Startups Stories

Risa Stein, SeeInMe; Alex Burton and Leo Esposito, Bozt; Rebecca Simons, CuePlay; Michael Eichenseer, VRdojo; Jason Reid, KNIMO; and Jill and Justin Bertelsen, Bertelsen Education

Meet six newly funded companies helping get KC’s economy ‘back on track’ with Digital Sandbox

Digital Sandbox funding is a game-changer for CuePlay — one of six companies selected for the proof of concept program’s latest cohort — said founder Rebecca Simons, who first launched the idea two years ago at Techstars’ Startup Weekend in Kansas City. “It allows us to finish the development of a beta app and get it…

Andrew Potter, Approach, Tile Five

Tile Five climbs higher with $1.5M seed round for Approach spinout, set to onboard 200+ gyms by year’s end

A $1.5 million funding round for Kansas City-based Approach is expected to further develop the future of gym operations — a growing industry, primed for disruption, Andrew Potter said.  “Gym operations are becoming more and more efficient and are leveraging technology and data to help drive business decisions,” explained Potter, founding partner.  A platform of Tile…

Sean Null and Philip Van der Straeten of Erkios Systems at the Oct. 1 Arch Grant Gala for the 2021 cohort

Erkios confirms KC headquarters moving to St. Louis; gears up for 2022 product launch

While vendors for Erkios Systems were shut down during the pandemic, Sean Null and his team got busy learning the necessary skills to keep their startup going, he recalled. “We were doing a lot of the work on our own; so when the world started moving again, we were prepared. Essentially, we were able to…

David Roberson, Azella

How $90K from Fountain Innovation Fund could help Azella reach 10,000 financial advisors

David Roberson grew up watching his mother struggle with financial management, he shared, noting his family’s stresses could have been alleviated with the help of a financial advisor.  Combining his passions for digital marketing, web development, SEO, design and financial literacy, Roberson founded the marketing firm Azella — named for his mother.  “Azella is a…

Juaquan Herron, Venboo; Jill Bertelsen, Crib Coaching; Jordan Williams, Veeper; and David Roberson, Azella

These eight KC tech startups are circling Pure Pitch Rally with up to $1M on the line

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a sponsor of Startland News. As a new cohort of pitchers prepare to toss their nets toward local land sharks at this month’s Pure Pitch Rally, the addition of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a key financial backer elevates the annual competition for spot-cash funding and…