Latest Stories
Deacon: Kansas City evolving into a digital laboratory
Cities have become veritable technology ecosystems where data is amassed from almost everything, from air quality and rainfall patterns to traffic flow and the availability of parking spaces. As we become more familiar with the all-encompassing term “smart city,” we can begin to experiment with the futuristic-but-practical applications for all this data, creating the concept of…
ShotTracker scores partnership with sports equipment giant Spalding
Overland Park, Kan.-based startup ShotTracker will partner with Spalding, the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, to debut the first multi-player basketball tracking technology. ShotTracker’s technology tracks real-time basketball performance statistics using data from chips embedded in a basketball, players’ shoes, and portable sensors placed around the court. Davyeon Ross, COO of ShotTracker, commented that their…
After waning state support, Kansas Bioscience Authority will go private
A formerly state-backed investment organization for Kansas bioscience businesses will soon be transitioning from a public to private organization. After dwindling support from the State of Kansas, the Kansas Bioscience Authority’s board recently voted unanimously to shift the organization to the private market in 2016, allowing portfolio companies to partner with investors in the private…
Rightfully Sewn founder stitches a vision for Kansas City’s fashion future
Poised, posh and purposeful, Jennifer Lapka Pfeifer sits straight as a board at Kaldi’s coffee shop with unwavering eye contact. Donning a contoured-floral blue and white dress, Lapka smiles as she poetically recalls painting in high school and learning to sew with her grandmother in rural Kansas. Those experiences fostered a love for fashion, art…
By the Numbers: A look at Midwest tech investment in 2015
Startland News recently distilled a report by Lead Bank and investment research firm CB Insights that analyzed the Midwest tech investing scene. Here are a few more of the findings from the nearly 40-page report, as presented by Startland’s Kat Hungerford.
Shawnee tax incentives aim to lure startups to the ‘burbs
The City of Shawnee is poised to kick off a tax incentive program that hopes to attract “high-growth” tech companies to the area by alleviating initial startup costs. Shawnee City councilman Brandon Kenig said that the “Startup Workforce Relocation and Expansion Program” will encourage job growth and innovation in one of Kansas’ fastest growing cities….
Farmobile plows an agricultural revolution by empowering farmers with data
Agriculture techie Jason Tatge spent Monday morning as he often would: with a farmer interested in his company. The two kicked off the week in Fargo, North Dakota, kicking the proverbial tractor tires on Tatge’s ag tech business, Farmobile, and how the farmer’s data could generate additional revenue for his operations. They also chatted about…
‘Tis the season: Kauffman supports KC entrepreneurship with $1M in grants
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations that serve Kansas City entrepreneurs. The grants — totalling $1,020,000 — are a part of the foundation’s projected $8 million of investments in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community over the next three years. “The Kauffman Foundation is committed to helping Kansas…
The WTF Series: Star Wars tech guide
On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot. In this special edition, Ben geeks out over Star Wars tech as the franchise’s latest installment thrills audiences around…
Kansas Citians, Techweek study entrepreneurship, communism in largest U.S. tech envoy to Cuba
Only 5 months after President Obama re-opened diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, a group of Kansas Citians joined the largest tech delegation ever to visit the communist country. Five area entrepreneurs joined leaders and other innovators involved with the national tech conference Techweek in an exploratory visit of Cuba’s tech and entrepreneurial community….
