Tag: Swappa

How one startup’s new marketplace is putting last-minute, hard-to-find phones, gaming systems under the tree

By Tommy Felts / December 20, 2021

With standard shipping deadlines expiring and days ticking away before Christmas, a new marketplace extension — Swappa Local — is helping gift-givers get their hands on gently used tech before the holidays. “It’s a game changer right now because you can’t turn on the news without hearing about all the shipping delays,” said Sara Beane, media…

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Ben Edwards, Swappa Local Kansas City

Hometown startup launches Swappa Local in KC, trading tech junk sellers for secure deals

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2019

A firsthand experience with a mysterious Craigslist seller served as fuel for Kansas City-listed startup Swappa’s latest innovation of the local marketplace: Swappa Local.  “I exchanged money with the seller, we both drove off, leaving the parking lot at the same time,” recalled Ben Edwards, Swappa founder and CEO. “We ended up stopped at the…

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Swappa marketplace Ben Edwards

American buying habits push Swappa to $70M in 2017 hand-me-down tech sales

By Tommy Felts / January 8, 2018

Grown from a one-person, side-hustle project to a team of more than 30 people, Kansas City-based Swappa is swelling. The user-to-user marketplace for buying and selling used technology enjoyed its best year to date in 2017. The platform sold more than $70 million in hand-me-down electronics in 2017 — up about 17 percent from 2016, said…

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Top 10 under-the-radar startups in Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / July 28, 2016

In January, Startland News asked you for help. We wanted to hear from you about Kansas City startups that are operating in “stealth,” either intentionally shying away from attention or those that are simply too busy building. You responded with vigor, and your insights helped inform this list of “under-the-radar” startups. Obviously, “under-the-radar” is a…

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Swappa marketplace Ben Edwards

Swappa re-homes millions worth of smartphones

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2016

About 90 million Americans say they swap out their smartphone every two years, according to a 2015 Gallup study. That means every day about 123,000 used smartphones either find a new owner or a dark home in a drawer, frittering away their value. But one Kansas City startup is already helping thousands of used-smartphone owners…

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