Editor’s note: Startland News editors selected 10 high-growth, scaling Kansas City companies to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch project. Now in its 11th year, this feature recognizes founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest, most compelling news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2026’s picks.
Click here to view the full list of Startups to Watch and see how the companies (including this one) were selected.
When licensed marriage and family therapist Kieri Olmstead listened to clients talk about modern dating, a clear pattern emerged in her practice, she said. Apps felt draining. Matches felt random. Many people who felt ready for partnership struggled to get traction.
That frustration — paired with a timely push from new technology and a viral comedy moment — became the foundation for Kansas City based Sova Dating, Olmstead explained.
“I’m a therapist, and I have been since 2017, and it’s been a consistent theme of people complaining about dating apps and the experiences they’ve had,” she said. “It felt like a really poor system.”
Founded in 2025, Sova Dating is a therapist-centered dating app designed to prioritize emotional intelligence and relational readiness. The startup has raised $47,000 through angel investors and crowdfunding and currently operates with a team of three.
The idea had lived in conversation for years before becoming tangible, Olmstead explained. That changed when AI tools made building more accessible.
“ChatGPT came out and said if you don’t know how to code, it can help you,” she said. “I started playing with it in March.”
Elevator pitch: Sova Dating is building a therapist-centered dating app designed to prioritize emotional intelligence and intentional connection.
- Founder: Kieri Olmstead
- Headquarters: Kansas City
- Founding year: 2025
- Current employee count: 3
- Funding amount raised to date: $47,000
- Noteworthy programs: Kat Weaver’s Power to Pitch program, Lvl Up Labs
Momentum followed an unexpected spark. While Olmstead was attending a Taylor Tomlinson comedy show, Sova’s concept became part of the crowd work. A week later, Tomlinson shared the idea across her social platforms.
“We didn’t have a website or an Instagram,” said Olmstead. “After she posted it everywhere, I threw together a landing page and an Instagram and thought, ‘I guess we’re doing it.’ We got 1,000 followers in 72 hours.”
By September, Sova launched its first test version. In October, the app went live on iOS and Android. Matching officially opens in January 2026, but early engagement has already shown promise.
“We have 1,000 users,” said Olmstead. “They love it. They feel really seen.”
At Sova’s core: a required 50-question intake quiz rooted in therapeutic frameworks. The quiz categorizes users into green, yellow, or red flags. Users flagged red are not admitted into the dating pool and are instead referred to therapists within Sova’s network.
“If you’re a red flag user, you don’t get allowed in the dating pool,” said Olmstead. “You get sent three referrals of therapists to grow, and you can come back and take the quiz in about 90 days.”
Those who qualify move through a profile experience designed to slow the process down. Intentional questions come first, while photos are uploaded last through a process informed by neuroscience.
“The entire profile builder asks intentional questions about who you are and what you’re looking for,” said Olmstead. “Photos come last, and even those are guided by prompts like show us your eyes or show us something you love.”
Ashley Senciboy, COO at Sova Dating, shares a laugh with founder Kieri Olmstead; photo by Haines Eason
Operations are led by COO Ashley Senciboy, who brings a corporate background and a culture forward approach to the role.
“I handle operations,” said Senciboy. “We call it vibes and logistics. I handle employee relations, onboarding interns, and working with our marketing and tech leads.”
Beyond the app, Sova is expanding into real world connection. In January, the company launched a 12-month dating workshop series in Kansas City led by Olmstead alongside neuroscientist and dating coach Cody Isabel.
The workshops serve as a blueprint for therapists in other cities to host Sova sponsored events that blend education with in person practice.
“That’s part of our go to market plan,” said Olmstead. “It allows users to meet in real life and practice dating skills.”
As 2026 approaches, the team is focused on opening matching, expanding into new markets, and closing a pre seed round.
“We want people on the app to have emotional intelligence and relational maturity and to understand what it takes to be an actual partner,” said Olmstead.
10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2026
- Authentiya puts ethical AI to the test as students embrace controversial classroom tech
- CarePilot prescribes more patient time, fewer clicks for doctors as product line grows
- Cyphra Autonomy pairs robotics with heavy labor (and a light lift for job site users)
- dScribe tracks early momentum with West Coast-Midwest funding combinator
- The Good Game connects young athletes with on-demand sports experts
- LAN Party gains steam with nostalgia as a hook, gaming enterprise potential as the real play
- LODAS Markets unlocks liquidity as timing pays off for founder’s investment
- Resonus wants local government to hear you — not just the loudest voices
- Roz uncovers dynamic momentum amid audit of its own shifting opportunities
