Startups

George Tsatsos, Dakota Hendrickson, Carver Gertsberger, Carlos Selva and Johnny Wermers, Filti

How a former Sprint car driver’s quick pivot from HVAC filters to face masks put a North KC startup atop the nanofiber scoreboard

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2021

Filti was less than weeks away from launching its state-of-the-art residential HVAC filter when the Coronavirus began its rapid spread throughout the U.S., Dakota Hendrickson recalled. Noticing a significant dip — yet high demand — for face masks, the former race car driver altered the company’s course. “Never in a million years did I think…

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A high-tech funder planted seeds in 135+ Missouri startups; three bloomed into $1B+ unicorns in the past six months

By Tommy Felts / May 13, 2021

When news broke this week that St. Louis-based plant tech firm Benson Hill reached a $2 billion valuation, it marked the third “unicorn” minted among MTC-funded companies in the past six months, said Jack Scatizzi. “Early-stage investing takes patience and the results can’t be rushed,” said Scatizzi, executive director of the Missouri Technology Corporation, noting…

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World War II veteran experiencing a virtual Honor Flight using Healium and T-Mobile technologies

Healium partners with T-Mobile, transporting veterans to DC memorials via virtual Honor Flight

By Tommy Felts / May 12, 2021

Veterans living in rural America can experience the sights and sounds of the nation’s war memorials in Washington D.C. thanks to a Kansas City-area startup’s virtual reality technology, powered by T‑Mobile 5G. “We are losing our World War II veterans at a rate of hundreds a day, and sadly many may not live long enough…

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Brian Weaver, Torch.AI

Torch.AI set to create nearly 500 new KC jobs; why region’s ‘tapestry of talent’ means aggressive hiring ahead

By Tommy Felts / May 7, 2021

A Leawood-based artificial intelligence firm on Friday announced plans to create nearly 500 full-time jobs in the region over the next five years — with the backing of the State of Kansas and the boost of a recent $30 million round.  Building a tech company in Kansas City is the furthest thing from an uphill…

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Kyle Davis, Modus Light

How a KC native translated his family business into a development-to-delivery logistics firm

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2021

Kyle Davis is connecting the globe to his hometown through Modus Light, his manufacturing and supply chain management provider. “Modus Light allows companies to have a single source supplier for their multiple product lines, [so then] they only need to manage us,” explained the founder and CEO of Overland Park-based Modus Light. “We’re the ones…

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