KC startup releases ‘eVaccine passport’ with state registry verification, alerts for booster shots
Employers and event organizers hoping to promote safety amid the flourishing Delta variant and the threat of fraudulent CDC vaccine cards have a new tool, said Jeremy Elias, announcing a Kansas City-built solution to track and confirm individual... Read more
Voting now open: Startup’s stem cell scaling solution vies for ‘Coolest Thing Made in Kansas’
An Olathe biotech lab is once again growing “Coolest Thing Made in Kansas” honors with its breakthrough technology to help researchers produce stem cells at a massive scale to help fight pandemics and global diseases. T-Blocks were announced Tue... Read more
How an artisan leatherworker in KC’s historic northeast is making space for more than a hobby
Faye Steiner-Woods returned from a trip to Brooklyn, New York, inspired — eager to prove quality doesn’t have to mean expensive when creativity is used as currency. “I wanted to purchase this really expensive, $50 keychain, and it just seemed r... Read more
Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor
A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Se... Read more
Midtown ice cream shop for pups churns out treats, therapeutic ‘doggo date’ spot for pets, people
Bad days especially call for ice cream, Sherri Corwin said, recalling one of her favorite self-care rituals and the way it became her freshly creamed, Midtown-scooped startup — a venture that’s left tails across the metro wagging for waffle cone... Read more
A Bible parable helped connect vegan foods to Made in KC cafes; here’s how two sisters planted the seed
Now served at Made in KC cafes across the metro — from the brand’s popular marketplaces to the new Outta the Blue oasis and downtown trolley cafe — vegan goods from Mattie’s Foods arrive on plates thanks to growing hunger for more healthy option... Read more
It’s ‘Teacher Appreciation Year’ as blooom launches 12 months of free services for educators
After an especially difficult year for teachers — navigating safety protocols and virtual classrooms, among other pandemic challenges — a Kansas City startup plans to offer its finance and retirement services free to educators for 12 months and... Read more
Why Nina Whitmore left Corporate America to fight fast fashion (The answer is pretty black and white)
When Nina Whitmore was in elementary school, she always wore culottes — flowy cropped pants that are now back in style. They were easiest for her mother to sew, even though Whitmore would have preferred to wear jeans like the other kids, she sai... Read more
Grandview-based battery innovator — Evergy Ventures’ first investment — exiting to global power player
A Kansas City-area startup developing next-generation scalable lithium-ion battery storage systems for land, sea and air is being acquired by a global power management leader, the companies announced Monday. Financial terms of the transaction —... Read more
Serial tech entrepreneur, ecosystem builder develops app to help turn everyday purchases into charitable donations
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’s nonprofit newsroom. Operating a nonprofit taught Quest Moffat that it’s easier to raise pro... Read more