Startups

KC inventor’s untimely death leaves legacy of fearlessness, unfinished vision

By Tommy Felts / September 29, 2022

Paul Francis pioneered fitness tech for NASA, commercialized it with Bowflex, then raised $4 million on Kickstarter: How the OYO founder’s unexpected death this month cut his storied entrepreneurial journey short — but left a lasting impression on the people who worked alongside him. Former colleagues are remembering the late Paul Francis as a uniquely…

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Meet six newly funded startups Digital Sandbox KC is making more fundable tomorrow

By Tommy Felts / September 28, 2022

Newly awarded funds are expected to help six more companies scale their fledgling startups past the proof-of-concept stage, said Jill Meyer, touting Digital Sandbox KC’s track record of making startups and their products more fundable once they’re built. “Digital Sandbox KC is one of the Kansas City metro’s rare early-stage funds and provides vital support…

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Karen Fenaroli, Pure Pitch Rally 2020; photo by Mikaela Wendel Photography

Coming soon: 8 new tech startups set for ‘lucky No. 7’ Pure Pitch Rally spot-cash event

By Tommy Felts / September 27, 2022

From nutrition to logistics, local entrepreneurs continue innovating solutions that could result in Kansas City’s next unicorn, said Karen Fenaroli. Eight such potentially game-changing tech startups are expected to showcase their ideas next month, she announced Tuesday. The seventh annual Pure Pitch Rally is set to return Oct. 17 at the Burns & McDonnell Global…

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New VP, investments among strategic scale-up efforts at Overland Park healthcare startup

By Tommy Felts / September 27, 2022

ModRN Health has dramatically accelerated over the past year, said CaRessa Hutchinson, detailing moves that include more patients, new funding and the addition of an on-call expert in fast-growing startups. With more than 80 clinicians (nurses and doctors) on its team, the Overland Park-based virtual primary care solutions company is now providing family healthcare, plan…

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Tech piloted in KC classrooms went viral, now Boddle has raised $3M in seed funding

By Tommy Felts / September 23, 2022

TULSA — Funding for its rapidly scaling education gaming platform is expected to fuel Boddle Learning’s nationwide growth, as well as help the startup expand its product offerings outside of math and develop new interactive multiplayer experiences. “It’s always been one of our goals to inspire learning anywhere,” said Edna Martinson, co-founder of Boddle, describing…

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