Startups

Startup newcomer no longer the outsider after capping $30K+ Pure Pitch Rally prize haul

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2024

A decade ago, Zik Nwanganga felt like a stranger in Kansas City, he said. Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally gave him a new perspective — surrounded by funders and startup supporters eager to boost his fledgling venture.  “I’m just in shock — overwhelmed with joy and grateful for the community coming together,” Nwanganga said after tallying…

Read More >

Global employers use KC’s backstitch to engage and keep top talent; now smaller companies can too

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2024

One of Kansas City’s most quietly impactful startups built its employee communications platform behind the scenes for Fortune 500 companies; now it’s scaling those proven solutions to a new market: smaller businesses that need the same worker engagement, said Jordan Warzecha. Crossroads-based backstitch — a leader in digital solutions for HR teams — on Tuesday…

Read More >

LaunchKC winner acquired by Gradient Health, pushing equitable AI innovations to market faster

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2024

The founding team behind DataAppraisal — a startup that earned early backing from LaunchKC and Digital Sandbox KC in 2022 — believes their shared vision with leaders at Gradient Health will help their combined company “improve healthcare AI and make an even bigger impact.” DataAppraisal, led by Tam Tran and Roger Ngo, announced its acquisition…

Read More >

Emerging at Pure Pitch Rally: These 8 young startups hope to close a critical funding gap 

By Tommy Felts / October 18, 2024

Eight emerging tech startups are rallying for the Pure Pitch stage as one of Kansas City’s premiere pitch competitions approaches a decade of impact and innovation. “This is the ultimate affinity and legacy club that grows businesses in Kansas City,” said Karen Fenaroli, presenting sponsor and founder of the Pure Pitch Rally, which returns Monday…

Read More >

BarGlance acquires Updown Nightlife App; founder says deal will scale AI-infused tech even faster than he imagined

By Tommy Felts / October 17, 2024

In a strategic move to elevate the Midwest’s nightlife scene on a national level, founder Joshua Lewis said, the Updown Nightlife app has been acquired by BarGlance, an AI-powered nightlife tech company.  The deal — valued at $5 million, Lewis said — celebrates Updown’s 10-year anniversary, marking a significant milestone for the app that put…

Read More >
[adinserter block="4"]