Startland News Staff
Recent Articles by Startland News Staff
New look, renewed outlook: Women-powered Firebrand Collective bringing coworking back to West Bottoms
A revamped Firebrand Collective is relaunching Oct. 1 in the West Bottoms after two months of extensive upgrades and renovations at the woman-focused coworking location, its owner announced Thursday. The hiatus allowed time to transform Firebrand from a coworking “space” to a coworking “community,” emphasized Megan Adams, founder and head of community at Firebrand Collective….
Edna Martinson notches another big win for Boddle, earning $100K from Google for Startups fund
The second cohort of a Google for Startups program focused on high potential ventures from Black entrepreneurs features a high-profile founder who built her company in Kansas City before relocating to Tulsa in 2020. The Black Founders Fund announced the selection of Edna Martinson, co-founder of Boddle Learning, Tuesday in a rollout of the 50…
MO tech jobs pay double the state’s average wage, fueling economic growth, new report says
Missouri’s tech industry remains a driving economic force despite widespread job loss and economic turmoil caused by COVID-19, according to a new report that details how the Show Me State is outpacing national tech growth. Among the report’s key takeaways: Average earnings for all jobs in Missouri was $64,000 in 2020, while the average earnings of…
Pipeline pilots new ‘Pathway’ cohort to boost womxn, minority, rural founders into scaling position
Editor’s note: Pipeline Entrepreneurs, a network and fellowship of high-performing entrepreneurs in the Midwest, is a community partner and financial supporter of Startland News. A new fellowship program designed exclusively for underserved entrepreneurs is expected to help better prepare founders who identify as womxn, minority, or are leading a business in a rural community to…
Comeback KC Ventures launches program to fund, accelerate COVID solutions in region
A new Kansas City-based program is recruiting 20 fellows — from among the metro’s first-time entrepreneurs and established businesses — for an effort to help accelerate innovations, products or service lines that are solving needs exposed by the pandemic. “The public health crisis posed by COVID-19 ignited a need for rapid change and innovation,” said Jim…
Flyover Capital closes its Tech Fund II over $60M, targeting new seed, post-seed startups
Tech startups raising seed and post-seed funding will benefit most from the close of Flyover Capital Fund II, the venture capital firm said, announcing Thursday its oversubscribed close. “The oversubscribed fund brings Flyover Capital’s total assets under management to approximately $110 million,” the Overland Park-based venture capital firm said in a release, outlining plans for…
It’s ‘Teacher Appreciation Year’ as blooom launches 12 months of free services for educators
After an especially difficult year for teachers — navigating safety protocols and virtual classrooms, among other pandemic challenges — a Kansas City startup plans to offer its finance and retirement services free to educators for 12 months and at any price level, said Chris Costello. “Many [traditional] plans are needlessly expensive and complicated, which is why…
Voting now open: Startup’s stem cell scaling solution vies for ‘Coolest Thing Made in Kansas’
An Olathe biotech lab is once again growing “Coolest Thing Made in Kansas” honors with its breakthrough technology to help researchers produce stem cells at a massive scale to help fight pandemics and global diseases. T-Blocks were announced Tuesday as one of the Top 32 contenders in the Kansas Chamber’s annual Kansas-made tournament, which highlights…
KC startup releases ‘eVaccine passport’ with state registry verification, alerts for booster shots
Employers and event organizers hoping to promote safety amid the flourishing Delta variant and the threat of fraudulent CDC vaccine cards have a new tool, said Jeremy Elias, announcing a Kansas City-built solution to track and confirm individuals’ COVID-19 vaccine statuses. TrackMy Verivax empowers businesses to capture data, track compliance, report on vaccine administration and…
Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor
A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Several years ago we raised our first funds — Boulder-based Blue Note Ventures and Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures I —…