Growth-fueled HR tech startup moving to Crossroads after announcing $9M defense contract
April 16, 2025 | Startland News Staff
Jumping from a handful of employees to 15 over the past year has come with growing pains for Piccadilly Software Group, said co-founder Abe Dick, but the flip-side comes in the form of enhanced community presence, new office space, and greater opportunity for its signature product.
The company this month announced its move to a 6,400-square-foot office space in the Wonder Hub building at 1607 Oak St. — just months after lauding a $9 million contract supporting the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s submarine industrial base initiatives. (That project provides the startup’s TEQ Connect platform to help defense contractors accelerate the hiring of qualified candidates and boost worker retention in the national defense industry.)
“Piccadilly Software Group has grown significantly in the past year, and we now have the room we need to accommodate future growth, and we get to do it right in the heart of the city,” said Dick, who also is chief technology officer at Piccadilly Software Group.
“The Crossroads is an ideal location for our new headquarters,” he continued. “This is where our current and future team members want to be, and we look forward to rapidly expanding our organization in 2025 and beyond.”
Piccadilly Cloud’s TEQ Connect product was developed by father-son duo Ray Dick (CEO), a University of Kansas engineering instructor-turned-entrepreneur, and Abe Dick, a software engineer who previously worked at such top startups as PayIt and Pepper IoT; and a growing team in Kansas City.
The company’s first-of-its-kind SaaS platform was developed to enable human resources managers in manufacturing and the skilled trades to speed hiring, enhance retention and increase productivity.
Needs across industries abound, its co-founders said.
The U.S. Navy, for example, needs three new nuclear-powered submarines each year for the next 10 years to secure the nation, Ray Dick said previously, noting it’s an effort that will require an estimated 140,000 “highly skilled, well-trained and highly motivated workers.”
“Using TEQ Connect, military contractors can quickly identify and hire the ‘best fit’ employees they need to fulfill their missions and keep America strong,” he added.
The Wonder Hub building also is home to O’Neill Events & Marketing. It previously housed the Head for the Cure Foundation, which relocated to 3238 Gillham Rd, Kansas City.
Featured Business

2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Sass-a-brass trumpets representation as demand grows for its roving queer street performances
When Rosie O’Brien first organized a queer street parade brass band — specializing in Mardi Gras and Pride vibes — the sousaphonist-turned-arts leader had no idea the cultural impact and representation Sass-a-brass could bring to Kansas City. “The first time we got together as a band was for the first Lawrence pride parade in 2018,”…
Juneteenth efforts confront ‘complex history’, generational trauma in KC communities
Celebrating Juneteenth in Prairie Village — a community that historically excluded people of color — is a sign of progress, said Dr. George Williams. Stand Up For Black Lives+ Prairie Village and the Johnson County NAACP recently organized a weekend Juneteenth event — the groups’ fourth annual commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day the…
This BBQ vendor comes fully loaded with spuds and spices; Soon he’ll park the business along one of KC’s busiest streets
Southern flavors find a new home at the window of Thomas “TC” Clark’s food truck, a popular Kansas City destination on wheels that specializes in Southern and barbecue cuisine served on loaded baked potatoes. “When I moved here, I missed the barbecue baked potatoes we had back home, so that was a big inspiration,” said…
Before restaurant’s debut, this KC founder’s expansion was threatened by predatory loans
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by AltCap, an ally to underestimated entrepreneurs that offers financing to businesses and communities that traditional lenders do not serve. There’s nothing quite like the crackling warmth at the heart of a campsite. “I just love what the fire does,” said Amante Domingo. “It brings people around,…

