, , , ,

NXTUS expands enterprise-focused program beyond Kansas; four KC-area startups selected

August 13, 2025  |  Startland News Staff

Gharib Gharibi, Archia; Errick Quartucci, Alex Snook, and Hunter Haufler, OnSight; Donnie Hampton, ROZ; and Zik Nwanganga, ULOM; courtesy photos

WICHITA, Kan. — An ongoing initiative to demystify the relationship-building process between emerging entrepreneurs and potential enterprise partners just expanded deeper into the Midwest, welcoming 20 growth-minded innovators from Wichita to St. Louis.

Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of NXTUS, speaks in March during the Gamechangers & Champions summit in Wichita; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

“For entrepreneurs whose success depends on forging relationships with ‘the big guys,’ this unique program is so valuable,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of NXTUS, which organizes the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series. “The entrepreneurs build their knowledge and confidence to more effectively approach large organizations. And the enterprise partners benefit from getting to know these startups as potential suppliers and collaborators, helping advance the ‘grow our own’ economic development efforts that are crucial to keep our region moving forward.”

Advancing in program, four Kansas City-area businesses — Archia, Overland Park, Kansas; OnSight, Spring Hill, Kansas; ROZ, Olathe, Kansas; and ULOM, Kansas City, Missouri — are set to meet weekly with the cohort through the end of September, gaining the tools and insights needed to build meaningful partnerships with the medium-to-large enterprises they hope to collaborate with and sell to in order to grow.

New this year, the program expanded its reach by welcoming startup applications from across the Midwest, moving beyond Kansas for the first time.

Through a curated selection process, NXTUS accepted startup founders from across a wide-range of industries, from advanced cybersecurity and AI-driven health and wellness platforms to inclusive workforce integration, transformative HR services, and specialized professional support that spans logistics, compliance, creative marketing, and more.

Members of the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series cohort; photo courtesy of NXTUS

The just-announced cohort includes:

The 2025 program is expected to culminate with live pitches Sept. 29 at Cargill Protein Headquarters during the Startup-Enterprise Summit, the kickoff event of Launch Week, formerly known as Wichita Startup Week.

Now in its fourth year, the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series has graduated 60 startups across 15 counties in Kansas. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated more than $44 million in lifetime revenue and created or retained 125 jobs since 2022.

Enterprise partners for 2025 include:

  • Berry Companies
  • Cargill
  • City of Wichita
  • Equity Bank
  • Evergy
  • Kansas Department of Commerce
  • Koch Supplier Strategies
  • LANGE Companies
  • iSi Environmental
  • Sedgwick County
  • Textron Aviation
  • USD 259 Wichita Public Schools
  • Village Travel

In addition, the 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series is made possible thanks to support from NetWork Kansas, the Greater Wichita Partnership with Opportunity Wichita affiliate, Fidelity Bank, and Forvis Mazars.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      Startland News Staff

      2025 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Brian Roberts, The Black Pantry, and Kearra Johnson, Studio LO; Thank You Black America

        Thank you, Black America! Juneteenth pop-up rallies power of KC’s Black creatives

        By Tommy Felts | June 11, 2021

        A celebration of Black America — and the critical work it’s done to begin breaking systemic cycles nationwide — is expected to launch soon in Kansas City, promising to shine a light on Black-owned businesses and creators, Kearra Johnson said.  “As young, Black entrepreneurs in the city, we’ve been looking for ways to get our brands…

        Ryan Manning, Bad Rhino Studios

        Bad Rhino wants to build, not exit (so investors aren’t playing): Why the fast-paced KC studio hopes to rewrite the game

        By Tommy Felts | June 10, 2021

        Midwest investors need to familiarize themselves with the potential waiting to play within the video game industry, said Ryan Manning, noting they otherwise risk losing out on major opportunities. “I don’t mind having those conversations and educating the parties involved,” said Manning, the founder of Bad Rhino Studios. “I think the biggest reason things need…

        Fanny Ruiz de Chavez, Sabor Latino

        ‘I have to make it’: Fanny Ruiz de Chavez refused service to failure; 16 months later, she’s still cooking

        By Tommy Felts | June 10, 2021

         Story and photos by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News | Video by Catherine Hoffman, Flatland Sitting in fear was quickly off the menu for Fanny Ruiz de Chavez — told less than two months after her Lee’s Summit restaurant’s 2020 grand opening that she’d need to close down because of COVID-19 restrictions, she recalled.  “I…

        Bo Fishback, Airtasker

        How Zaarly’s ‘gruesome’ shutdown led to a $2.6M task for Bo Fishback (Hint: It began with a mysterious overseas email)

        By Tommy Felts | June 8, 2021

        Two months after announcing “the final chapter” of Zaarly, the Kansas City startup’s founder and 12-member team have joined a fast-growing international tech company — bringing the overseas brand to the U.S. via Zaarly’s existing footprint and expertise. “There’s no other company in the world with more shared origin DNA to Zaarly,” Bo Fishback, founder…