Tag: Jeff Wigh

‘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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Winners revealed: LaunchKC awards $300K in rebooted grants competition

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2022

LaunchKC’s cornerstone grants celebration returned Tuesday after a four-year hiatus, awarding six Kansas City startups — from gaming and edtech to IoT and healthcare — with $50,000 each in non-dilutive grants. “A win for these companies is a win for Kansas City,” said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas…

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LaunchKC finalists: Meet 13 tech startups vying for six $50K grants in rebooted competition

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2022

A revived LaunchKC grants competition is set to return in mid-November with more than a dozen companies vying for $300,000 in non-dilutive funding. Finalists were announced Friday. The 13 Kansas City companies selected to compete Nov. 15 were narrowed from more than 90 applicants, said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager at the Economic Development Corporation…

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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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