Startups Stories

Lauren Lawrence, Stenovate

Legal tech startup Stenovate earns Fountain Innovation Fund’s second investment

The Fountain Innovation Fund is flowing with Kansas City-based Stenovate selected as the second startup to earn its support, the Enterprise Center in Johnson County announced Wednesday.  “Stenovate is an exciting investment for the Fountain Innovation Fund,” explained Maggie Kenefake, managing director of the fund, which chose to back Stenovate based on the emerging startup’s…

Kristin Rulon, Mind Star Health

Fund Me, KC: Mind Star App ‘needed in my darkest moments,’ says founder, survivor of depression

Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Kristin Rulon with her Mind Star Health campaign — to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Who are you? Kristin Rulon, founder and CEO…

BetaBlox demo day

Meet the 2020 class: BetaBlox demo day returning with events across startup sister cities

Audience tickets for BetaBlox’s Overland Park demo day are nearly gone, said Weston Bergmann, just weeks before the incubator program showcases its newest startups across three events in two cities. The “can’t-miss entrepreneurship event” Jan. 20 at the GRID Collaborative Workspace is expected to entail a combination of pitches, expo-style networking, and a panel of…

Davide Rossi, FitBark

FitBark GPS launches with embedded sim card for tracking lost pups via cell service

FitBark’s latest treat for pet lovers: A four-legged friend finder. FitBark GPS recently launched in the Kansas City-based startup’s U.S. market, said Davide Rossi, co-founder and CEO, detailing new features that allow owners to pinpoint their dogs’ locations in case of emergency via embedded Verizon cell service. “We send all of the owners an alert…

Tammy Buckner and Dr. Phillip Hickman, WeCodeKC

Two tech founders identified a coding talent gap; they launched WeCodeKC to help fill it

A future-ready workforce depends on students mastering as many technology, cybersecurity, and computer science skills as possible, said Tammy Buckner. The founder at CTO of Techquity Digital, Buckner joined forces this fall with Dr. Phillip Hickman, author and founder of PlaBook, to launch WeCodeKC — a no-cost, year-round program built to promote computer skills through…