Startups

Image illustrates a pre-production Mark II, the Mark II is not yet in production

Fund Me, KC: Invest in Mycroft’s open-sourced, privacy-respecting voice assistant

By Tommy Felts / July 29, 2021

Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like Kansas City artificial intelligence startup Mycroft AI — to share their crowdfunding stories and potentially gain backing from new…

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Miguel Johns, KingFit, DiabetesCare

Kansas startup founder, Pipeline fellow among finalists in NXTSTAGE healthtech competition

By Tommy Felts / July 26, 2021

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. WICHITA…

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Neal Sharma, DEG; John Thomson, PayIt; and Thalia Cherry, Cherry Co.

Junior Achievement taps startup leaders as Hall of Fame inductees, KC Innovator winner

By Tommy Felts / July 26, 2021

The newest inductees to Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s Business Hall of Fame play an important role in building the metro’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship, creativity, and cooperation, said Leroy McCarty. “Our 2021 Laureates exemplify the collaborative spirit that elevates Kansas City in the world of business, philanthropy, and civic engagement,” said Leroy McCarty, chairman…

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Wes Smith and Roy Scott, Healthy Hip Hop

Music tech startup doubles crowdfunding goal with more time on the clock: It’s like having the opportunity to invest in Disney on the ground floor, founder says

By Tommy Felts / July 22, 2021

Roy Scott hopes to repeat history, he said, drawing parallels between his company’s trajectory and the opening scenes of Walt Disney’s successful career in Kansas City.  “Anybody who knows me, or does their research on me, can see that my passion and my perseverance and my whole mission is to continue pushing Healthy Hip Hop…

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Brady Harris, Dwolla

$21M round for Dwolla disruption validates evolving payments platform, CEO says

By Tommy Felts / July 21, 2021

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. A…

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