Six local startups made the cut to receive $50,000 grants, and more, from LaunchKC.
The program, co-founded by the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City and the Downtown Council of Kansas City, revealed the grants competition winners Tuesday evening. The nationwide search for early-stage startups led to about 100 applicants, 13 of which became finalists. In addition to funding, the winners will receive support services, including mentorship, curated programming and free office space for a year at Plexpod.
Since its founding in 2015, LaunchKC has funded 115 startups, and 67% of them have been woman- and/or minority-led. The LaunchKC companies have created nearly 1,000 jobs and have secured more than $400 million in follow-on investment.
“It takes time to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Tommy Wilson, director of business development for the Downtown Council, said in a release. “We’ve proved over the years that our efforts and the impact these companies are having translates directly into new jobs, an influx of capital and a vibrancy that doesn’t happen overnight.”
The 2023 grant winners are:
- CodeAlgo Academy (Triumfia Houmbie Fulks) — a 3D computer science gaming platform that teaches students kindergarten through eighth grade to code as they play.
- Foresight (Jannae Gammage) — a tech platform with an artificial intelligence-powered lending assistant trained to streamline administrative work across the lending cycle, including eligibility and document verification.
- Heft IQ (Learie Hercules) — An AI-driven platform that provides supply chain visibility and tools such as real-time tracking and machine learning capabilities.
- Lotus TMS (Holly Andra Small and Neelima Parasker) — a cloud-based transportation management software created by veterans of the intermodal industry.
- Raven Space Systems (Blake Herren and Ryan Cowdrey) — creates 3D-printed re-entry capsules for affordable and accessible return of cargo from space
- SaRA Health (Steven Coen) — a tech platform that helps movement health professionals, such as physical and occupational therapists, engage with and remotely monitor their patients outside the clinic setting during the recovery period.
