Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Sprint Accelerator startup raises $85K (and counting)
Hidrate, a startup at the Kansas City-based Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator, rapidly surpassed its fundraising goal before a pitch to investors and nearly 2,000 Kansas Citians. The Minneapolis-based company’s Kickstarter campaign has already raised nearly $85,000 in two days, which more than doubles its goal to fundraise $35,000 in 42 days. Hidrate created a Bluetooth-enabled water bottle that tracks…
Sprint Accelerator Demo Day preview (part III)
The second class of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator is gearing up for its much-anticipated Demo Day, which serves as a culminating event and is expected to draw a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. Led by Boulder-based Techstars, the Kansas City-based accelerator is now hosting 10 mobile health tech startups from around the world for its…
KC finance tech firm Lending Standard nabs nearly $500K
Kansas City-based Lending Standard recently raised nearly $500,000 to further develop its software and hire additional employees. The financial tech company snagged the funds from regional investors, and with it has hired two additional technical staff, bringing its total headcount to eight people. Lending Standard created a platform on which organizations can receive and collaborate…
Sprint Accelerator Demo Day preview (part II)
The second class of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator is gearing up for its much-anticipated Demo Day, which serves as a culminating event and is expected to draw a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. Led by Boulder-based Techstars, the Kansas City-based accelerator is now hosting 10 mobile health tech startups from around the world for its…
Study: Lack of funding curbs early-stage biz growth in Kansas City
The Kansas City metro area is losing out on millions of dollars in investment funding that could be helping to add jobs and grow businesses in the region, according to a new study. In recent years, area early-stage businesses’ progress has been stymied thanks to Kansas City’s lacking of microloans, seed capital and locally-based venture…
Sprint Accelerator Demo Day preview (part I)
The second class of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator is gearing up for its much-anticipated Demo Day, which serves as a culminating event and is expected to draw a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. Led by Boulder-based Techstars, the Kansas City-based accelerator is now hosting 10 mobile health tech startups from around the world for…
Local weight lifting tech firm Rack Performance lands $250K
A Lenexa-based tech company is racking up investment capital to further develop its weight room management software. Rack Performance recently raised $250,000 from local, private investors that will help the company advance the second version of its software. Rack Performance built a web-based, weight room and group fitness platform to help coaches and trainers efficiently…
FitBark wags its way into nationwide retailer
Animal tech company FitBark is now selling its dog activity-tracking device in Target stores nationwide. The deal will place its product in front of millions of consumers each year at Target’s nearly 1,800 U.S. locations. FitBark’s animal tracking device will be featured among Target’s new “Connected-Life” section, which features other Internet-enabled products such as wireless…
Kansas City seeks leaders for Smart City board
The City of Kansas City, Mo., is now seeking nominations to lead the city’s smart city efforts. City leaders hope to attract citizens with experience in smart city technologies to help advise the City of Fountain’s coming Cisco Smart City project, in addition to its other smart city efforts. The newly authorized “Smart City Advisory…
Lean Lab eyes $25K in national pitch contest
The Lean Lab, a Kansas City-based education innovation incubator, is hoping to strike gold in a national pitch competition in California. The organization on Wednesday will be pitching its model in the Teach For America Social Innovation Awards, an annual competition in which the Lean Lab hopes to snag a $25,000 prize. Lean Lab is the…