Funding

Recap of an impressive 2016 for Kansas City’s top startups to watch

What a year it’s been for Kansas City startups. From exits and capital raises to awards and partnerships, the area’s early-stage firms have kept Startland News plenty busy in 2016. To mark that success, we’re revisiting a list we compiled a year ago relaying 10 startups that we believed were poised to make noise in…

Illness forecaster Sickweather lands local investor, opening KC office

As part of a recent investment round, Sickweather will be returning to familiar stomping grounds to open a Kansas City office. A graduate of the 2014 Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator, Sickweather raised a seed round of an undisclosed value to accelerate sales of its tech that forecasts and maps illnesses for consumers and enterprises. “We’re thrilled…

Entrepreneurial card game Idea Jab spurs creativity in students, startups

Editor’s note: Startland News is continuing its Fund Me, KC segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Idea Jab co-founders  Matt Callegari and Alex Laughlin — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Back Idea Jab here. Who are…

Ag venture group TechAccel invests $250K in research partnership

A new partnership will advance agricultural innovation in the state of Missouri. TechAccel, a Kansas City-based technology and venture development firm, recently announced it will work with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a St. Louis-based nonprofit research institute. TechAccel will provide $250,000 in grants to the Danforth Center to help it demonstrate proof of…

Sock 101 ‘makes it work’ on Project Runway, secures $250K

Apparently, Kansas City socks have significant upside with investors. After an appearance on Lifetime’s “Project Runway: Fashion Start-up,” Kansas City-based Sock 101 recently landed $250,000 from two prominent fashionistas. Designer Rebecca Minkoff and Gary Wassner, co-founder of Interluxe Holdings, a venture capital group focusing on fashion and luxury brands, both invested in the sock startup….