Startups

David Roberson, Azella, Pure Pitch Rally

Pure Pitch Rally set for October return at Burns & Mac HQ; startups competing for $1M+ in cash, prizes

By Tommy Felts / August 13, 2022

A new backer — one of Kansas City’s biggest corporate names — will help amplify the laser-focused mission of the Pure Pitch Rally, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing open applications for the 2022 startup competition. Burns & McDonnell, an industry leader in construction engineering, joins the Pure Pitch Rally as a major sponsor of the annual…

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Mike Plunkett and John Thomson, PayIt

ROI from PayIt’s recent $90M investment displays value of MTC’s early support, agency says

By Tommy Felts / August 12, 2022

Marquee successes for two Show Me state companies — including a massive funding round for one rapidly growing Kansas City govtech scaleup — show the value of Missouri Technology Corporation’s early stage investment programs, said state and agency officials Thursday. A key example, they touted: PayIt, a SaaS platform that simplifies interactions between government agencies and…

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Alone or in the club: Virtual jukebox app spins back after laying new tracks as a social experience

By Tommy Felts / August 9, 2022

Former music promoter Adell Hendon said he knew he couldn’t keep the turnup going forever on his own. Now the Kansas City native is helping other people party even longer with his socially-interactive virtual jukebox app — YouSpin. “I used to throw a lot of parties with DJs and even independent artists — a lot…

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Nightlife app enhances its flavor with Westport Bars, KC brewing company partnerships

By Tommy Felts / August 9, 2022

A strategic partnership with Westport Bars is going to do more than drive partygoers to the UpDown Nightlife app, Joshua Lewis said; it will give the startup data needed to scale its platform nationwide. “Through this partnership, we’re going to be able to really build out our business model,” said Lewis, the founder and CEO…

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They told him to build it in California; this agtech founder came back to Kansas instead

By Tommy Felts / August 6, 2022

When it came time to plant Trevor McKeeman’s agtech startup, he refused to farm the groundbreaking company’s future out to the coasts — specifically California where potential funders said he could find “money and talent.” “I was actually in Boston at the time,” explained McKeeman, founder and CEO of HitchPin, a digital marketplace for farmers…

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