Kansas City startup tapped for $100K investment through Omaha growth accelerator

Particle Space isn’t just big in Japan — it’s seeing momentum and scaling opportunities closer to home: earning a spot in the newest NMotion accelerator and another $100,000 investment for the proptech startup, David Biga said.

NMotion powered by gener8tor announced Kansas City-based Particle Space’s selection alongside five other companies joining the inaugural NMotion Growth Accelerator. In addition to funding, each company will participate in three months of hands-on concierge programming.

The Omaha-based investment-for-equity accelerator is for high-growth startups across Nebraska and those looking to establish a presence in Nebraska. It brings a tremendous network of support from the region, as well as the gener8tor family, said Biga, founder of Particle Space — one of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022.

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Elevator pitch: Particle Space is creating the proptech infrastructure for the internet. We make it really easy to build real estate technology through API (application programing interface) services.

• Founder: David Biga
• Founding year: 2015 
• Programs: NMotion Growth Accelerator, Pipeline Entrepreneurs, Accelerate Aichi by 500 Global, Pitch Perfect at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County, Digital Sandbox KC, ELEVATIONLAB programming with the Missouri Small Business Development Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

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“We’ll have 12 weeks with swarms from all mentors and investors which will be extremely important for us to raise our next round of funding and build partners within the real estate community,” he continued.

The catch: Biga currently is stationed overseas in another startup program — Accelerate Aichi by 500 Global.

“Particle Space’s participation in 500 Startups Japan was a signal to us that David and his team were focused on something with wider investor appeal,” said Scott Henderson, managing principal for NMotion. “His decision to travel to the world’s second largest CRE marketplace to meet with customers showed us he is focused on his customers and savvy enough to create his own luck.”

“While the travel has kept him from the first couple in-person events, we think it’s a great use of his time this summer and can’t wait to welcome him back to the Midwest soon,” he added. “Zoom helps us bridge the distance in the meanwhile.”

Click here to read more about Particle Space’s trip to Japan.

“I wouldn’t lie … it’s pretty difficult right now with the huge time zone difference,” acknowledged Biga, noting the 14-hour delay. “I’ve already set out a schedule to sync with the Particle Space team during the evening hours and with the program; when we have meetings later it usually means I need to stay up a bit later. I try to make sure I am sleeping by 2 a.m. at the latest.”

Henderson’s team was supportive of the situation, Biga emphasized, with the NMotion leader noting Particle Space was worth the accommodation because of its ability to infuse innovation into a “laggard industry.”

“As NMotion Managing Director Mason Cook says, ‘We’d rather invest in those selling the tools for the next gold rush than those digging for gold,’” Henderson explained, sharing that Biga’s association with notable Kansas City tech entrepreneurs and investors were another plus for the startup.

Founders in the 2022 NMotion Growth Accelerator cohort mingle at a recent announcement event in Omaha; photo courtesy of Scott Henderson, NMotion

The six companies selected for the NMotion Growth Accelerator are expected to focus on growing revenue, improving products and services, and pitching investors for the next rounds of investment. Funding is made possible through gener8tor’s venture fund and Invest Nebraska.

Click here to learn more about NMotion.

“As we continue to scale by hiring new team members and bringing on new clients, there is a lot of momentum that is starting to take shape both in Japan and the USA,” Biga said. “I’m excited about what leading into the later half of the year is going to bring to us.”

In addition to Particle Space, Moberly, Missouri-based Noviqu (an alum of Techstars Kansas City and Iowa Startup Accelerator) was selected for the NMotion program.

Anna Haney, Noviqu, speaks with fellow founders in the 2022 NMotion Growth Accelerator cohort mingle at a recent announcement event; photo courtesy of Scott Henderson, NMotion

“The COVID pandemic has shifted many workplace dynamics and training is definitely one area that is ripe for opportunity. Noviqu stood out to us because of a customer-driven pivot they are making right now,” Henderson said of the Columbia-area startup and its founder, Anna Haney. 

“It’s not often we come across software developers like Anna who are literally driving around knocking on the doors of potential customers to demo and sell their solution,” he continued. “Timing is everything and we see our accelerator investment coming in at the right moment for them.”

The full 2022 NMotion Growth Accelerator cohort includes:

• Hellcat Technologies, Tabor, Iowa — offers software solutions that boost productivity, data accuracy, efficiency, and capacity for telecommunications crews in the field and in the office. The Hellcat Technologies platform allows for all levels of the telecom construction industry to seamlessly share data and manage projects in real-time, creating top-to-bottom improvements in efficiencies, costs, and accurate data sharing and archiving.

• HerHeadquarters, Omaha — gives women-owned businesses and their teams the ability to easily discover and secure brand partnerships while building a network of power players. Through HerHeadquarters, women-owned businesses are joining forces with other women-led businesses, partnering on mutually beneficial projects, events, and campaigns nationwide. In the past year, the businesses using HerHeadquarters secured partnerships that generated over $9.5 million in value.

• Microwash, Omaha — bringing to market a proven, pain-free device that collects nasal specimens for COVID testing. This device, invented by University of Nebraska Medical Center emergency physicians, is consistently accurate and significantly more comfortable than a nasal swab test.

• Noviqu, Moberly, Missouri —  knowledge and skills management platform that brings together employees and managers in the ever changing digital workplace landscape. Noviqu makes it easy for employees in manufacturing, healthcare, and food production to gain knowledge, skills, and safety training while providing managers with tools to assess where their employees’ gaps may be.

• Particle Space, Kansas City, Missouri — the fastest way to build real estate apps, websites, or features for your business. Over $30 billion was raised in 2021 to build real estate technology and 60% of that funding will go towards building product. Particle Space is aiming to become the go-to to build apps, websites, integrations and become the back-bone of the real estate internet.

• Tiiga, Lincoln — creates plant-based products centered around the Baobab superfruit to promote a healthy microbiome and improved overall health. Tiiga’s flagship product is a superfruit electrolyte drink mix that provides gut friendly hydration that is all natural, low in sugar, and uses unprocessed fruit as the core ingredient.

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This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

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