How the first-ever movie sold on NFT is rigging KC-made ‘Lotawana’ for blockchain history
An independent film shot on Missouri’s Lake Lotawana is earning premier attention — becoming the world’s first piece of cinema to sell on the blockchain, potentially overhauling the way Hollywood connects with moviegoers, its creators said. “On... Read more
US Air Force contracts Healium for ‘drugless’ therapy amid military suicide epidemic
As suicide rates among U.S. military service members continue to rise, Columbia-based Healium is doubling down on its mission to make mental fitness tools more accessible. “It’s an honor to serve these service members and their families w... Read more
$12M capital infusion pumps Prairie Village-based Artio Medical to $46M in funding
A Johnson County medical device company announced Thursday the closing of an additional $12 million tranche of Series A financing — advancing the startup’s tech toward clinical study and commercialization with the backing of a leading Kansas Cit... Read more
Get sauced: Meet the hungry duo at the forefront of KC’s premier urban lunch counter
Jayaun Smith spent his free time as a kid watching “Iron Chef America” and creating his own unique recipes with what was available, he shared — noting it didn’t take him long to fall in love with cooking. “I spent a lot of time alone growing up,... Read more
The Toolbox aims to bridge cultural entrepreneur gap in WyCo; opening new resource center Thursday
Editor’s note: This story is sponsored and was produced by Forward Cities, a non-financial partner of Startland News and a national nonprofit that is managing the implementation of the ESHIP Communities program as a grantee of the Ewing Marion K... Read more
Stackify sells to West Coast competitor; stacking another exit for startup veteran Matt Watson
Two of the country’s fastest growing companies have joined forces as Leawood-built Stackify reaches its exit, the tech startup announced Tuesday. Huntington Beach, California-based Netreo has acquired the company in an undisclosed deal, expected... Read more
Black, curvy and a certified yogi: How Mikita Burton is breaking down barriers with Yoga on the Vine
Yoga is meant to be inclusive, said Mikita Burton, even if that sentiment stretches the modern American picture of who practices yoga. “I’m a curvier girl. I’m African American — that’s just not the typical demographic for yoga,” explained Burto... Read more
Overland Park startup secures $41M as infrastructure gets new focus amid COVID, Biden presidency
A massive round of Series B funding will boost Replica’s data platform as it changes how cities are planned and operated — especially in the wake of a global pandemic and a renewed emphasis on infrastructure spending from the federal level down,... Read more
New in KC: Why UMKC’s island-hopping tech leader is trading Hawaiian surf for Kansas City turf
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC pro... Read more
How one KC founder earned two exits before hitting 40 (Hint: Make time or don’t start)
Ten years after his first startup exit, Matt Watson finds himself at the finish line once again. “This time was a lot different than the last,” Watson, founder and CEO of Stackify, told Startland News, comparing his run with the APM solutions s... Read more