Investors

Keith Harrington and Carlos Antequera, Novel Growth Partners

Novel Growth announces new $12M+ fund, expansion to Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis

By Tommy Felts / December 10, 2019

An oversubscribed first fund for Novel Growth Partners will help the Kansas City-based financing firm expand its tech investments in Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis. With more than $12 million banked for the fund, Novel is poised to use its unique revenue-based financing model to focus on boosting B2B software startups, the firm said in…

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ADOBO

Venture deal rooted in Kauffman Fellows aligns Novel Growth, Flyover Capital behind Wisconsin urban tech startup

By Tommy Felts / October 31, 2019

Two funds are better than one, Carlos Antequera said, announcing a one-of-a-kind partnership between top venture firms with Kauffman Fellows roots.  “Since our inception, our mission has been to provide innovative growth capital options for technology entrepreneurs,” Antequera, co-founder of Novel Growth Partners, said of the Mission, Kansas, revenue-based financing firm’s collaboration with Overland Park-based…

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Is KC getting lapped? Kansas City scores No. 13 among Top 25 Midwestern cities in M25 ranking

By Tommy Felts / October 8, 2019

Kansas City is maintaining a spot firmly in the middle of the pack among the top 25 Midwestern startup cities — in large part thanks to a $100-plus million growth equity investment in PayIt earlier this year, according to a new ranking by M25. The mega-round for Kansas City’s leading GovTech startup kept the City…

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Jeff Jones, H&R Block

H&R Block’s $2M investment in KCRise Fund: Corporate engagement can’t stop with one check, CEO says

By Tommy Felts / October 7, 2019

Entrepreneurial energy surrounding such startups as Bungii and PayIt made a $2 million investment in the KCRise Fund an easy choice for Jeff Jones and his team at H&R Block, the high-profile CEO said.  “When we think about the different pillars of how we want to give back to the community, taking a stake in…

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Investing in women

Advice for women founders: Be ‘tough as balls’ but don’t fear asking for help, panelists say 

By Tommy Felts / October 2, 2019

Want to rise to the top? Stop limiting yourself to gender roles in the workplace, declared Jene’ Hong.  “I didn’t see people as male or female,” Hong, told a crowd gathered for Startland’s Innovation Exchange: Investing in the Power of Women.  “I started off in accounting — everyone was male. I was taught to curse…

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