Wichita-based entrepreneurial organization NXTUS Inc. will have a local finalist in its latest NXTSTAGE Pilot Competition.
NXTSTAGE on Monday announced the finalists for its 2022 Community Health and Vibrancy contest, with the final 12 of 119 applicants from 28 states and seven countries. That includes Wichita-based startup Knowledge as a Service.
KaaS, part of the WBJ’s 2022 Inno Madness competition, located its operations in Wichita in 2021.
The company’s Ringorang app is marketed as positively changing habits in workforces or other populations via continual online training and testing.
KaaS, which has more information on Ringorang available on its website, joins Overland Park-based SoulFIRE Health and Kansas City, Mo.-based Kadogo as three regional entities in the finalist cohort.
SoulFIRE helps facilitate training for professionals working in nutrition and chronic illness, while Kadogo helps facilitate giving through things like charitable donations matched by employers, cryptocurrencies and stock assets.
Competition winners and associated pilot projects will be announced June 22 during a special event at Mark Arts. Registration for that NXTSTAGE innovation showcase is available online.
“By pairing future-minded community organizations and innovative entrepreneurs, we’re changing Kansas for the better,” says Mary Beth Jarvis, NXTUS executive director. “If we help startups thrive here, Kansas can grow as a proving ground for technologies that can improve our population health and unlock growth potential in rural and urban areas.”
NXTUS partnered once again with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as the presenting sponsor for the 2022 community health and vibrancy contest, as well as with NetWork Kansas to identify statewide partners that could benefit from the technology and services offered by the competitors.
“Kansas communities experience a wide variety of challenges ensuring equitable access to health and the drivers of health — things like social isolation, economic stability, nutrition insecurity and more," says Virginia Barnes, Blue Health Initiatives director at BCBSK. “We're thrilled to have these companies and their technologies identified to help us make Kansas a healthier place to live, work and play.”
Other partners for the 2022 contest include returning 2021 partners Hodgeman County Economic Development, Scott County Development Committee, and Thrive Allen County.
They are joined by new partners this year Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc., LiveWell Northwest Kansas, and Russell Hospital.
The other 2022 finalists, with links to the websites for each in their respective descriptions, are:
• California-based Akesa Health, which provides self-care services initially marketed toward health-care professionals.
• Michigan-based Caregivers Insight, which provides tools to help caregivers alter and customize their daily routines with patients.
• Wisconsin-based Debtle, which provides cloud-based software to help people find the best ways to pay for health care.
• Massachusetts-based Embrace Prevention Care, which provides an integrated suite of Medicare-reimbursed services.
• Connecticut-based PursueCare, which provides telemedicine treatment for addiction and mental health issues.
• Georgia-based Small Bites Adventure Club, which helps promote healthy eating habits for children.
• New York-based SpairTime, which helps communities connect with local microbusinesses.
• Arizona-based Televeda, which uses digital tools to help address loneliness among socially isolated populations.
• Massachusetts-based Vincere Health, which provides tech-enabled smoking cessation and behavioral health services.
The same NXTSTAGE competition last year resulted in six projects between the invited entrepreneurs and program partners.
