Saile closes $1.35M round; set to double team in 2023 as mass production of ‘robots for salespeople’ under way 

A Kansas City startup building an army of “Sailebots” — an artificial intelligence solution to a classic industry problem — impressed its new lead investor with its customized approach that avoids a “one size fits all” strategy.  “I’ve been in sales and marketing automation for 20 years,” said Lisa Calhoun, founder and managing partner at…

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Founders earn innovation, Business Hall of Fame honors from Junior Achievement

Carlos Antequera’s business roots run deep, he told a crowd gathered for his induction into Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame, noting inspiration and impact from his time assisting his grandmother in her convenience store in Bolivia to current-day collaborators in Kansas City. “I’ve been very fortunate in my entrepreneurial journey to have been surrounded…

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After exit: How Rx Savings Solutions’ $875M sale could mean opportunity for KC (even if details aren’t yet clear)

The years after a headline-grabbing acquisition can mean a “jump ball” for the ecosystem where the startup was grown, said Jeff Hornsby, acknowledging the various outcomes ahead when a hometown company gets new owners. Possibilities range from massive community reinvestment to staffing reductions and all-out relocation, though such moves aren’t mutually exclusive. “They may say…

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