Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
AltCap banks $55M in tax credits to bolster KC’s underserved entrepreneurs
A huge award will enable AltCap to make a broader entrepreneurial impact in low- to moderate-income communities throughout Kansas City. AltCap — a Kansas City-based community development financial institution that focuses on underserved populations — has received a $55 million new markets tax credit award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The award enables…
Innovation Exchange returns in 2018 with new partners, topics
One of my favorite parts of journalism is the “Hm!” moment. They are the occasions when reading, watching or listening to a story whose details yield an inborn reaction of fascination or intrigue. They can’t be stopped. When your curiosity piqued, “Hmm!” is an impulse. “The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket produced 5 million pounds of…
Lula raises $420K, fueling expansion of home service offerings
A $420,000 funding round from Kansas City area investors will accelerate tech startup Lula to expand in Kansas City and soon two more large metros, CEO and founder Bo Lais said. The Overland Park-based firm is eyeing Phoenix and Dallas as its next service areas, but it first plans to focus on marketing its on-demand…
Former Netchemia CEO, KC venture capitalist launch new fund for Midwest software firms
Keith Harrington isn’t looking for hockey-stick growth companies. With the new fund he’s co-leading — Novel Growth Partners — Harrington wants to invest in small, steadily-growing tech companies in the Midwest. But instead of a traditional venture capital model, Novel is employing a revenue-based finance model that should appeal to more entrepreneurs, Harrington said. “We believe that…
Listen: Behind the scenes interview with Hyperloop One exec on Missouri plan
By now you’ve likely seen that Missouri is a top five favorite to land a Virgin Hyperloop One route. If built in Missouri, the tubular transportation system would move people from Kansas City to St. Louis in 30 minutes, creating a mega-region that combines the state’s biggest cities, said Dan Katz, director of global public…
Hyperloop One exec: KC route would create ‘mega-region’ along I-70
When you’re hoping to move people and freight at near subsonic speeds, it pays to be straightforward. At least that’s the case for Virgin Hyperloop One, which announced Tuesday it has embarked on the feasibility study of a high-speed route that would connect Kansas City and St. Louis in about 30 minutes. “It’s a very…
Surging investment network Mid-America Angels announces new director
Nebraska angel investment leader Laura McCoolidge Classen is the new managing director of Kansas City-based Mid-America Angels. Classen, who most recently served for five years as the director of Nebraska Angels, succeeds Rick Vaughn, MAA’s founding managing director. Vaughn will continue working with MAA on a part-time basis. “I enjoyed working with many colleagues in…
Former Google, Uber exec running for office in Kansas
Mapping expert Brian McClendon is plotting a route to the Kansas State Capitol. The former Google and Uber executive on Monday launched his candidacy for Kansas secretary of state, a role that would task him with administering state elections and voter registration. Currently, a research professor at the University of Kansas, McClendon co-founded the tech…
Truck hailing tech firm Bungii straps down $3M in oversubscribed round
Ben Jackson and his team were so determined to meet their fundraising goal they didn’t notice they crushed it. “One day, we looked up and realized that we were already substantially oversubscribed,” said Jackson, co-founder of Bungii. “We’re super excited and thankful for it. … Our team attacked that goal hard.” Bungii — which created…
2018 Startups to Watch: Bardavon takes action in dysfunctional health care system
Editor’s note: Startland News selected the top Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2018’s companies. To view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch, click here. Matt Condon is no Shakespeare, he said. But one quote from William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII has always…