Listen to Startland’s bonkers SXSW experience

March 16, 2016  |  Bobby Burch

Virtual reality, smart cities and a whole lot of habaneros.

There was more to Startland’s adventure to Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest — but those three items were certainly some memorable highlights.

The Startland team spent five nights in Austin, taking in the insanity that is SXSW. We saw a ton of incredible technology — virtual reality, holograms and touch-screen projectors to name some — and enjoyed many inspiring conversations about the future.

An array of Kansas City firms and startup founders ventured to SXSW as well, many with whom Startland cultivated better friendships. Kansas City more than held its own at the conference and it was a privilege to see.

KCUR’s Up To Date recently hosted Startland editor-in-chief Bobby Burch to discuss the journey down south, including how Kansas City was represented, cool tech he saw and some emerging trends.

We’ll have more in the coming days on the experience, but in the meantime enjoy the audio below. Special thanks to KCUR for sharing its content. If you have questions about the conference, ask in the comments below and he’ll try his best to respond in an upcoming piece.

Tagged , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder
      [adinserter block="4"]

      2016 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        This AI keyboard can write your next email with the push of just one button; its creator says it could revolutionize workplaces

        By Tommy Felts | October 28, 2025

        Hardware — not just software — should be at the forefront of the AI’s future, Jerry Hsu shared. After the successful release of its GPT-powered AI mouse, Jethro V1, in late 2024, Overland Park-based Virtusx — which is revolutionizing workplaces through integrating hardware and software to make AI-driving products more accessible and user-friendly — has…

        Alexa, show me the winners: Storytailor leads Pure Pitch Rally prize tally ahead of tech launch

        By Tommy Felts | October 28, 2025

        Storytailor’s marquee Pure Pitch Rally win comes at the perfect time for the Kansas City startup, its founders said. They’re preparing to roll out a new immersive storytelling platform through a partnership with Amazon’s Alexa+ next year — a move expected to bring their tech to more than 200 million Prime users. “It’s the most…

        LISTEN: How the Midwest opened this German agtech company’s eyes to opportunity in the US

        By Tommy Felts | October 27, 2025

        On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we connect with Débora Moretti, co-CEO of NutriSen — a Berlin-based agtech startup building real-time molecular sensors to measure nutrient concentrations in plants directly on the field. Moretti shares how her team, alongside co-founder Tobias Vöpel, is merging biosensor technology, data-driven insights and…

        Crossing lanes: KC Streetcar collaborators back aboard for expansion, dropping new merch, anthem

        By Tommy Felts | October 24, 2025

        Opening the extended KC Streetcar line Friday completes a loop for creatives whose collaborations with the popular public transit system first emerged nearly a decade ago along Main Street — a time when Kansas City’s surging vibrancy helped curb streetcar doubters. “For us, it’s always been about representing Kansas City — the people, the culture,…