Digital Sandbox KC News

Techweek announced the 2017 Kansas City Techweek 100, including nine Digital Sandbox KC companies in the "Rising Startup" category and Director Jeff Shackelford as an "Innovative Investor."

The first company to receive funding from the Independence program, HomeGrown & Happy is working with the Independence iNtech Growth Program to launch this innovative platform to help food enthusiasts bring the flavors of grandma's cooking and home-canning to everyone's doorstep.

From booking travel to monitoring cattle, the newest Digital Sandbox KC companies represent a diverse range of startups in the region. “We continue to be amazed by the quality and creativity of Kansas City companies,” said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC. “Now, through our partnerships with Olathe, Independence, St. Joseph and Great Plains Energy, we have the opportunity to help even more early-stage entrepreneurs.”

St. Joseph gained national recognition in 2016 for being a top metro for startup growth. Now, thanks to a partnership between Digital Sandbox KC, Innovation Stockyard and other St. Joseph partners, entrepreneurs in northwest Missouri will have a shared work space and funding to pursue their startup business plans.

Jeff weighs in on Sarah McBride's Bloomberg article “Why It’s So Hard to Build the Next Silicon Valley” and subtitled “Google brought its high-speed internet to Kansas City, but it didn’t turn the city into a tech paradise.”

When we launched the Sandbox, our stated goal was to improve the quantity and quality of early-stage startups in Kansas City to drive new business starts and create new jobs. Our latest impact study shows we’re continuing to fulfill that mission. We couldn’t be prouder.

Overland Park, Kansas-based investor group Innovation in Motion (iiM) announced backing for Kansas City startup (and Sandbox company) Mobility Designed.
Since Digital Sandbox KC funding in 2015, Mobility Designed has secured more than $800,000 in follow-on funding.

Digital Sandbox KC and the City of Olathe are continuing their efforts to drive entrepreneurship and new business starts in Olathe with proof-of-concept funding and new co-working space at the Kansas State University Olathe Campus.

Catch up with FireBoard co-founder Ted Conrad. Ted and his team are busy hustlin' - launching, promoting and selling their product - but making time to unplug and unwind.

Six new companies joined the Sandbox cohort, including the first startups to receive funding through the new Energy Sandbox and as part of the Sandbox’s partnership with the City of Independence, Missouri.