LaunchKC founders, grant winners named to Techweek 100 list

The founders of LaunchKC, the global grants competition for tech entrepreneurs, and five of the first class of its grant recipients have been named to the Techweek 100 list of movers, shakers and players in the Kansas City innovation scene.

The complete Techweek 100 list – then click on the Kansas City tab – includes small businesses and individual leaders in three categories – Innovators, Cultivators and Ambassadors.

The Downtown Council and the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, who established LaunchKC in 2014, along with Matt McGraw, president & CEO of DSI, and chair of the LaunchKC Advisory Board, were selected to the exclusive Techweek 100.

The list also features five of the original class of LaunchKC grant recipients, including blooom, Integrated Roadways, PopBookings, Vertisense and Video Fizz.

Techweek is the largest presenter of technology conferences + festivals in the country, and is preparing for its second annual Techweek Kansas City event on Sept. 12-18 at Union Station. In addition to Kansas City, Techweek presents annual events in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Detroit, Dallas and Toronto.

“It’s a collection of the 100 top “companies and people to know” in Kansas City’s technology and entrepreneurship community,” wrote James Hart, managing editor of Thinking Bigger Business Media, of the Techweek 100 list. “One of the highlights of the first Techweek Kansas City was LaunchKC, the grants competition that awarded $50,000 each to 10 startups, both from Kansas City and across the country.”

The 20 finalists in this year’s LaunchKC competition will make their final pitches to the Techweek KC audience and judges on Friday, Sept. 16. The 10 winning entrepreneurs will be announced that afternoon.

Click here for more information on Techweek Kansas City.