Tag: LaunchKC

Jim Malle, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, LaunchKC

LaunchKC pivoting from annual grants contest to supporting industry verticals, accelerators

By Tommy Felts / December 14, 2018

LaunchKC is expected to focus on specific business verticals in 2019 — an effort to bring companies to Kansas City that can fill industry gaps, said Jim Malle. A revamped version of the annual grants competition eventually would grow those verticals into individual accelerator programs, said Malle, business development officer at the Economic Development Corporation…

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Mark Davis, RealQuantum, at LaunchKC

Curb appeal attracts investors to $850K round for real estate tech firm RealQuantum

By Tommy Felts / November 29, 2018

A year of steady growth will help Kansas City real estate tech firm RealQuantum end 2018 with the close of its first round of seed funding — securing $850,000 in investments, revealed Mark Davis. “We closed a couple of times actually — people just kept showing up at the last minute wanting in,” Davis, RealQuantum’s…

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LaunchKC winner Erkios: Hacking attacks will come from inside — Fortifi intellectual property

By Tommy Felts / October 24, 2018

Tinkering with old technology defined childhood for Philip Van Der Straeten, COO of Kansas City tech startup Erkios Systems. Such adventures could one day provide a nationwide payoff for his company, he said. “Our organization was built by tinkerers and critical thinkers attempting to break things down and get a better grasp of what they…

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Liquifi by Venture360

LaunchKC winner bringing cryptocurrency into the investment game with Liquifi

By Tommy Felts / October 15, 2018

A blockchain-enabled solution from Venture360, called Liquifi, aims to unfreeze startups paralyzed by a lack of access to capital, Rachael Qualls said with excitement. “The main reason more people don’t invest in private companies is there is no way to get money out,” said Qualls, CEO of Venture360. “On average money is tied up for…

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Mike Hurd with 2018 LaunchKC winners Boddle

LaunchKC earns honors of its own, must still keep hustling, KC eco devo leader says

By Tommy Felts / October 13, 2018

Receiving the Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award proves the real market value for programs like LaunchKC, said Drew Solomon. The win has been energizing, said Solomon, senior vice president of business and job development at the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, which partners with the Downtown Council of Kansas City to make the program…

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