Funding

Modern Coalition app ‘gamifying’ politics raises $350K

U.S. Congress is doing a lousy job. At least that’s what 78 percent of Americans thought in July, according to Gallup. The research group theorizes that such dissatisfaction is not only resulting in lower voter turnout, but also generally less political engagement — particularly among young people. Kansas City-based Modern Coalition, however, is hoping to…

KC’s startup economy so-so, study says

Kansas City for years has been making waves as an innovative community. Launching and attracting dozens of tech ventures serving a variety of industries, the Kansas City metro’s brand as an entrepreneurial hub continues to grow. But how does it compare to other communities in the U.S.? While focused on St. Louis, a recent report…

KCK health startup scores $270K to give patients a voice

An area startup is using a recent injection of funds to better provide hospitals with valuable feedback from patients. PatientsVoices, based in Kansas City, Kan., nabbed $270,000 from several organizations to boost its technology that analyzes and distributes information about patients’ experiences. Organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Google and Digital Sandbox KC each…

Kauffman Foundation

Kauffman Foundation dishing $2M to programs for entrepreneurs

With a new CEO and revamped strategic plan, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is bolstering its support of U.S. programs aimed at helping entrepreneurs. The Kansas City-based foundation is allocating about $2 million in grants to tax-exempt organizations expanding programs that are successful in supporting U.S. entrepreneurs. The grants, which will range between $250,000 and…

SpiderOak nabs $3.5M for ‘Zero Knowledge’ software

SpiderOak recently closed a multi-million dollar round that will grow its team and boost development of its privacy cloud software. The company, which creates software that encrypts data without ever learning its actual contents, raised a $3.5 million Series A round that also will help fund its transition from Chicago to Kansas City. Chicago-based OCA…