Austin Barnes

Recent Articles by Austin Barnes

Arredondo: Area universities, startups must collaborate for talent pipeline

February 2, 2016

The following is an open letter from Startland News community builder Adam Arredondo to area universities. Dear Kansas City-area university leaders, I’ve spent a lot of time working with both students and representatives from many area universities over the last few years. It’s been an eye-opening, roller coaster of a learning experience which has driven…

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Flyover Capital continues its deal streak with Illinois startup

February 2, 2016

Kansas City-area venture capital firm Flyover Capital is continuing its first quarter investment tear. Leawood-based Flyover recently added the fifth company to its portfolio, joining other investors in a $4.1 million Series A round to fund Agrible, an Illinois-based ag tech startup. Flyover has extensive agriculture experience and shares Agrible’s belief in growing the Midwest…

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Equity Donation: A “secret trick” of successful entrepreneurs

February 1, 2016

You’ve probably heard about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg giving away his wealth. Sure, he cares about the world, but he’s using a special strategy to make even more money. In this article we take a peek into how to make more money through business donation. We’ve worked with many founders and investors in Kansas City…

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Techstars’ John Fein: Seed investments key to Kansas City’s startup community

January 29, 2016

I love Kansas City. I’ve lived here ten years and a big reason I love it is because of our startup community. I’m committed to building our startup community. It’s grown immensely in the past four years, but still has a ways to go. The purpose of this piece isn’t to propose specific measures for…

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Kansas City’s “Dr. Dre of Insurance” aims to remix industry

January 29, 2016

Overland Park-based ClaimKit is planning to drop the beat on the insurance industry thanks to a new round of financing. The self-proclaimed “Dr. Dre of insurance policies,” ClaimKit CEO Chris Cheatham says the company’s $1.8 million round of financing will boost development of its second software product, RiskGenius. ClaimKit was able to lean heavily on…

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Events Preview: Athena League, ReversED

January 28, 2016

There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Think Big’s Anniversary Happy Hour When: January 28 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Where: Think Big Coworking Come mix and mingle…

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KC’s Smart City ‘Living Lab’ to tackle domestic terrorism threats

January 28, 2016

Since 2013, more than 160 active shooter situations have taken place in the United States. Imagine for a moment if those events could be prevented or mitigated through the use of technology, such as drones, social media analysis and other sensors. That future is closer than ever according to leaders of Kansas City’s Smart City…

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A vibrant arts culture leads to innovation and why hometown investors are vital

January 28, 2016

Here’s this week’s dish on why the arts community shouldn’t be a benched player on the sidelines of a city’s economy game; the importance of hometown investors to thriving startup communities; and what universities are doing to keep the talent pipeline strong for an entrepreneurial future. Check out more in this series here. The Atlantic…

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The WTF Series: Developers and their ‘full-stack’

January 28, 2016

On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot. Spend enough time with a developer and you’re bound to hear the term “stack” thrown around. “LAMP…

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ClaimKit snags $1.8M from local VC Flyover Capital

January 27, 2016

Insurance tech startup ClaimKit is tapping an area venture capital fund to help launch its second software offering that quickly analyzes policies. The company raised $1.8 million to launch RiskGenius, which helps to identify and categorize insurance clauses in commercial policies. Leawood-based venture capital firm Flyover Capital led the round, which included participation from the…

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