Techstars

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…

Tim Yu, Pluto Money

New in KC: FinTech founder finds more than flyover fountains amid high-profile KC accelerator

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 profiles. Tim Yu hadn’t given Kansas City much thought — then…

Lesa Mitchell, Techstars Kansas City

Techstars Kansas City returning in 2020, fully funded by globe-spanning seed accelerator

Techstars believes in Kansas City’s potential because of its proven track record, said Lesa Mitchell, announcing the 2020 return of the seed accelerator to the City of Fountains following a brief hiatus. “I am the luckiest person on the face of the Earth because I’m again going to run what we call a horizontal program,…

Fountain City Fintech 2019 cohort

Party for the payoff: Fountain City Fintech sets Oct. 15 demo day, KC celebration

Kansas City’s ongoing fintech momentum deserves more than a nod from analysts and trend watchers, said Zach Pettet, announcing plans for an Oct. 15 demo day that’s already taking shape as a community celebration. “We need an excuse to rally together and celebrate everything that’s happened over the past few months — especially in the…

Nick Bowden, Replica

Replica’s $11M round: Alphabet-owned urban planning tool hits the streets as KC-based spinout

Kansas City is suddenly home to a new, heavy-hitter-backed startup with a built-in $11 million in Series A funding, Nick Bowden announced Thursday. Replica — a next-generation urban planning tool by Sidewalk Labs (itself a smart city firm owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google) — has been spun out into its own standalone…