Startups

Applications open: Sprint Accelerator dialing into ag tech, IoT with 2018 cohort

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2017

Investing in startups isn’t just about providing needed capital, Doug Dresslaer said. As the Sprint Accelerator gears up for its fifth year, Dresslaer, managing director of the program, said the accelerator’s 2017 cohort — the first since its move toward establishing corporate partnerships and pivot away from Techstars — proved industry relationships themselves create tremendous value.…

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Wendy Guillies, Kauffman Foundation

Show ’em KC hustle! 1 Million Cups needs you to beat Fargo (Video)

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2017

Nice shirts. Clever designs. The perfect mix of whimsy and irreverent wordplay. They’d fit in well among the Kansas City apparel scene. Except for one glaring snag: They’re brewed in Fargo. Yeah. That Fargo. And if you don’t want to see them on the backs of KC’s 1 Million Cups team, you’ll make plans to…

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Meet Techweek KC’s 2017 LaunchKC winners

By Tommy Felts / September 15, 2017

After evaluating a lineup of 19 tech startups from across the country, judges awarded eight companies each a $50,000 LaunchKC grant — and one received a grand prize of $100,000. The popular grants contest awarded the non-dilutive grants following the live pitch competition at Techweek Kansas City. In its third year in the City of Fountains,…

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Techweek’s future of transportation: ‘Don’t let anything stop you from starting’

By Tommy Felts / September 14, 2017

Transportation and mobility technology are good examples of the hidden talents of the Kansas City tech community, Darcy Howe said “We have many more mobility companies in Kansas City than you might think, which is a pleasure,” said Howe, KCRise Fund managing director, moderating Wednesday’s Techweek panel. Discussing cars, trucks, roadways and the future of…

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1 Million Cups embarks on huge national expansion effort

By Tommy Felts / September 14, 2017

The entrepreneurial events series 1 Million Cups — a national program born in Kansas City and grown by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation — has set the ambitious goal to expand to 500 communities by the end of 2018. “We’re looking forward to keeping the magic that we’ve already created with 1 Million Cups on…

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