Quickly-growing HipHire to launch app for part-timers
January 31, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
A startup facilitating part-time job placement is finding traction.

Brian Kearns
Launched in 2015, HipHire digitally matches people looking for and offering part-time gigs. HipHire founder Brian Kearns wanted there to be a solution that was “a step up from CraigsList” that the public could rely on to find quality jobs.
Kearns said that over 1,000 job matches have been made and that the firm’s user rate has grown 176 percent in the last six months.
“We’ve learned an awful lot through the web application,” Kearns said. “We know that we’re ready to put this solution in the hands of more customers.”
To that end, Kearns said that the company is planning to launch an Android app that will help the company access more people.
Kearns said that he was inspired to launch the platform after the Great Recession. After the economic downturn, Kearns said the majority of new jobs that created were part-time. Kearns wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, while keeping the job seeker in mind first.
“We have a proven business model that was built here by Kansas Citians,” Kearns said. “Now, we need to raise money and throw gasoline on this fire.”
The app will initially only be available for Android users within Kansas City. Kearns plans to use this launch as a beta to help HipHire be more precise moving forward with its iOS launch later in 2017.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Fresh in the tin: Crossroads cafe targets TikTok generation for laid-back canned seafood cuisine
A new venue specializing in “sangria, tins and snacks” pairs viral tastes with inspiration from a classic culinary voice, said longtime Kansas City restaurateur Shawn McClenny, whose Crossroads “taverna” is expected to open by mid-November. “It will be more of a Spanish cafe, very informal, no reservations,” said McClenny, describing the future Lilico’s Taverna slated…
Lula bets on responsible growth to hit profitability; why the startup’s most valuable property is room to scale
Lula opened 2025 by announcing a hefty funding round; the momentum has only continued to build, founder Bo Lais shared. On top of its $28 million Series A round in early February, the Kansas City-based proptech startup expanded to more than 50 markets nationwide and had eight straight months of record gross merchandise value and…
World Cup hosts launch KC Game Plan for entrepreneurs; heat map, cultural insights on global visitors warming up next
Kansas City boasts no better roster of ambassadors than the region’s small business owners, said Tracy Whelpley, announcing a new KC2026 “Game Plan” for entrepreneurs who are eager to put cleats to streets ahead of the incoming FIFA World Cup. “There’s so many entrepreneurial people out there and they really represent what our community is…
Just funded: Trio of startups join Digital Sandbox KC, emerging onto competitive innovation scene
Not only will proof-of-concept funding from one of Kansas City’s most pivotal startup supporters help CEO Gharib Gharibi rapidly iterate development of his company, the Archia founder said; Digital Sandbox KC connects him to a thriving local tech ecosystem at a crucial inflection point for his artificial intelligence-based solutions. “We are excited to leverage both…