Tag: Blake Herren

Emerging KC space tech startup relocating to Colorado to build autonomous factory

By Tommy Felts / August 12, 2025

A space tech startup that shot into orbit from its West Bottoms headquarters in Kansas City has announced plans to build its first smart factory in Colorado — relocating operations to Broomfield to join the Centennial State’s “robust aerospace and defense ecosystem.” “Colorado is home to some of the best aerospace, defense, and manufacturing talent…

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Raven Space Systems lands Forbes 30 Under 30 honor, re-entering spotlight after funding news

By Tommy Felts / December 4, 2024

One of Kansas City’s most promising startups of the year has seen its fortunes rocket to the skies over the past three weeks, capped by a high-profile honor in the national media: a spot on the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 list. “Building Raven Space Systems has been a very challenging journey and I am…

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KC-built Raven Space Systems awarded $1.8M contract via Air Force’s innovation arm

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2024

A LaunchKC alum’s latest stratospheric news: a hefty U.S. defense contract to produce 3D-printed reentry aeroshells for hypersonic flight testing — a breakthrough technology that’s expected to address some of the of most pressing challenges faced by today’s Air Force. Raven Space Systems on Monday announced the $1,800,000 STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Phase II contract.…

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Start from the top: How these newsmakers forged companies to watch (Event Photos) 

By Tommy Felts / January 22, 2024

Maybe it was an open opportunity in a market that couldn’t be ignored. Perhaps a calling to do something bigger than themselves. Or, for some, just a transparent bid to find profit in a world of problems waiting to be solved. Each of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch launched with a motivation…

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Just funded: Meet nine innovative startups earning critical early funding from Digital Sandbox KC

By Tommy Felts / January 9, 2024

Proof-of-concept funding from Digital Sandbox KC comes at a pivotal moment for Noonan Caddie, said Matt Williams, detailing plans to accelerate his startup’s technology with the program’s support. “This funding will be instrumental in transforming our MVP into a fully-fledged commercial product, accelerating our speed to market significantly,” said Williams, CEO and co-founder of Noonan,…

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