Accessing Growth Capital Series Culminates in Dynamic "Speed Dating" Workshop
By: NXTUS Inc.
June 3, 2024
Spring 2024 Accessing Growth Capital Series participants and representatives; photo courtesy of Elleigh Peters.
Wichita, Kan. – June 3, 2024 – Accelerate Venture Partners, in partnership with Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures, concluded the Spring 2024 Accessing Growth Capital Series at their culminating event held at Aspiria NOW in Kansas City last week, where 10 growth-minded Kansas startups graduated from the program. This event provided the startups with the opportunity to connect and pitch to Kansas City-based investors and other founders in a “speed dating” style workshop.
Since the launch of the program in April, the cohort has participated in weekly workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions tailored to help startups understand essential concepts related to accessing growth capital. These sessions covered topics from investor expectations to how to create a compelling pitch, equipping startups with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully secure growth capital.
"Investing our time in this program was a great decision for our startup and education as founders,” said Angela Hein, Co-Founder of PartyDip. “Our team learned more about thinking from an investor's perspective, how to go about raising capital, and we gained better insight into the Kansas startup ecosystem. We also made some amazing connections for mentorship. This experience has been incredibly valuable for our growth and future success."
To culminate the program, the cohort took part in a final workshop held in Kansas City at Aspiria NOW, Kansas City’s newest and highest-offering workspace solution. The event kicked off with a peer roundtable for the cohort members, where they practiced their elevator pitches and discussed the current state of raising capital. Then, the cohort participated in a one-on-one “speed dating” session, allowing them to pitch their companies, network, and gain invaluable feedback from eight seasoned investors from around Kansas City, including representatives from KCRise Fund, Abstraction Capital, Mid America Angels, and Accelerate Venture Partners.
"The value of the program was on full display at the speed dating workshop. The participating companies came well-prepared, allowing for focused discussions within the rapid-fire format,” said Liam Reilly, Principal at KCRise. “As an investor, I appreciated the opportunity to gain quick yet insightful overviews of each business and offer actionable takeaways.”
“The culminating event was certainly a highlight, as it showed how eager the ecosystem is to support new and emerging companies,” said Thomas Papadatos, Venture Investment Manager at EGV. “It’s been a great experience working with this cohort, and I’m encouraged by their growth and the relationships formed along the way. I'm excited to see what's next for this talented group!”
This Spring’s 2024 Accessing Growth Capital Series cohort included:
AskSAMIE (Kansas City)
Desksides (Mission Hills)
Elevated Health Systems (Wichita)
Endo-TAGSS (Shawnee)
EzBizPortal (Lenexa)
Pagemaster Inc.; Storytailor (Overland Park)
PartyDip (Manhattan)
Precision Microwave (Manhattan)
Scout, DMV Solutions (Leawood)
Swipe Rep (Hutchinson)
These ten Kansas startups appreciated the growth momentum gained and new connections forged through the education sessions and networking opportunities given by the program. AVP and EGV look to open applications soon for the fall, as they aim to serve and educate more entrepreneurs about growth capital and forge connections between more founders and investors in the future.
To express interest in applying for the Fall 2024 Accessing Growth Capital Series, email conor@nxtus.io.