News

Bungii ‘circles the wagons,’ sending its truck drivers to aid Linwood tornado survivors

By Tommy Felts / June 1, 2019

One of Kansas City’s top startups dropped its tailgates this week to help Kansans ravaged by a violent twister. “The damage and injuries suffered because of the storms were outside of everybody’s control, but how we react and how our community reacts is vital,” said Eric Bolduc, a customer success specialist for Bungii who was…

PayIt gains $25M follow-on investment from early backer Weatherford Capital

By Tommy Felts / May 31, 2019

A Tampa-based venture capital firm run by three brothers sees investing in Kansas City’s PayIt as part of its long-term strategy. Weatherford Capital first backed PayIt in 2016, through a $4.5 million Series A round led by New York-based Advantage Capital Partners, and followed by Weatherford, Royal Street Ventures, the Missouri Technology Corporation and Five…

Rise Up, Get Started offers second chances with grants to formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / May 31, 2019

Kansas City should be home to second chances, hope, and opportunities, said Johnny Waller Jr. “Kansas City has a rich history of uniting behind its citizens for the common good of its people and that’s what this event is,” said Waller, co-founder of Determination, Incorporated, addressing a wide-ranging audience Thursday at the inaugural Rise Up,…

Fountain City Fintech earns EDC’s Cornerstone Award in accelerator’s first year

By Tommy Felts / May 30, 2019

Fountain City Fintech’s plan was to put Kansas City on the map, Zach Anderson Pettet said. In the process, the community bank-backed accelerator earned attention in its own right, he said. “A big piece of our plan was to give our cohort a chance to dig in and really understand the city — understand the…

LaunchKC winner Boddle Learning scores $100K AT&T Aspire investment, accelerator

By Tommy Felts / May 29, 2019

Kansas City-based Boddle Learning is filling with steam as the startup gains momentum and joins the AT&T-fronted Aspire accelerator, Clarence Tan revealed Wednesday. “When we found out we were finalists, we were super, super happy,” Tan, founder and CEO, said of the lead-up to official word of Boddle’s selection for the San Francisco-based program. “They…