The stay-at-home order in Kansas last month didn’t mean startup dollars had to stay in the house as well.
Accelerate Venture Partners on Tuesday announced that it made investments in three Midwest companies in April totaling $750,000.
The angel investment group was formed around a year and half ago and says its funding since that time has totaled $2.3 million to seven companies.
“Great companies can be built in tough economic times, and the founders we are backing are showing their true grit as they do the hard work of bringing new technologies to market and growing their commercial adoption,” Josh Oeding, founder and managing member of Accelerate Venture Partners, says in a news release.
The companies receiving funds from the local angel investors base last month were:
• Transportant — Based in Leawood, the company offers “smart bus” technology that helps parents, drivers and administrators track students. The Circle and Maize school districts are among those nationwide that are working with Transportant.
• InnovaPrep — Based near Kansas City, Mo., this bio-monitoring technology company helps track pathogens through food production and other industries.
• Ten-Nine Tech — Based in Tulsa, this company provides patented chemistry that helps extend battery life. The local funding was part of $5 million Series A investment round that will help expand research, development and manufacturing of the technology.
Accelerate Venture Partners has more on each of the companies available on its website.
“It’s a testament to these future-minded investors and our regional syndicate partners that we have been able to close these investments and maintain our momentum, and even grow stronger, in these uncertain times,” Oeding says.
Oeding is also the president and CEO of locally based entrepreneurial organization NXTUS, Inc., which was rebranded from e2e Accelerator earlier this year. The organization concurrently launched a startup pilot competition geared toward connecting established Wichita businesses with entrepreneurs and ideas from across the country.
