Funding

Matt Moody, Bellwethr

Bellwethr acquired by ecommerce payments platform; merger to boost Shopify brands

By Tommy Felts / September 22, 2022

A Kansas City startup’s machine learning tech is expected to bring its new owner’s vision to reality: driving new revenue for Shopify brands plagued by churn among subscribers. Bellwethr announced the acquisition Thursday, detailing the company’s merger with Park City, Utah-based Retextion. As part of the undisclosed deal, Retextion will integrate Bellwethr’s popular churn reduction…

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Troost coffee shop ‘broken into pieces’ by collision; caffeinated supporters jump to action   

By Tommy Felts / September 21, 2022

A community of customers and neighbors is rallying behind Anchor Island Coffee this week after a pickup truck barreled into the front entrance of the tropical-themed breakfast spot at 41st and Troost. Fortunately no one was injured in the after-hours incident, said co-owner Armando Vasquez, who noted he was the last person to leave the…

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KC capital implants cattle tech startup with fuel to scale, expanding IVF labs, headcount 

By Tommy Felts / September 20, 2022

Livestock production has seen a remarkable transformation since Kerryann Kocher was growing up on her family’s sixth-generation farm in northeast Iowa, the Vytelle CEO said. Instead of just selecting the cow that looks best and bringing in the neighbor’s bull for breeding, as she remembers it, Kocher and Vytelle — a Kansas City-based precision livestock…

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Venture experts: Getting your first check in KC is too difficult, but a record influx of coastal investors isn’t a bad substitute

By Tommy Felts / September 20, 2022

A new report on Kansas City’s venture-backed companies showed year-over-year growth in multiple areas — impressing industry experts who identified key investment trends in the data. More companies with venture capital backing; higher employee counts; a 58 percent boost in fundraising. Yet growth was not universal. Despite gains in top-line figures, the number of Kansas City-based…

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RX Savings Solutions sale would see the startup acquired for up to $875M in KC’s biggest-ever exit

By Tommy Felts / September 19, 2022

The McKesson Corporation has agreed to purchase Overland Park-prescribed Rx Savings Solutions in a deal worth nearly $1 billion.  McKesson announced Monday that it had entered into an agreement with the prescription pricing startup valued at up to $875 million — more than double the $425 million price tag for which Kansas City-built Backlot Cars…

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