32 Kansas Startups March On to Second Round of Gamechangers & Champions 2025 Pitch Competition

Wichita, Kan. – March 11, 2025– NXTUS, Inc., in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce, today announces the 32 Kansas startups who have advanced to the second round of the Gamechangers & Champions 2025 pitch competition. These innovators, culled from 74 total entries, are competing for $20,000 in prize money, sponsored by the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, as well as the attention of investors.

Set for March 21 at the Commerce Club in downtown Wichita, Gamechangers and Champions 2025 is a “Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels,” designed to bring together Kansas startups with angel investors and regional venture-capital fund managers, all set amid the excitement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament being hosted in Wichita March 20-22. The event will feature networking opportunities, industry leader speakers, educational sessions, and the high-stakes pitch competition, providing a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses, connect with investors, and compete for prize money to go towards their startup.

The pitch competition will have one more elimination round before the event. The entrepreneurs who make it to the Round of 16 will be announced March 17 via NXTUS and Kansas Department of Commerce social-media accounts.

At the start of the event, the Innovative Eight will be revealed, and those startups will share their ‘elevator pitches’ with the more than 200 audience members, including investors, other entrepreneurs, and business leaders. Attendees will vote for their favorite pitch to determine the Fan’s Choice award, worth $2,500. Then, venture capital fund managers will coach the eight remaining competitors and narrow the field to the Final Four. These four will deliver their full, five-minute pitches to a panel of distinguished judges, who will crown the $20,000 champion at the event finale.

“Most Kansans have no idea the breadth and quality of entrepreneurs who are building tomorrow’s great businesses right here in Kansas,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, President and CEO of NXTUS. “Thanks to support from the Kansas Department of Commerce, WSU’s Barton School of Business, and dozens of other sponsors, Gamechangers & Champions 2025 will help change that. For the first time ever, we’ll collide state-wide innovators – these gamechangers for our economy – with their champions – the investors and supporters who are lifting them up as they build companies around breakthroughs in every industry.”

The 32 startups selected offer innovative ideas and demonstrate strong growth potential:

·       Authentiya, Ellia Morse 

·       CAP Creations, Rashawnda Wright

·       Candid Health Advisors, Molly Breitenbach

·       Chatterbox, Grant Johnson

·       Cyphr, Jannae Gammage

·       FinMan Fishing, Mark Glade 

·       Flowpoint Medical, Jason Bobe 

·       George Consulting and Engineering, Anthony George 

·       Interplay, Jonaie Johnson 

·       Marma Health, Meredith McAllister 

·       MD MatchUp, Bob Waddell 

·       moment*, Miguel Johns 

·       Nitride Global, Mahyar Khosravi 

·       NoDwell, Blake Lappan

·       Noonan, Matt Williams

·       Novus, Ayaan Parikh 

·       Oak Therapeutics, Sally Maliski

·       PLOT, Chris Callen

·       Rebound Jerseys, Aidan Scurato

·       Seismi, Yale Zhang

·       Sharing Solace, Crystal Webster

·       ShotTracker, LaDonna Gooden

·       Sleep Fitter, Liliana Younger

·       Storytailor, JQ Sirls

·       Tacit Technologies, Rye Kennedy

·       Teddy, Drake Dukes

·       TokenTourney, Samuel Shortall

·       Trident Homes, Christopher Stemler

·       ULOM, Bing Low

·       VU Scholarships, Edward Márquez 

·       Wrax, Frankie Elder-Reedy

·       Yes! Athletics, Deborah North

In addition to the pitch competition, Gamechangers & Champions 2025 will feature a variety of engaging activities, including:

• Opening Networking Session with Startup Grind and WIBA, sponsored by IMA.

• Startup Grind Fireside Chat with Graham Krizek, CEO of Voltage Cloud, presented by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.

• Expert-led breakout tracks – Focused educational sessions for both startups and investors, supported by the Greater Wichita Partnership, Lange Capital, and Kansas State University.

• Business & Basketball Lounge – Thanks to Network Kansas' eGrowth Ventures, attendees will have access to networking sessions, complimentary headshots, and the NCAA Tournament games.

• Keynote remarks, sponsored by Koch, from Kevin Lockett – Former K-State and Kansas City Chiefs player and longtime entrepreneur, who now manages investment firm, Fulcrum Global Capital.

Registration to attend the event will be capped at 200, with tickets going quickly. Investors, entrepreneurs, innovation leaders, and community members are encouraged to register today. Tickets are available here.

 This event is made possible by the generous support of the presenting sponsors, NXTUS and the Kansas Department of Commerce, the prize money sponsor, the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, and our host sponsor, the Commerce Club, along with support from our premier sponsors Koch, Network Kansas, eGrowth Ventures, AltCap, the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Wichita Partnership with the Opportunity Wichita affiliate, Lange Capital, Plug and Play Topeka, IMA, Hutton, Cargill, the Kansas Chamber, KC Rise, Flyover Capital, and KentAV. Additional event partners include the Wichita Independent Business Association, Startup Grind, SBDC, SBA, the KC Tech Council, Kansas State University’s TDI, Groover Labs, Create Campaign, Flagship.KS Tech, SCKEDD, and Equity2.

For media inquiries, sponsorships, or event registration, visit nxtus.io/gc25 or contact Elleigh at elleigh@nxtus.io or Cory Keller at Cory.Keller@ks.gov.