Gather the latest news about Groover Labs, Wichita Coworking, Startups, and Founders on our blog.
Meet Rob Carpenter, Managing Director of the OnRamp Hub: Kansas
The Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kansas recognizes Groover Labs as the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Central Kansas, so they joined as institutional members to connect more frequently with our local innovators.
Wichita Startup Week 2022 Recap
We were thrilled to host Wichita Startup Week 2022 again this year. As the central location for startup activity in Wichita, we’re a natural fit. There were more than 30 sessions, almost all of which took place at Groover Labs. We loved having so many enthusiastic founders and startup ecosystem supporters here throughout the week. They brought the energy and vibe we foster within our community.
Members in the News: QuickHire
QuickHire is in the news again. CNBC recently wrote an article about them for CNBC.com. And Wired, the magazine that analyzes how tech influences society, published a story about them at the end of January.
Campfire Registrations Open
Do you have an idea for a tech company but don’t know where to start? Maybe you just want to understand the tech industry? CAMPFIRE is the answer for you. CAMPFIRE is a 12-week course based on the Stanford University / YCombinator startup course taught every year.
Bitcoin Infrastructure Company Voltage Raises $6 Million Seed Round
Congrats to Graham Krizek, founder and CEO at Voltage, for closing a $6 million seed round earlier this month. Krizek, a local founder, participated in our VC Huddle back in July, where he had the opportunity to meet with several venture capitalists from outside the region.
KaaS in the News
One of downtown Wichita’s most historic buildings will soon house innovation — a move that has a former Silicon Valley startup sinking deeper roots in an emerging Heartland tech hub as it rapidly expands. Knowledge as a Service, Inc. (KaaS), maker of Ringorang, inked a five-year lease agreement and strategic partnership with Bonavia Properties earlier this month, securing 5,500 square feet of office space within the historic Garvey Center Plaza along Douglas Place, the companies said.
PLOT Hires Chad Cox as Head of Engineering
Plot Communications has hired Chad Cox as their new Head of Engineering. Chad has a deep startup background, most recently as co-founder of Appointment Launch, a patient onboarding and e-commerce application built to boost the optical experience of patients, customers, and optical staff. Born and raised in Wichita, KS, Chad is a veteran who served in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Ranger Battalion stationed in Ft. Benning, GA. He has a degree in computer science from Wichita State University and is passionate about his hometown, innovation, software, and startup
Shock Talk: Innovators Podcast with Curt Gridley
Our co-founder and executive director Curt Gridley joined the Shock Talk: Innovators podcast to talk about his experience starting AmberWave Systems in Boston in the late 90’s. The episode airs on December 15. Click here for a link or check it out where you listen to podcasts.
KaaS in the News
Startup technology company Knowledge as a Service Inc. (KaaS) has found its Wichita location in the Garvey Center downtown. The business has signed a five-year lease on office space in the building as part of an agreement with Bonavia Properties that included investment in the new company through two avenues. Read the full article in the Wichita Business Journal here. Read KaaS’ press release here.
Member Media Roundup: QuickHire
Groover Labs member QuickHire’s media mentions have taken off! Their most recent announcement, that the startup raised $1.41 million—an oversubscribed round—also highlighted a remarkable fact: sisters Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall became the first Black women in Kansas to raise at least a million dollars in capita
Member Profile: Greg Giefer of DARI Motion
DARI Motion uses a constellation of high-speed, high-definition cameras instead of markers, hence “markerless”, to record their subjects' movements. The data feeds into proprietary software in real-time, which compares their moves against a vast trove of human movement data. The software generates a report that shows how the subject’s movement compares against the field. One DARI Motion capture system can easily collect up to 75 subjects in an 8-hour day, which makes the process scalable. It used to take six months to collect biomechanical data like this; DARI does it in minutes.
We're Expanding Our Office Hours (Again and Again)
Jason Toevs and Brian Weins will join Foreman Law and NXTUS from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, January 15, for Groover Labs office hours. We started these free, informal meetings last year to make it easier for founders and startups to find and meet with local organizations and seasoned entrepreneurs as part of our mission to help strengthen Wichita’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Unified eSports Association Distributes $26,500 in Scholarships
Congratulations to Ramsey Jamoul and his team at Unified eSports Association. They completed their inaugural fall 2020 season, and they distributed more than $26,500 in scholarships to Unified Collegiate Esports Association teams who placed in the top four for each game.
In the News: Groover Labs in WBJ
The Greater Wichita Partnership has put together plans to spur downtown projects, attract talent, and create workforce programs. Now the Partnership is developing a new initiative — this one aimed specifically at accelerating entrepreneurship and high-growth startups.
New Addition to Monthly Office Hours: NXTUS
We started office hours to work with groups who want to support founders and startups. Foreman Law began hosting hours from 9 -12 on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. We are pleased to announce NXTUS, an organization that helps launch and grow businesses, will hold office hours at the same time.
Foreman Law Office Hours at Groover Labs
Foreman Law will host office hours at Groover Labs on 12/4 from 9-12. The attorneys at Foreman Law have years of experience working with startups and advising startups at all life cycle stages concerning legal and practical considerations related to formation, operation, and liquidity events.
Members in the News: QuickHire (Forbes)
When COVID-19 began raging in the U.S., Deborah Gladney was pregnant and working two jobs, while raising two children under five. Her sister, Angela Muhwezi-Hall, was in the hospital with the virus. The last thing you’d expect these sisters to do was start a business – which is what they did.
Has the coronavirus impacted your small business? The state wants to hear from you.
Has the coronavirus attacked your bottom line? The State of Kansas wants to hear from you so it can apply for a disaster declaration with the SBA.
Don't forget: Rise of the Rest applications are due Feb. 24
The deadline to apply for Rise of the Rest with Steve Case is Feb. 24. The tour will stop in Wichita in April, and up for grabs is $100,000.