11 Wichita-area startups show off their goods at the Wichita StartUp event

By Alice Mannette - Reporter
November 16, 2023, 09:35am CST Updated 11/17/2023 10:38 am - Wichita Business Journal

Sarah Stephens of Midwest Hemp Technology of Augusta talks about her startup business during the NXTUS Startup event on Nov. 15 at Cargill.

Alice Mannette/WBJ

From blade sharpening to hemp building materials, more than a dozen startups pitched their ideas to onlookers, investors and businesses during the Wichita Startup 2023 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series event on Wednesday afternoon at Cargill. The 19 Kansas startups were part of an incubator group that learned from established business leaders how to turn an idea into a viable company.

Startups from across Kansas, including 11 from the Wichita area, presented 30-second elevator speeches, trying to entice people to want to know more about their company. The event is part of Wichita Startup Week, sponsored by Koch Industries, which features a week of events for startups, mostly taking place through Friday at Groover Labs.