Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Mentorship opportunities abound in KC
Those hoping to further their businesses with the help of seasoned professionals need not look far. An array of opportunities await professionals seeking help to find their way through the foggy labyrinth of creating a business. Organizations such as KCSourceLink, which helps startups and small businesses find resources to grow, work to connect entrepreneurs with…
KC learning, sharing stories at TECHNA conference
Dozens of leaders in North American technology will be arriving in Kansas City this week to learn about area successes like Google Fiber and the Cisco Smart City project. Set for Wednesday through Friday, the annual Technology Councils of North America (TECHNA) conference will host about 60 cities’ technology councils from the U.S. and Canada….
SpiderOak nabs $3.5M for ‘Zero Knowledge’ software
SpiderOak recently closed a multi-million dollar round that will grow its team and boost development of its privacy cloud software. The company, which creates software that encrypts data without ever learning its actual contents, raised a $3.5 million Series A round that also will help fund its transition from Chicago to Kansas City. Chicago-based OCA…
Google lauds Kansas City tech in congressional hearing
Dirt off your shoulder, Kansas City. Search engine giant Google added a proverbial feather to Kansas City’s tech hat Thursday while testifying in a U.S. Congressional hearing. In a hearing with the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, the tech titan said Kansas City has been transformed as a result of Google Fiber’s…
Sharing economy hits agriculture with FarmLink service
A new-age economic model is entering the world’s oldest industry. Kansas City-based FarmLink introduced this week its Web-based farm equipment sharing community MachineryLink Sharing, which the company says will enable farmers to save money and generate revenue. “Agriculture is in the midst of its next big transformation, where new thinking and business models that have revolutionized…
Metactive lands $224K for nonclinical studies
Olathe-based Metactive Medical recently secured a grant that will continue the development of its embolization device that fights cancer. The National Institutes of Health awarded Metactive $224,000 that will fund nonclinical studies on the performance of the company’s Blockstent Microcatheter embolic devices for the occlusion — or blockage — of peripheral arteries and veins. “We believe…
Mighty Handle grips massive market with Walmart deal
A Kansas City startup recently grabbed a retail deal that will put its product in front of millions of customers. Mighty Handle last week signed a deal with Walmart stores that will roll out its product to help users carry multiple shopping bags at about 3,500 stores nationwide. So what’s it mean for Mighty Handle…
High-tech car showroom parks in Crossroads
The days of pushy, plaid-suited car salesmen is over at a new dealership teeming with technology in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. Luxury car dealer Pure Pursuit Automotive recently set up shop in one of Kansas City’s trendiest districts, incorporating such technology as holographic attendants and personal tablets. Those technologies and others aim to create…
Kittrell: 5 frustrations for non-technical founders
You’ve got a great idea for an app — the kind that keeps you up at night. But you’ve never worked on a software project before and have no idea what you’re in for. Sound familiar? Here’s a list of common frustrations I see from my non-technical clients. 1. Scope creep No, it’s not a…
Gallery: Lean Lab fellows set to disrupt KC education
Already improving education for about 2,400 area students, the Lean Lab recently set loose another group of innovators hoping to transform Kansas City education. The Kansas City-based education innovation incubator on Friday held its Launch Day, the culminating event of its incubator fellowship. The incubator conducted a five-week ideation program that assisted 10 fellows building…