Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Blooom co-founder dissects $4M raise
Financial tech firm Blooom recently snagged one of the Kansas City area’s largest funding rounds in months. QED Investors from Alexandria, Va., led Blooom’s $4 million Series A round, which also included investments from DST Systems Inc., Commerce Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners and UMB. The Leawood-based firm plans to use the funds to hire new sales…
Blooom to expand with $4M Series A
Financial tech firm Blooom is blossoming into a local startup success story. The Leawood-based company announced Thursday that it raised $4 million in a Series A round to expand its operations. QED Investors from Alexandria, Va., led the round, which also included DST Systems Inc., Commerce Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners and UMB. Blooom created an online…
90 on the Clock with ShotTracker
90 on the Clock with ShotTracker By John McGrath, KCPT, and Bobby Burch, Startland News Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the third episode in the five-part series. From propelling the game’s emergence in the early 1900s to honing hall of fame players like…
Snafus tangle up Trellie’s future
Wearable tech firm Trellie is winding down operations after some engineering and fundraising mishaps wiped out its cash reserves. Founded in 2012 by Claude Aldridge and Jason Reid, Trellie created a wireless charm that attached to the outside of a woman’s handbag to notify her of an incoming call via flashing LED lights. The product took…
And the readers going to the Royals playoffs are …
Four lucky Startland News readers are heading to see the Kansas City Royals take on the Houston Astros this Thursday and Friday. From more than 300 contestants, a random number generator selected Tom Bliss and Marybeth Oliver as the winners, each of whom will bring one friend. Bliss, who serves as executive director of the…
90 on the Clock with Cremalab
90 on the Clock with Cremalab By John McGrath, KCPT, and Bobby Burch, Startland News Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the third episode in the five-part series. With a team of sharp, trendily-dressed bohemians, Cremalab is where speed meets creative dynamism. The…
3 local startups advance in national pitch bout
Three startups from Kansas are among the semifinalists in a competition to snag $10,000 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Kauffman Foundation’s One in a Million contest announced Wednesday 15 semifinalists from 12 states. Semifinalists will travel to Kansas City during Global Entrepreneurship Week for a chance to become one of five finalists for…
KC’s ‘growth and excitement’ attracts Phoenix tech firm
Give yourselves a pat on the back, Kansas City techies. The Kansas City tech community has once again enticed an out-of-state firm to expand to the City of Fountains. Phoenix-based cloud computing company Inspire Data Solutions recently opened a downtown Kansas City office in hopes of tapping into the area’s burgeoning tech community. A former Kansas…
KU entrepreneurship program nabs award
The University of Kansas’ entrepreneurial education program recently earned a national award. The University Economic Development Association awarded the Entrepreneurs@KU program its “Award of Excellence in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.” The commendation recognizes programs that accelerate economic development by supporting startups, high-growth companies and clusters within a region, and converting talent into wealth through innovation and…
New national CAPS Network grows from local program
The Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies is helping create a national consortium that will band together schools to boost an innovative education model. Blue Valley CAPS executive director Corey Mohn said that his program often receives interest from other schools to learn about its curriculum, which pushes students to collaborate with businesses and other professionals in…