Pet innovators unleash market built on experiences, evolving relationships with dogs (Photos)

By Tommy Felts | October 18, 2018

Meaningful relationships are no longer only between people, said Davide Rossi, discussing the rise of pet innovators and an emerging market built on experiences with four-legged family members. “They key thing is to recognize that the relationship between us and our pets has been changing,” said Rossi, co-founder of FitBark, a Kansas City-based pet tech…

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Startland’s 2017 Made in Kansas City Gift Guide: Tech list

By Tommy Felts | December 1, 2017

Startland News presents its annual Made in Kansas City Gift Guide. Check out selections from the Kansas City tech category below. Have more ideas? Leave them for readers in the comments below.  [divide] Little Hoots keepsake quotes – $16 and up Creatively capture your kiddo’s cute quotes with the Little Hoots app. The app allows one…

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FitBark keeps pups slim on ‘My Big Fat Pet Makeover’

By Tommy Felts | October 20, 2017

While the staggering rate of obesity for adult humans in the U.S. isn’t new, a startling pet trend has emerged: More than half of dogs and cats in the U.S. are obese. A new Animal Planet show, “My Big Fat Pet Makeover,” seeks to highlight the problem and help set furry friends on the right…

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Firebrand Ventures makes 4 investments in Midwest startups

By Tommy Felts | May 30, 2017

Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures is kicking off the summer with a series of startup investments. Led by managing director John Fein, Firebrand has signed a quartet of new deals supporting two pairs of tech startups in both Boulder and Austin. “We’re just incredibly excited to invest in these companies,” Fein said. “We think they’re the…

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Animal tech startup FitBark fetches huge Australian pet insurer

By Tommy Felts | February 7, 2017

Animal tech firm FitBark is headed Down Under thanks to its landing of a big Australian partner. The Kansas City-based company announced that it’s partnered with PetSure, Australia’s largest pet insurance underwriter to help launch its wearable dog activity tracker to the Aussie market. PetSure opens FitBark up to 360,000 policyholders, a network of 22…

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