OP-based Innovation in Motion angel fund finds sweet spot in seed stage startups
February 1, 2019 | Startland Staff
A financial haven for entrepreneurs with fresh ideas in the agriculture, animal and human health spaces, Innovation in Motion (IIM) has made its ninth angel investment, said Lydia Kinkade.
“We look for companies that are solving big problems, have a stellar team, and are poised to grow quickly,” said Kinkade, the Overland Park-sown fund’s managing director.
With a total of $2.372 million now invested in its portfolio companies, IIM has backed three Kansas City companies on both sides of the border — Mobility Designed, Mazen Animal Health, and Nomi, Kinkade said.
“Our sweet spot is seed stage companies, but we have also invested in Series A and B rounds,” Kinkade explained of the funds investment strategy. “We look for opportunities to be highly engaged with our portfolio companies by facilitating introductions to potential customers and strategic partners, ongoing communication throughout the lifecycle of the company, and sometimes a seat on the company’s board.”
Additionally, IIM has funded companies in Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Click here to learn more about IIM’s investment qualifications.
Online since 2013, the firm — founded by Kinkade and serial entrepreneurs behind Overland Park-based Cohen-Esrey, LLC — began making investments in 2015, Kinkade said.
“We took some time to determine our vision and strategy, and [then started investing],” she explained of the funds investment strategy.
In addition to the nine companies in IIM’s current portfolio, the fund has made commitments to two additional companies, Kinkade revealed.
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
After coffee, calm: Messenger co-founder, partner envision West Bottoms bathhouse as retreat from what has been
Nearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…
KC-built delivery platform recruiting drivers, retailers ahead of summer app launch
Dwayne Overton is no stranger to the hustle, he said. The Kansas City entrepreneur once juggled gigs with Lyft and DoorDash — jobs that gave him an up-close look at the struggles drivers face every day. Now, as founder and CEO of VendiSafe, he’s building a delivery platform that spins the traditional model on its…
Tech catches up to this ‘hot commodity’: Trially scaling to next level as an early investor forecasts unlocked opportunity
Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it. [divide] Kyle McAllister and his Trially co-founders see the Kansas…
KC Defender invests in Black-owned bookstore’s legacy, keeping its story alive as media startup’s new HQ
Missouri’s oldest-operating Black-owned bookstore is set to evolve into a public archive, programming venue, and the new headquarters for The Kansas City Defender — a bittersweet turn of the page for a space marked by resilience and community action, organizers said. Willa’s Books and Vinyl, 5547 Troost Ave., has long stood as a sanctuary of Black…