KCRise Fund

KC-built startup brokers $18M funding round as benefitbay pushes market trends to the norm

A just-announced $18 million Series A round for benefitbay is more than just investor or market validation, said Brandy Thompson; it’s a signal that the solution she built in Kansas City is no longer part of a niche conversation with consultants and employers — too often requiring lengthy explanations about why the model matters.

Maria Meyers is passing the blueprint to KC’s ecosystem; it doesn’t come with a magic wand

“In an environment that is constantly changing and evolving, learning from each other is just part of the fabric of crafting something bigger and better,” said Maria Meyers.

Scout charts pre-seed funding from Midwest investors at KCRise Fund, eGrowth Ventures

The just-announced pre-seed round for an emerging innovator in veterinary medicine software is expected to help the Kansas City-built startup deepen its product capabilities, further strengthen its core technology, and strategically grow its team to meet rising demand. “Closing this round gives us the resources and momentum to execute on our mission,” said Dr. Gonzalo…

GRWM: Founder has more than swag; his platform matches companies with merch Gen Z will actually wear

A lot of branded swag gets buried at the bottom of a drawer after being collected from a special event or trade show — never again to see the light of day, Ivan Hadzhiev said, noting his new startup is helping companies think outside the bag when they design and distribute promotional products. “We’re making…

Roz audits its path to $2.15M in early funding; how KC helped this AI startup scale its potential

A series of funding wins is boosting a Kansas City startup’s efforts to automate the most complex — and tedious — parts of compliance work, drawing from the co-founder’s own pain points and resources from a server-full of local entrepreneur support initiatives.  With $2.15 million in funding under its belt so far, Olathe-based Roz — which…