LISTEN: Startup bites into early cancer detection for dogs
August 11, 2025 | Austin Barnes
On this episode of Startland News’ new Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series, we meet Preston Williams — founder of ProPetDx — whose company is giving veterinarians a powerful new way to detect disease in pets before symptoms appear.
From the spark of an idea to building high-definition diagnostics, our guest shares how science, data, and a little bit of canine intuition are coming together to save lives.
Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, this episode continues Startland News’ 12-part series on the founders transforming the future of animal health and agtech — and putting Topeka on the map as a national innovation hub.
Listen to a teaser below or click here for the full podcast episode.
Featured Business

2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
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…
KC-built delivery platform recruiting drivers, retailers ahead of summer app launch
Dwayne Overton is no stranger to the hustle, he said. The Kansas City entrepreneur once juggled gigs with Lyft and DoorDash — jobs that gave him an up-close look at the struggles drivers face every day. Now, as founder and CEO of VendiSafe, he’s building a delivery platform that spins the traditional model on its…

