Startups

InvestMidwest returns to St. Louis May 6-7 for Midwest venture capital forum’s 25th year

By Tommy Felts / April 26, 2025

ST. LOUIS — About 50 startups — including some of Kansas City’s most high-profile emerging companies — are expected to pitch to more than 100 investors May 6-7 when the InvestMidwest conference turns St. Louis into the gateway to innovation.  “On the 25th anniversary of InvestMidwest, it’s great to be back in St. Louis where it…

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Tech veterans launch startup studio to back next-wave SaaS products with founder-led thinking

By Tommy Felts / April 24, 2025

Backed by years of entrepreneurial wins, the team behind Full Scale and the exited Stackify just announced a new product studio and startup lab concept — purpose-built for what founder Matt Watson called the post-playbook SaaS era. “Founders today are facing a new set of realities,” said Watson, serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and co-founder of…

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Landlord insurance startup using $30M round to invest in KC team; here’s where its hiring

By Tommy Felts / April 23, 2025

An eight-figure funding injection is expected to allow Steadily to fuel growth in its greatest asset: talent, shared OverlandPark-based co-founder and COO Datha Santomieri. On Wednesday, the landlord insurance startup — with headquarters in Overland Park and Austin, Texas — announced a $30 million Series C round led by Two Sigma Ventures with participation from…

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Business on the rebound: KC entrepreneur brings platform for buying authentic jerseys back from the ice

By Tommy Felts / April 22, 2025

A new player in Kansas City is shaking up the sports memorabilia scene. Aidan Scurato is breathing new life into Rebound Jerseys, a once-dormant Canadian marketplace for hockey jerseys — transforming it into a trusted platform for buying and selling authenticated gear. “I love sports, and there’s a ton of counterfeit items in the sports,…

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USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2025

Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma…

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