Investors

Grit Road plants $11M venture fund to cultivate homegrown ag tech solutions across Midwest

By Tommy Felts / September 19, 2023

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  OMAHA — The precision guide for Grit Road Partners — a Nebraska-based venture fund — is investing in ag tech companies that are solving Midwest producer problems, said Mike Jung,…

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Mid x Midwest returning in November with renewed vision to connect KC founders, VCs

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2023

The pilot Mid x Midwest event in fall 2022 supported the idea that early-stage tech founders and investors are hungry for more conversations post pandemic, Dan Kerr and Maggie Kenefake shared, spurring the return of the invite-only meetup in November. “We both showed up that morning to Hotel Kansas City and we walked into the…

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Investor returns to Kansas City with a message for his fellow VCs: It’s time to get your hands dirty 

By Tommy Felts / August 15, 2023

Traveling across the United States to listen and learn from various entrepreneurial ecosystems gave Nassir Criss the knowledge to be a better venture capitalist, he said. After nearly a year — and visiting more than a dozen cities — Criss has returned to Kansas City to share and apply what he experienced.  “I realized that…

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This KC investor’s narrow (but global) focus: Technical founders who want to change the world 

By Tommy Felts / August 10, 2023

When launching an investment firm, venture capitalists must consider what distinguishes them from other firms and gives them a competitive edge, said Taylor Clauson. “In my case, I would say that having such a narrow thesis is a tremendous luxury,” said Clauson, who founded Abstraction Capital in 2020. “I’m a specialist fund, and founders like…

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Scale VC launches Fund II with $5M investment led by UM System, Shelter Insurance

By Tommy Felts / May 2, 2023

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Venture capital fund and studio Scale VC raised a $5 million round of funding in less than six months, said Brett Calhoun, highlighting the potential for growing a nationally recognized startup city in the middle of the country. “Successful founders are everywhere — and that includes right here in the heart of…

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