Funding Stories

Comeback KC Ventures fellows: top, Dr. Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth and Come On Now!, Ryan Grobler, IAQuality, Jill and Justin Bertelsen, Bertelsen Education and Crib Coaching; middle, Joel Stephens and Brandon Fuhr, XReps, John Black, MediView; bottom, Martin Bukowski and Eliot Arnold, Moodspark, Quest Moffat and Alejandro Andrade Salazar, Kadogo

Accelerator taps first 7 startups to help bring KC back from the edge of global health crisis

Seven Kansas City tech startups have taken the leap to launch new technologies and startups in response to challenges posed by COVID-19 — and have received technical and financial assistance through Comeback KC Ventures to accelerate their efforts.  “These innovations were conceived after two years of the coronavirus pandemic revealed and ignited a need for…

Maxfield Kaniger, Kanbe's Market

Kanbe’s Markets selected for $30K in marketing services from surging Crux KC team

Kanbe’s Markets is expected to harvest boosted visibility and functionality thanks to a newly announced donation of $30,000 in pro bono marketing services from one of Kansas City’s fastest-growing agencies. Crux KC selected the nonprofit for its annual “Crux for a Cause” initiative, which is expected to provide an entire year of services from a…

Aishah Augusta-Parham, SEPOW

Yelp for DEI: New tech gives public a tool to share discrimination concerns in real-time, empowers companies to monitor, improve

Aishah Augusta-Parham’s tech platform has a goal rooted in impact: help business owners become more mindful of diversity, equity, inclusion efforts in their day-to-day operations — better ensuring their customers do business with companies and brands that embody shared values.  “We are the Yelp of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Augusta-Parham said, detailing the mission behind…

Arash Ferdowsi, co-founder of Dropbox

Return on investment: Why the co-founder of tech giant Dropbox just donated $500K to Blue Valley schools

Blue Valley schools, teachers, and students are expected to benefit greatly from a newly announced fund launched by the homegrown Johnson County tech entrepreneur who later co-founded the cloud storage giant Dropbox. Arash Ferdowsi, a 2004 graduate of Blue Valley Northwest High School, has put up $500,000 to launch the Arash Ferdowsi Fund, which benefits…

Graham Krizek, Voltage

Voltage charges ahead with $6M seed round in quest to ‘fast-track a Bitcoin standard’

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. WICHITA…