News

Shawnee native sells another startup for over $1B with GM deal

General Motors is hoping to become the leader of self-driving car technology with the gargantuan acquisition of Cruise Automation, whose founder has a local tie.   GM announced on March 11 that it purchased Cruise for more than $1 billion in a move that aims to accelerate the development of GM’s autonomous vehicle tech. Cruise…

Kansas’ angel tax credits score first victory but hurdles remain

A bill extending Kansas’ popular Angel Investor Tax Credits scored its first victory Thursday, but legislators must make quick work of the measure if the program is to survive. The Kansas House Committee on Taxation unanimously approved a measure to continue the program, which offers accredited investors a tax credit of up to $50,000 on…

Regional Roundup

Sharing economy labors over lawsuits, paradigm shift for cyber security law

Here’s this week’s dish on the sharing economy, the issues with backdoor encryption, and corporate-to-startup collaboration. Check out more in this series here.   AustinInno – The gig economy is at a crossroads as lawsuits, innovative benefits expand As the sharing or “gig” economy expands with companies like Uber and Lyft, it’s not just permit…

Kansas City scores $50K to inject innovation into education

Kansas City recently snagged a $50,000 grant that aims to fuel the development of a passionate, 21st-century workforce. The City of Fountains was named one of eight winners of the national LRNG City Challenge. As a result, the KC Social Innovation Center will use the grant to implement new programming this summer. The LRNG platform…

Kansas City creativity sticks out among the weirdest in Austin

At the tech and innovation conference South by Southwest Interactive, it’s as easy for companies to blend in as the flyers littering the streets of Austin. But amid the sea of commercial chaos — where hundreds of companies big and small fiercely fight for the most fleeting of interactions — Kansas City stood towering like the Liberty…