FOUR COMPANIES SELECTED, INCLUDING FIRST OVERLAND PARK COMPANY

FOUR COMPANIES SELECTED, INCLUDING FIRST OVERLAND PARK COMPANY

Digital Sandbox KC completed its fourth quarter application cycle by adding four new companies and its first Overland Park company for Sandbox project funding.

Since its inception in 2013, Digital Sandbox KC has provided project development funding for 125 area startups, which has spurred more than $80 million in follow on funding.

“Momentum in Kansas City’s startup ecosystem continues to grow and we’re excited to contribute to that growth,” says Jill Meyer, senior director of technology ventures at the UMKC Innovation Center who oversees the program. “We’re geared up for 2020 and are ready to continue to create opportunities for entrepreneurs in our region.”

Digital Sandbox KC is a proof-of-concept program that significantly and rapidly moves early-stage entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization. It is a unique collaboration among private, public, university/research and philanthropic organizations.

Earlier this year, the City of Overland Park joined Digital Sandbox KC as a funding partner. “We’re thrilled to fund our first Overland Park company this quarter,” adds Meyer. “We look forward to the shared impact our partnerships with Overland Park and the City of Olathe will bring.”

Digital Sandbox KC is now accepting applications for its first quarter application cycle.

The companies selected for funding support this quarter continue to reflect the cutting-edge innovation that’s typical in the Sandbox. “This group showcases the wide spectrum of businesses assisted by the Sandbox, from a resume optimization platform for job seekers, to a debt management platform, to building and property management software, and to a destiny to an encrypted data marketplace,” says Meyer. 

The companies selected for support include:

B!TLab Innovations’ Smart Resume allows job seekers to optimize their resume automatically for each specific job in one click. It analyzes resumes, compares them to a job description, gives you a score, and then tailors your resume. 

“The Sandbox will make the Smart Resume idea become a reality. We can now confidently say that we will have a product ready for people, as I will have experienced developers who will complete the development of the app to help people get the job they need,” says founder Hasan Ali.

Destiny is a debt management platform that helps financial institutions increase customer retention and uncover unforeseen opportunities with banking’s most crucial demographic; young and debt-laden customers.

“The funding from Digital Sandbox KC gives us the ability to turbocharge further development of our CRM tool for financial institutions. This tool is vital in helping them identify, aid, and retain their current customers in the most vulnerable financial moments of their life,” says CEO Parker Graham.

Particle Space is a building and property management platform that completes the gap for total collaboration and communication through automated workflows. It enables a building’s pre-existing sensors to be added into our platform with no hardware purchases necessary, providing critical building analytics and cost savings using its “Intelligent Space Management” platform.

“With the funding from Digital Sandbox KC, Particle Space will be able to achieve the next phase of our product development. Further simplifying building and property management,” says founder David Biga.

TripleBlind is a marketplace that enables entities to safely provide and consume sensitive data and algorithms in encrypted space, without compromising privacy or security. Further, our platform will allow all participants to differentially control access to their data and to be paid accordingly for their respective content.

“Support from the Sandbox will accelerate the addition of critical features and functions to our platform. The functions that we intend to add will most likely support the addition of another pilot customer, which will reduce our time to market substantially,” says COO Greg Storm.