions is set to feature:

• An opening networking session with Startup Grind and WIBA, sponsored by IMA.
• A Startup Grind Fireside Chat with Graham Krizek, CEO of Voltage Cloud, presented by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.
• Expert-led breakout tracks for both startups and investors, supported by the Greater Wichita Partnership, Lange Capital, and Kansas State University.
• A “Business & Basketball Lounge” presented by Network Kansas’ eGrowth Ventures (attendees will have access to networking sessions, complimentary headshots, and the NCAA Tournament games).
• Keynote remarks, sponsored by Koch, from Kevin Lockett, a former K-State and Kansas City Chiefs player and longtime entrepreneur, who now manages investment firm Fulcrum Global Capital.