Startups

Kansas city startup funding

Most-funded tech startups: $100M-plus investment puts PayIt on the map with C2FO

By Tommy Felts / April 19, 2019

Companies in the Midwest and South are making major plays for investment dollars, according to CB Insights, with Kansas City’s PayIt and C2FO earning spots on the latest map of the nation’s most well-funded tech startups. “The tech boom has diffused beyond the traditional hotbeds of California, New York, and Massachusetts, across the entire United…

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Prime Digital Academy

Prime Digital Academy pledges $20K in scholarships to boost inclusion in KC tech

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2019

A coding boot camp that freshly arrived in Kansas City this winter plans to underwrite $20,000 in scholarships specifically for individuals who are part of demographics underrepresented in the coding profession, said Rachael Bromander. “At a time in the market where tech talent is scarce and growth is booming, programs like Prime represent a way…

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Paws up! Scollar aims to fetch 200 jobs for KC, trades Silicon Valley for Animal Health Corridor

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2019

Building a business in Silicon Valley might seem sexy — but it isn’t always the right choice, Lisa Tamayo said. “I don’t know what you guys hear about the Coast, but hardware is quite challenging for any company in the Bay area because a lot of these Silicon Valley folks in San Francisco only like…

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Shari Young, Blacque Onyx Apparel

Shari Young doesn’t want Blacque Onyx to be the next online sensation; she wants shoppers on Troost

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2019

While others in the marketplace might be chasing viral success online, Shari Young has approached building her new Blacque Onyx Apparel store on Troost with a more long-term strategy, she said. “I know that in the age of social media things blow up really fast and then they’re gone — I didn’t want to be…

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The Sundry closing

‘This is the end of The Sundry’ — Sustainable food problem remains after startup’s closing, founder says

By Tommy Felts / April 17, 2019

The Sundry market-and-restaurant concept at Plexpod Westport Commons simply wasn’t solving the problems of scope and scale within sustainable and local agriculture as intended, said Ryan Wing. Ultimately, that meant the venture itself couldn’t continue as originally envisioned, added Wing, founder of the sustainable food startup, which abruptly closed to the public last week. “Expectations…

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