Startland News Staff

Recent Articles by Startland News Staff

Robert Feeney and B. Wayne Bradley, KaaS, Ringorang

A Silicon Valley startup relocated to Kansas in June; it’s latest move goes ‘all-in’ on Wichita

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. One…

Read More...
Miranda Schultz, Daniel Smith, Charon Thompson, and Jahna Riley, The Porter House KC

UMB Bank deposits $350K supporting The Porter House KC; $1.25M in year-end KC donations to benefit underserved communities

A hefty, end-of-year donation from UMB Bank will provide The Porter House KC an opportunity to dig deeper in assisting local entrepreneurs, said Daniel Smith, expressing appreciation for the $350,000 boost. “These resources will be used to continue our current work and implement another program that will assist small businesses with direct support, creating additional…

Read More...
Cerner

KC tech powerhouse Cerner sells to Oracle in $28.3B deal; buyer says it will grow local presence

Months of speculation officially came to an end Monday as Kansas City-headquartered Cerner announced its exit to Oracle — the global cloud giant’s largest-ever acquisition at $28.3 billion in equity value. The largest private employer in the Kansas City metro, Cerner’s medical records solutions have developed over the course of four decades into a transformational healthcare…

Read More...
Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022

10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022

Innovation in Kansas City knows no age or industry. From pre-seed stage startups to firms with dozens of employees, the leading edge of tech in the Heartland has taken root — and grown in unexpected forms. The future newsmakers showcased as part of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022 list each are…

Read More...
Kansas City skyline, December 2021

Survey: 97 percent of KC businesses expect same or better performance in 2022

Business executives in the Kansas City metro expressed optimism about what lies ahead in 2022 — despite lingering pandemic-related challenges, according to newly released local and regional survey results from First Business Bank. “There are always multiple dimensions of the story to consider, but 2021 was a big improvement over 2020, and with employment increasing across…

Read More...
Ignition Lab image courtesy of Black & Veatch

Teen STEM lab championed by Travis Kelce goes zero-carbon solar with boost from KC corporate leaders

A solar installation at Operation Breakthrough’s new Ignition Lab on Troost Avenue is expected to power the STEM space for students — made possible by a team of Kansas City corporate leaders committed to clean energy and support for the Travis Kelce-backed complex. Mounted atop a central canopy at the site, the project is set to…

Read More...
Lifted Spirits' Straight Wheat Whiskey, made with Torn Label’s House Brew

Crossroads neighbors’ limited-release holiday brew bottled after three years in the barrel

When 400 bottles of Lifted Spirits’ Straight Wheat Whiskey — created using a coffee wheat stout from its Crossroads neighbor Torn Label — went on sale to the public Wednesday, the distillery-brewery mashup’s potential was finally tapped, said Michael Stuckey. “This partnership with Torn Label is a unique collaboration that demonstrates the creative, artistic nature…

Read More...
Amos King, Binary Noggin

KC software team of three builds $3.5M insurance risk management app from scratch

A New York-based insurance management startup recently closed a $3.5 million funding round for its new end-to-end platform — an application built entirely by Kansas City software developer Binary Noggin. billy, a construction-specific insurance management and tracking application headquartered in Brooklyn, sought out Binary Noggin’s services early this year for developing its software. The startup…

Read More...
Trident storage by Spear Power Systems

KC startup’s sale charges strategy as battery innovator plugs into century-old tech firm

A Massachusetts tech company’s strategy to advance into new clean energy markets is now electrified thanks to the completed acquisition of Grandview-based Spear Power Systems — a leader in next generation battery storage systems for demanding land, sea and air applications. “The acquisition of Spear Power Systems enables us to deliver more comprehensive energy storage…

Read More...
John Sherman, Kansas City Royals; image courtesy of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Kansas Citian of the Year: Royals owner’s work echoes legacy of Ewing Kauffman

A startup veteran and newfound Kansas City icon has been named Kansas Citian of the Year. John Sherman, controlling owner of the Kansas City Royals and founder of LPG Services Group and Inergy L.P., was surprised with the honor Tuesday night during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 134th annual dinner.  “I was having…

Read More...