Digital Sandbox KC Fuels 6 More KC-area startups with support and early-stage project funding to build innovations
Digital Sandbox KC completed its third-quarter 2022 application cycle, adding six new companies to its early-stage project funding roster. Two of these six are fellows of Comeback KC Ventures and are working on technologies and innovations that aim to solve issues created by the pandemic. Digital Sandbox KC connects early-stage founders to investors, resources and other founders in Kansas City’s startup network to help them scale their innovations to market.
Since the Digital Sandbox KC’s inception in 2013, the program has had an immense impact on the startups it works with. With a total of over $3 million in proof-of-concept project funding, which, including these six new companies, has been awarded to a total 176 KC-area startups, Sandbox companies have gone on to raise nearly $200 million in follow-on funding. In fact, 33 Sandbox startups have raised over $1 million in follow-on funding, and 27 have achieved more than $1 million in sales, according to the organization’s latest report.
“Digital Sandbox KC is one of the Kansas City metro’s rare early-stage funds and provides vital support to help innovations move forward and land additional funding,” says Jill Meyer, senior director of Technology Venture Studio, which houses early-stage tech support and programs Digital Sandbox KC, Whiteboard 2 Boardroom, KCInvestED and Comeback KC Ventures. “Sandbox funds are critical to help these fledgling startups scale their idea past proof-of-concept and make it fundable so it can take off once it’s built. In addition to those funds, Digital Sandbox KC helps founders make critical connections to key investors, experts who can help them clear hurdles and more tech resources in Kansas City’s entrepreneur ecosystem.”
Meet the latest startups to receive up to $20,000 each in project funding from Digital Sandbox KC for its third-quarter application cycle for 2022. My DigiRecords and Health Partners MD are both working on projects as fellows through Comeback KC Ventures, an EDA-funded partnership between the Technology Venture Studio (of which Digital Sandbox KC is a program) and Kansas City Digital Drive. The other four Sandbox companies represent digital solutions around at-home wellness, beauty tech, clinician burnout and veterinary surgery.
Digital Sandbox KC and Comeback KC Ventures are honored to support these new awardees. The Sandbox is accepting new applications for its fourth-quarter 2022 cycle and presentations. Visit digitalsandboxkc.org for more information and to submit an idea.
Overland Park, Kansas
Health Partners MD saves employers money on their health care costs by improving the health of the workforce through a disease-management program that addresses obesity and obesity-related conditions.
“Digital Sandbox KC has and will continue to provide me with expertise and funding to deliver the health care solutions needed to change the weight of the world,” says founder Courtney Younglove.
Olathe, Kansas
HealthyID is a life-science company that is focused on preventative health products and services. The startup’s mission is to help people move from “sick care” to “health care” through at-home wellness testing, education and innovation. In addition to providing at-home wellness testing for consumers, HealthyID helps inspire wellness through technology to drive behavior modification and improved processes for remote testing and risk-assessment services.
“The project funding from Digital Sandbox KC will make it possible for us to develop a mobile app MVP that will empower and inspire people to lead healthier lives while preserving their privacy,” says founder and CEO Laura E. Owen.
Kansas City, Missouri
MyDigiRecords is focused on empowering people to take control of their health care by ensuring health information is always within reach. Families can stay up to date with immunizations based on CDC guidelines, manage their medications, get notified of potential medication reactions and work with their health care providers to make informed choices about their health.
“The funding from Digital Sandbox KC will help us not only provide critical funding for user experience testing, but it will also help make connections and open doors for MyDigiRecords that is essential to successfully commercialize the app,” says founder and CEO Dr. Saroj Gupta.
Shawnee, Kansas
Poshed on the Go is a mobile app that allows clients to shop and book on-location salon or spa services with pre-qualified licensed beauty professionals, on-demand or by appointment.
“Because of Digital Sandbox KC funds, we will be able to complete development of our app and launch it in the Kansas City area this fall,” Shrauner says. “We can’t wait to test our MVP, get feedback from local clients and beauty professionals, make necessary enhancements and expand into other states in 2023. We’re excited to revolutionize the beauty tech industry and introduce new ways for salon professionals to make additional income.”
Kansas City, Missouri
Redpoint Summit is a health care tech company focused on reducing clinician burnout through electronic medical record personalization at scale. The startup evaluates each clinician through AI data analysis and identifies their electronic medical record usage patterns. Redpoint Summit then uses automation to build streamlined content that reduces frustration and keyboard time.
“The Digital Sandbox KC grant will enable us to build our robotic process automation so that we can streamline every clinician at a health system,” says founder and CEO Chuck Schneider.
Leawood, Kansas
Scout (a DVM Solutions, LLC SaaS) aims to bring anesthetic planning and monitoring in veterinary hospitals to the cloud. It will provide an all-in-one hub for patient vitals and dental prophylactic procedure charting, allowing veterinarians to completely chart and record dental prophylactic procedures from start to finish and create a legal medical record. Scout will automatically calculate all medications for anesthesia, regional blocks and oxygen and IV fluid flow rates.
“Digital Sandbox KC’s funding will be an integral part of our early development phase,” says founder and CEO Gonzalo Erdozain. “These funds will cover the costs of name and brand development and user interface design of our MVP, including interactive mockups.”
About Digital Sandbox KC
As part of UMKC Innovation Center’s Technology Venture Studio, the Sandbox supports early-stage startups not only with project funding, but also with panels of experts during Summer in the Sand, as well as founder roundtables, where entrepreneurs are introduced to peer networks of support; referrals to other transformation funding and programs, like Comeback KC, Launch KC, Pure Pitch Rally, Pipeline and others; intentional connections to regional and national angels and venture capitalists for follow-on funding; and exposure to cutting-edge technologies emerging from partner research institutions in the region.
About the UMKC Innovation Center
From whiteboard to boardroom, the UMKC Innovation Center partners with the university and the community to spark entrepreneurial efforts within our region and across the country. With a suite of high-impact programs that serve tech ventures, deliver entrepreneurial education and build our entrepreneurial ecosystem, the center helps emerging and existing business owners, including students, faculty and community members, to hone business basics, evaluate commercialization opportunities and connect with the right resources at the right time. Innovation Center programs include the Missouri Small Business Development Center, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the Technology Venture Studio, SourceLink, KCSourceLink. Learn more at UMKCinnovates.com.
