Startups

Charon Thompson and Daniel Smith, the Porter House KC

C2FO donates all marketplace revenue it earned Friday to three KC nonprofits for Juneteenth

By Tommy Felts / June 19, 2021

Editor’s note: C2FO is a financial supporter of Startland News; and Kansas City G.I.F.T. is a non-financial partner of Startland, the parent organization of Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’ non-profit newsroom. One of Kansas City’s biggest tech startups wanted to make Juneteenth a day of “action and awareness,” the company…

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Two years after top KC startup’s sale, Zego (and its new owner) acquired for nearly $1B

By Tommy Felts / June 18, 2021

The company that acquired Kansas City-based Zego in 2019 — and liked the real estate tech startup’s brand so much it changed its own identity to match — has itself now been purchased by a global “powerhouse” in an all-cash transaction valued at $925 million. Zego — formerly PayLease — announced the acquisition by Global…

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T-Mobile Accelerator preps for June 30 demo day; nearly ready to launch new fall cohort

By Tommy Felts / June 16, 2021

As the Kansas City-based T-Mobile Accelerator readies for its June 30 demo day of immersive technology, the deadline is nearing on applications for a second accelerator program — set to debut this fall with a specific focus on wellness tech. “T-Mobile Accelerator is actively searching for startups developing the next big thing in 5G technologies…

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Meet 13 small businesses leading the way on DEI as Chamber’s Equity Award finalists

By Tommy Felts / June 16, 2021

Some of Kansas City’s youngest companies and startups are among the most committed to achieving DEI goals in the workforce, the Chamber said this week, releasing finalists for its 2021 Small Business Equity Award. The contenders: 13 leading businesses — ranging from lifestyle brands and tech startups to a Kansas City talent agency and an addiction…

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Menufy’s online ordering platform helped restaurants survive 2020; now the KC-built company is serving a scale up

By Tommy Felts / June 15, 2021

The startup course has been cleared for Leawood-plated Menufy as the tech company emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic ready to serve its customers a new identity while doubling down on its decade-old mission to empower restaurateurs. “The pandemic initially complicated things, then accelerated things and kept things complicated. … We don’t really think of ourselves…

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