Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Cali tech firm AutoAlert to create 300 Kansas City jobs
AutoAlert, an Irvine, Calif. Based tech firm, announced Friday that it’s planning to relocate its headquarters to Kansas City. The firm — which will receive a Missouri Works grant of as much as $9.2 million if it meets its job creation projection — offers automotive software communications using data mining and trade-cycle management tools. With plans…
CNBC: Kansas City is a top place to affordably ‘live large’
Kansas City was once again nationally recognized as a locale in which residents can live well on a base salary that’s comparatively low to coastal cities. CNBC named Kansas City No. 9 on its list of 12 cities “where you can live large on $60,000.” “The best places are likely the ones where you can…
Listen: Madison Flitch founder carves a furniture firm with KC stories ingrained
Editor’s note: In partnership with the KC Greats podcast, hosted by Scott Parman, Startland News hopes to offer its audience more avenues to learn about entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. In this episode, Parman chats with Madison Flitch founder John Pryor, who shares the story of bootstrapping his…
Meet the Kauffman Foundation’s newest board member
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has added a new member to its high-caliber board of trustees. The foundation announced Thursday that Esther L. George — the current president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — will serve on its board. As a member of the board, George will support the foundation’s…
Silicon Valley accelerator 500 Startups invests in KC tech firm
A Kansas City firm planning to transform the world with its artificial intelligence tech recently landed in a highly-esteemed startup accelerator in Silicon Valley. Mycroft announced Wednesday that it’s in the latest cohort of 500 Startups, a global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator that manages $200 million in assets and has invested in…
KCMO creates live-viewing platform of smart city data
Officially launched about nine months ago, the Kansas City Smart City initiative has produced as much enthusiasm as it has technological possibilities. The $15.7 million public-private project — which has transformed Kansas City’s downtown into a lab of Wi-Fi connectivity on and around the 2.2-mile streetcar line — is now further empowering citizens. The City…
Animal tech startup FitBark fetches huge Australian pet insurer
Animal tech firm FitBark is headed Down Under thanks to its landing of a big Australian partner. The Kansas City-based company announced that it’s partnered with PetSure, Australia’s largest pet insurance underwriter to help launch its wearable dog activity tracker to the Aussie market. PetSure opens FitBark up to 360,000 policyholders, a network of 22…
With investors clamoring for more, Blooom raises $9.15 million
One of the area’s top startups, finance tech firm Blooom has landed a significant round of financing to accelerate its online tool to boost users’ retirement savings. The firm announced Monday that it raised $9.15 million in an oversubscribed Series B round that features some behemoths in finance tech investing. The round was co-led by…
Celebrity Apprentice features Kansas City fitness startup OYO Fitness
A trio of celebrities were briefly among the sales staff for a surging fitness tech firm in Kansas City. In a recent episode of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, musician Boy George, basketball hall-of-famer Lisa Leslie and former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy expert Carson Kressley helped sell for Kansas City-based OYO Fitness. OYO founder Paul…
Cutting-edge facility comes to life at the Kansas City Art Institute
Artists have a knack for bearing ideas outside the realm of convention. But what happens when a creator is not only equipped with the latest technology to augment a medium, but cross-pollinates with other artists concocting complimentary creations? Who knows. And that’s exactly what the Kansas City Art Institute is excited to learn with its…