Olathe partnership bears fruit in latest Digital Sandbox cohort

With the buzz of Techweek KC still in the air, Kansas City-based incubator Digital Sandbox reveals the four new startups in their program.

Directed by Jeff Shackleford, Digital Sandbox invests up to $25,000 in area companies and provides proof-of-concept resources. Launching in 2013, the incubator has worked with over 300 entrepreneurs and early stage companies in the metro, resulting in 339 new jobs.

“Our role in Kansas City’s ecosystem continues to be helping move very early-stage entrepreneurs down the path to commercialization, and we continue to see that working,” said Shackelford in a press release.  “With five of the 10 2016 LaunchKC grant winners receiving project funding from Digital Sandbox, we see even more proof that our entrepreneurial system is working great in Kansas City.”

Here are the selected startups:

• The Agreeable Company is developing a mobile app that allows individuals wanting to meet with strangers on the Internet to do so in a safer manner. With the funding, co-founder and CEO Ian Hoffman said he plans to grow website features and offer in-app messaging.

• B2G Data created a mobile app that allows nurses to record activities, earn points and redeem them for incentives such as paid time off. CEO Gary Abram said that the solution will increase retention.

• PreScreend is a predictive analytics platform that provides methods of verifying identity. Dustin Abercrombie, founder and CEO, said that the big data solution will be helpful for law enforcement to identify criminal methods and create behavioral DNA.

• Windsor Trucking Solutions is a software-as-a-service solution that makes it easy for truckers to prepare tax returns. Their product offers quarterly preparation specifically for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) paperwork. CEO Jason Reid said that working with Digital Sandbox will help the company expand their Partner Integration Platform.

Thanks to a special funding partnership with the City of Olathe, Digital Sandbox was able to accept the Olathe-based companies Windsor Trucking Solutions and PreScreend.

The program is funded by two i6 Challenge grants from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, as well as universities, private companies and KCSourceLink. To apply, visit www.digitalsandboxkc.com for more information.