Tag: ChessUp

‘Shark Tank’ sets stage for Bryght Labs’ new smart play product rollout amid MO funding uptick

By Tommy Felts / March 7, 2023

Fresh off a successful appearance on “Shark Tank,” Olathe-based connected gaming startup Bryght Labs hopes to capitalize on that exposure to build momentum, said founder and CEO Jeff Wigh. Wigh and co-founder Adam Roush were featured on an episode that aired in December, pitching their product ChessUp, a patented chess board that uses AI technology…

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Shop small: Five holiday hacks for supporting KC makers without leaving home

By Tommy Felts / November 27, 2021

Editor’s note: Startland News explored its 2021 archive of most-popular maker stories — as well as looking at the creatives behind its own T-shirt campaign — as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide. These items are all available online now. Featured stores, makers and products were not asked to pay to be included…

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Just funded: Meet the six young startups joining Digital Sandbox KC’s summer slate 

By Tommy Felts / July 12, 2021

A round of funding from Digital Sandbox KC comes at a critical time for Bryght Labs — and five other early stage companies — as the AI-enabled gaming startup advances hardware development for its wildly popular, high-tech chess board, said Elliot Wilder. “Hardware is hard enough — but 2021 has added some unique challenges,” said Wilder,…

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ChessUp board by Bryght Labs

$1.7M+ crowdfunding haul puts ChessUp in attack position for production, hiring top talent

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2021

The makers of ChessUp are at a million-dollar advantage after the close of their first crowdfunding campaign.   “It’s what we dreamed about and hoped for,” Jeff Wigh, CEO and one of three co-founders behind Bryght Labs, maker of ChessUp, said of the company’s first Kickstarter campaign and its $1.703 million close late last month.  Becoming…

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Adam Roush, Jeff Wigh, and Justin Ferrell, ChessUp

Checkmate: Inventors’ high-tech chess board unlocks worthy opponent for rookies to rooks

By Tommy Felts / March 26, 2021

An Overland Park-built connected gaming startup is making moves that run the queen’s gambit  — approaching nearly $1 million in crowdfunding and unveiling its mission to make STEM-focused games more approachable. “I think a lot of kids and adults lose interest right away in something like a Rubik’s cube or chess — because it’s difficult,” explained Jeff…

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