KC newbie Rex tops $1M in revenue, kicks off hiring
June 17, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Surging growth at one of Kansas City’s newest startups is leading it to hire a staff six times its current size.
Rex CEO Amado Guloy
Rex, an animal health tech company that recently graduated from the Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator, is hoping to quickly boost its headcount from two to 12. In the days following a pitch at the accelerator’s demo day event, Rex CEO Amado Guloy said the company’s received significant interest.
“In the two weeks since demo day, we hit $1 million in revenue,” Guloy said at a 1 Million Cups presentation Wednesday. “We’re a bit more comfortable hiring now. … We’re hiring like crazy right now.”
Rex, which relocated its operations from Houston to Kansas City after the Sprint Accelerator program, created a population health and bioinformatics platform focused on animal health. Now that the company’s surpassed $1 million in revenue, Guloy said he’s looking for sales, tech and business development employees.
Guloy said that the company’s business model has drastically changed as a result of the Sprint Accelerator program. Instead of connecting vets and pets owners, the company now provides real-time data on animal health maladies that can quickly spread around the globe.
The move proved to be beneficial — both in financial returns and for the team itself.
“This suits us better,” Guloy said. “We’ve morphed. … During the course of mentor madness (at the Sprint Accelerator) we realized that we were having trouble with growth and we knew this was a reflection of pet owners not really taking their pets to the vet regularly. … (Eventually) we found there was a really big need for (animal disease tracking) in the animal health industry.”
Guloy said that the company has received a warm reception to Kansas City. Furthermore, the area’s collaborative spirit has helped it foster new growth opportunities.
“It’s been awesome — that’s why we wanted to stay. The animal health corridor has been very supportive. … CEO Craig Wallace (CEO of Kansas City-based Ceva Animal Health) has been a mentor for us. He’s been a great mentor and incredibly supportive.”
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Main Street is already harnessing AI to build wealth; adoption now key to region’s growth, heartland leaders say
WICHITA, Kan. — Artificial intelligence is likely to be one of the most transformative technologies of the digital era, said Taylor Eubanks, noting that AI’s thoughtful deployment can be a tool for growth, not displacement. “By engaging directly with entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofit leaders and local innovators, we can better support responsible AI adoption that…
AlphaGraphics expansion boasts $1.4M investment, plans to create 16 new KC jobs
A production crew known for eye-catching, colorful designs splashed across Kansas City — including its own East Crossroads headquarters — is expanding its physical and human footprint, marking a key investment in the metro’s growing creative and professional services sector, local leaders said. AlphaGraphics on Tuesday announced an investment of more than $1.4 million and…
Arch Grants taps homegrown founders, Missouri startup recruits for $1.6M in awards
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri maker behind a keychain designed to save lives from opioid overdoses is among nearly two dozen companies — together awarded $1.6 million — selected for the latest Arch Grants program. The innovation economy nonprofit on Thursday honored 19 startups, alongside three new members of its expanded Arch Grants Fellows Program.…
LISTEN: Gripp helps farmers get a handle on multiple ag apps with dead-simple record keeping platform
On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we explore how agtech startup Gripp is bringing structure and simplicity to farm operations. Its helps farmers connect their teams, track equipment and assets, and turn everyday routines into shared knowledge. Having grown up on a Wisconsin farm, co-founder and CEO Tracey Wiedmeyer…