News

KCMO, Avis launch first-in-the-world test lab with 5,000 connected rental cars

By Tommy Felts / November 30, 2017

Accelerating the Smart City initiative’s focus on enabling autonomous vehicles, the Kansas City area is now serving as the laboratory for a large test of thousands of connected rental cars. Avis Budget Group and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, announced Thursday the launch of the “Mobility Lab,” featuring a fleet of 5,000 internet-connected vehicles…

Document: Techstars raising a $400M startup fund

By Tommy Felts / November 28, 2017

Accelerator and investment firm Techstars is working to raise a massive new fund to boost portfolio startups around the world. Techstars — which operates an accelerator program in Kansas City — is now raising a $400 million fund, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund more than doubles Techstars Ventures’…

Andy Stoll: Entrepreneurial ecosystem answers aren’t inside the Kauffman Foundation

By Tommy Felts / November 28, 2017

Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation but independently produced by Startland News.  Acting in a Bollywood film. Pie making on Armenian television. Cooking on a dude ranch in Australia. Sewing in a dress factory in Bangkok. Farming maize in Zambia. Each revealed a lesson and mission for Andy Stoll.…

Rx Savings secures $18.4M funding round, nears 2 million members

By Tommy Felts / November 28, 2017

An $18.4 million funding round is the prescription Rx Savings Solutions needs to expand its fight against a crippling, yet common ailment, said Michael Rea. “Everyone in the nation has the same problem — high drug costs — and most people don’t know there are options to save money,” said Rea, founder and chief executive…

Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?

By Tommy Felts / November 27, 2017

In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…