News

Dr. F. Nicholas Franano, Artio Medical; photo courtesy of Max McBride

$12M capital infusion pumps Prairie Village-based Artio Medical to $46M in funding

By Tommy Felts / April 29, 2021

A Johnson County medical device company announced Thursday the closing of an additional $12 million tranche of Series A financing — advancing the startup’s tech toward clinical study and commercialization with the backing of a leading Kansas City real estate developer. “We are thrilled to close this round of financing with strong support from existing investors…

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Photo courtesy of Healium

US Air Force contracts Healium for ‘drugless’ therapy amid military suicide epidemic

By Tommy Felts / April 27, 2021

As suicide rates among U.S. military service members continue to rise, Columbia-based Healium is doubling down on its mission to make mental fitness tools more accessible.  “It’s an honor to serve these service members and their families who’ve sacrificed in ways we cannot imagine,” Sarah Hill, founder and CEO, told Startland News in announcing a…

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How the first-ever movie sold on NFT is rigging KC-made ‘Lotawana’ for blockchain history

By Tommy Felts / April 26, 2021

An independent film shot on Missouri’s Lake Lotawana is earning premier attention — becoming the world’s first piece of cinema to sell on the blockchain, potentially overhauling the way Hollywood connects with moviegoers, its creators said.  “One thing that I’m very passionate about in life is cinema,” said Trevor Hawkins, the Emmy-winning local filmmaker who wrote…

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Liliane Lemani, African Designs by Liliane and Amisi

The Toolbox aims to bridge cultural entrepreneur gap in WyCo; opening new resource center Thursday

By Tommy Felts / April 26, 2021

Editor’s note: This story is sponsored and was produced by Forward Cities, a non-financial partner of Startland News and a national nonprofit that is managing the implementation of the ESHIP Communities program as a grantee of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Any opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Pedro Morales, owner…

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Sam Yates and Chris Meier, Yup Yup Design Studio; Photo by Ann Millington Photography

Report: UMKC Innovation Center helped create 500 new ventures, boost revenue by $245M in 2020

By Tommy Felts / April 26, 2021

Amid a year of pandemic-prompted chaos in the business community, entrepreneurs forged ahead like rarely before seen, according to the UMKC Innovation Center’s new impact report, which details outcomes of the Kansas City-based resource network’s programming opportunities. “These entrepreneurs and leaders are our clients, our inspiration and our hope,” said Maria Meyers, executive director at…

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