LISTEN: Meet the partners behind Plug and Play Topeka’s growth (and impact)
October 10, 2025 | Austin Barnes
On a special episode of Startland News’ 12-part podcast series diving deeper into Plug and Play, we explore how the Topeka-based program and its partners work to turn bold ideas into Kansas success stories.
Cole Ahlvers, NQV8 Fund, right, speaks on a panel at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Guests includes Bret Lanz from Kansas State University’s Technology Development Institute; John G. Brown of StenCo; and Cole Ahlvers from NQV8 Fund.
RELATED: Global startups plug into Topeka: How Kansas connections are powering their innovation
Together guests unpack collaboration across universities, corporations, and investment firms is accelerating innovation in the Midwest — fueling everything from advanced manufacturing to agtech and animal health.
Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, hear how Plug and Play connects these players, why Kansas is quietly becoming a national hub for commercialization, and what it takes to turn breakthrough ideas into scalable companies.
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
Unimpeded support for Kansas’ angel tax credits floods Topeka
It appears area entrepreneurs and business leaders are unanimously agreed on at least one thing: Kansas’ Angel Investment Tax Credit program must endure. About a dozen people converged on Kansas Legislature Wednesday to voice unopposed support of the program, which has spurred significant growth in Kansas’ tech and bioscience sectors. The program — as represented…
Google Fiber offering free gigabit to low-income homes
Access to the Internet is almost universally agreed to be a defining sign of progress in third-world countries. Yet millions of citizens across the U.S. still sit on the wrong side of the digital divide. The vast majority of these citizens have one thing in common: they live in low-income households, where cost outweighs the…
KU to host area startups for career day
The University of Kansas on Wednesday announced its largest-ever multi-disciplinary career fair for startups in the Midwest. The Startup Job and Internship Fair — set for March 1 — will connect students studying everything from engineering to design with startups from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The fair is open to any and all area small…
Flyover Capital continues its deal streak with Illinois startup
Kansas City-area venture capital firm Flyover Capital is continuing its first quarter investment tear. Leawood-based Flyover recently added the fifth company to its portfolio, joining other investors in a $4.1 million Series A round to fund Agrible, an Illinois-based ag tech startup. Flyover has extensive agriculture experience and shares Agrible’s belief in growing the Midwest…