Funding Stories
LaunchKC eyes startups building ‘a more prosperous and equitable future’; Social Venture Studio opens apps
A program created in late 2021 to help boost promising social ventures as they create sustainable business models to tackle social, racial, or environmental issues is returning this spring for its second cohort. LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio is now accepting applications for its program, which aims to drive social impact and return on investment via…
KC startup Pepper secures deal to create new IoT platform with investment from Comcast
The merging of a homegrown IoT startup’s tech and a corporate innovator’s existing smart property management system is expected to accelerate growth for Kansas City-built Pepper, said Scott Ford. The companies on Wednesday announced Pepper and Notion — Comcast’s insurtech business unit — had joined to create a new IoT and smart home platform that…
HERImpact $50K pitch competition returning March 8; Here’s how KC women entrepreneurs can apply
Women business owners and social entrepreneurs in Kansas City are encouraged to compete this spring for up to $50,000 in a Shark Tank-style funding event aimed at investing in women’s ambitions to start and scale local businesses. “Expanding access to capital and mentorship is critical to women’s success as they start their own businesses,” said…
‘Every business matters, every job matters’: How $69M in federal funds is already boosting KS entrepreneurs
Kansas will use a recent influx of federal funding to strengthen the state’s small business and venture capital ecosystems, according to project leaders of a new high-profile effort focusing on equitable access. The state was allocated $69 million earlier this year as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a federal program that…
Mobile plant shop, nonprofit for returning citizens among latest Alchemy Sandbox grant winners
The Porter House KC closed out the first year of its Alchemy Sandbox program by awarding five more small business owners with up to $5,000 in grants. In total, PHKC Alchemy Sandbox awarded 20 businesses with grants in 2022. “We started this journey with a simple idea: to deepen our commitment to supporting the small…
