Tag: Liam Reilly

Startup ideas are here, but does Kansas have the risk capital to get them to the next level?

By Tommy Felts / May 29, 2025

Eight early-stage Kansas entrepreneurs sat across from Midwest-based investors this week at Aspiria NOW in Overland Park, engaging in rapid-fire, “speed dating” style meetings aimed at moving their ventures closer to real investment. “We’re seeing just a great inflow of companies, especially at the early stage, come in just high levels of sophistication and awareness…

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URL to IRL insights: KC analytics startup downloads $1.2M pre-seed round powered by coalition of VCs

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2025

The region’s investment community is rallying around an Overland Park tech startup that unlocks insights from videos online and beyond — and its trio of Kansas City founders is grateful to see local talent earning capital that more easily flows to coastal innovators. A $1.2 million pre-seed for dScribe AI is expected to fuel growth…

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Startup ambassadors’ pitch to former Kansas Citians: Move your innovation, hustle Back2KC

By Tommy Felts / September 26, 2023

Kansas City is having a moment, said Liam Reilly, and it’s an opportunity he and fellow Back2KC organizers couldn’t pass up — reviving the tech talent recruitment program amid Chiefs glory, downtown baseball district buzz, KC Streetcar expansion, riverfront revitalization, and a World Cup on the horizon. “We didn’t want to wait another year to…

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KCRise Fund closes $34M Fund III with ‘hyper-local’ focus; Here are its first four investments

By Tommy Felts / June 22, 2023

A third venture capital fund — expected to invest $34 million in 20 more tech startups across the Kansas City region — builds on KCRise Fund’s thesis that high-growth local companies are the key to investor success, said Ed Frindt. It’s a competitive advantage that swells with each wave of funding, he added, announcing the…

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Founder to founder: One day you’re eating cheap ramen, the next you’re KC’s big exit story; struggles define startups as much as success

By Tommy Felts / April 5, 2023

Even after building a startup into one of Kansas City’s biggest exit success stories, the entrepreneurs and leaders behind BacklotCars don’t sit around to talk about their grand achievements when they reunite, said Anders Ericson; they reminisce about how the tech company nearly went out of business along the way. “Everyone always wants to ask…

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