Wichita has been home to dozens of startups through the decades, including the local aircraft manufacturing industry that started with the likes of Clyde Cessna and Walter Beechcraft. There has also been Pizza Hut and White Castle. More recent startup gems include High Touch Technology and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
Here are five up-and-coming Wichita startups to keep an eye on:
Quicc: The startup, which launched in 2019, has three major components. The first offers captioning services in more than 40 languages. The second makes videos searchable by content. The third service, for now, is using artificial intelligence to summarize what is in a video.
After being noticed by a global media company and a popular graphic design website, Quicc has impressed thousands of users and lots of investors through its captioning and video-search services. Tom McAndrew became the CEO of the company earlier this year.
Medic All: A Wichita tele-medical nonprofit started by a local teenager is one of nine finalists in a NXTUS competition. Medic All, which offers free consultations, medical tests and prescriptions to eliminate barriers to care, was founded by Wichita Collegiate School senior Ayaan Parikh. Several state agencies and nonprofits have discussed further plans with onboarding the service.
The startup, which uses telehealth services from accredited volunteers, has six members on its board of directors, three advisors and eight part-time employees.
Around 20 physicians, nurses, psychologists and exercise practitioners are consulting with more than 40 patients throughout Kansas in this test pilot program in which all services are free.
Montiel Farms: This Wichita startup helps people plant gardens. It calls the task edible landscape design. They can come to people's homes and design and plant a garden by constructing each growing plan to fit with each site, always taking note to use regenerative practices. The growers can also take care of the gardens they plant, including weeding and harvesting.
Novus Network Inc.: Jerry Nowlin invented a gamified recovery app designed to help demystify the aftercare recovery journey. Designed as a fun way to stay on target and enjoy life, this app can measure and maintain recovery practices, helping people stay on track.
RecruitAero: RecruitAero, a recruitment service that helps find aerospace candidates for employers, started in March. In June, the company attended the Paris Air Show, introducing itself to many in the aerospace industry.
For the company's cofounders, Wichita State University graduates Gemma Dendurent and Jessica Rowe, finding professional talent for an aerospace company is more like serving as a professional matchmaker.
