Still in the game: 16 startups advance in Kansas pitch tournament; courting a new style of seed funding

WICHITA — And then there were 16.

Monday’s pitch competition announcement served up sweet news for more than a dozen Kansas startups as local founders learned they’re advancing in the Gamechangers & Champions “Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels” — a tournament-style event set to end with a $20,000 grand prize.

The just-released list of competitors — narrowed from an initial roster of 32 — packs the benches for Friday’s big pitch showdown in Wichita — set against the backdrop of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament later this week in the Sunflower State’s largest city.

Click here to learn more about the competition or to get tickets.

“Friday’s event will be a one-of-a-kind ‘pep rally’ for these trailblazers — a dynamic collision point where entrepreneurs and investors from across the state can connect, collaborate, and spark the next wave of Kansas-grown success stories,” said Romaine Redman, chief innovation and strategy officer with the Kansas Department of Commerce, which is organizing the competition alongside Wichita-based NXTUS.

At the start of the Gamechangers & Champions tournament Friday, the “Innovative Eight” will be revealed, and those startups will share brief elevator pitches with more than 200 audience members, including investors, other entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

Attendees at the live event will vote for their favorite pitch to determine the Fan’s Choice award, worth $2,500. 

Then, venture capital fund managers will coach the eight remaining competitors and narrow the field to the Final Four. These four will deliver their full, five-minute pitches to a panel of judges, who will crown the $20,000 champion at the event finale. (Funding for the grand prize is from the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University.)

Among the 16 competitors advancing — notably including past Pure Pitch Rally competitors, Digital Sandbox KC winners, Startland News’ Startups to Watch companies, Pipeline entrepreneurs, and veterans of NXTUS programming — in the pitch competition:

• FinMan Fishing, Mark Glade, Newton
• Marma Health, Victoria Weber, Kansas City
• MD MatchUp, Bob Waddell, Kansas City
• Milton, Miguel Johns, Wichita
• Nitride Global, Mahyar Khosravi, Wichita
• Noonan, Matt Williams, Lenexa
• PLOT, Chris Callen, Wichita
• ShotTracker, LaDonna Gooden, Merriam
• Sleep Fitter, Liliana Younger, Leawood
• Storytailor, JQ Sirls, Kansas City
• Tacit Technologies, Rye Kennedy, Wichita
• Teddy, Drake Dukes, Wichita
• ULOM, Zik Nwanganga, Kansas City
• VU Scholarships, Edward Márquez, Kansas City
• Wrax, Frankie Elder-Reedy, Pleasanton
• Yes! Athletics, Deb North, Topeka

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

Set for the Commerce Club in downtown Wichita, Friday’s business and innovation summit is also expected to feature networking opportunities, industry leader speakers, educational sessions, and a high-stakes pitch competition, offering entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their businesses, connect with investors, and compete for prize money to support their startups.

Click here to check out the full agenda for Gamechangers & Champions.