Funding

Boddle

Two KC edtech startups just won $50K each, tickets to OHUB’s demo day at SXSW

By Tommy Felts / January 26, 2020

Opportunity Hub pulled out the big checks Friday, awarding two Kansas City edtech startups with $50,000 each as the accelerator nears its culmination at SXSW in March. Three winners from outside KC are expected to establish a presence in the metro as part of their awards. Boddle — led by co-founders Clarence Tan and Edna…

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Lauren Lawrence, Stenovate

Legal tech startup Stenovate earns Fountain Innovation Fund’s second investment

By Tommy Felts / January 8, 2020

The Fountain Innovation Fund is flowing with Kansas City-based Stenovate selected as the second startup to earn its support, the Enterprise Center in Johnson County announced Wednesday.  “Stenovate is an exciting investment for the Fountain Innovation Fund,” explained Maggie Kenefake, managing director of the fund, which chose to back Stenovate based on the emerging startup’s…

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Kristin Rulon, Mind Star Health

Fund Me, KC: Mind Star App ‘needed in my darkest moments,’ says founder, survivor of depression

By Tommy Felts / January 8, 2020

Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Kristin Rulon with her Mind Star Health campaign — to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Who are you? Kristin Rulon, founder and CEO…

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OHUB finalists: Christopher Jones, Matchrite Care; Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth; Philip Vanderstraeten, Erkios Systems; Philip Hickman, PlaBook; Leonard Frye, FilmDove; and Clarence Tan, Boddle Learning

OHUB is sending five startups to SXSW, each infused with $50K; Meet the seven KC finalists

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2019

Iron sharpens iron, said Rodney Sampson, announcing 12 finalists — seven from Kansas City — for $250,000 in investments and a coveted demo day stage at SXSW in March. Each startup is rich with founders who have invested the time and energy to earn a payout from the ecosystem, said Sampson, founder of the Opportunity…

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Jeff Rohr and Rachel Smith, SquareOffs

Village veteran SquareOffs launches long-awaited social opinion site, tops $2M+ in funding

By Tommy Felts / December 17, 2019

SquareOffs hopes its new consumer-facing destination website — showcasing interactive “microdebates” aggregated across a growing network of publishers and influencers — moves digital conversations back to civility. A fresh round of funding will help, said Jeff Rohr. “We are all tired of the toxicity that fills our social media feeds and dominates comments at the bottom…

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