Meet 7 startups just funded to turn potential into Kansas City-built tech innovation

The latest crop of Digital Sandbox KC companies — earning up to $20,000 in project funding for their concepts — are poised to make significant impacts within their industries, said Jill Meyer, noting a through-line from digital health to AI-powered construction and fantasy sports solutions.

“These exciting innovations show some great promise, and we’re honored that we can fuel their growth,” said Meyer, senior director of Technology Venture Studio, which houses Digital Sandbox KC, a long-running program that provides critical proof-of-concept funding, mentoring and connections to help tech founders build viable innovations.

“Three of these startups are part of the Digital Health KC initiative, which aims to accelerate health care innovations; each has some vital tech that could reshape the sector,” she continued. “All seven startups are on the cusp of something great and have demonstrated they can be leaders in their industries.”

Davis Engle and Sam Shortall, TokenTourney; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Overland Park-based TokenTourney, for example, is a fantasy sports platform that transforms how charities raise money and how universities fund their athletics departments. The Digital Sandbox awardee offers organizations a low-lift, repeatable way to engage donors, while giving them a fun experience and the opportunity to win unique material and experiential prizes.

ICYMI: TokenTourney reimagines fantasy sports play; adding charities, businesses to its roster 

“Digital Sandbox KC funding will enable us to develop major improvements in the customer onboarding process,” said Davis Engle, co-founder of TokenTourney alongside Sam Shortall. “It will also allow us to enhance our front-end and back-end to better serve charities and university athletic departments.”

The other new awardees include:

• Block and Mortar (Usman Wajid), Kansas City, Missouri — Delivers a comprehensive AI-powered platform that enhances the pre-construction process through precision, collaboration and real-time data analysis. Its unique features address the specific challenges developers and key stakeholders face during the planning and early-stage execution of construction projects.

• CIQ Health (Dan Schwarzlander), Overland Park, Kansas — Uses its contract intelligence platform to bring financial clarity to provider-payer relationships, optimizing reimbursements and driving better health care outcomes. (Digital Health KC)

• Jana (Michael Coggins), Kansas City, Missouri — Provides best-in-class operational software for nursing home care. (Digital Health KC)

• Kete (Daniel Cross), Kansas City, Missouri — Enables wealth managers to deliver holistic, family-office-level advice to all their clients.

• Quantum Medical Diagnostics (Dr. Luis F. Acevedo Hueso, Laurie B Acevedo), Overland Park, Kansas — Delivers novel quantum imaging sensing that uses the latest optical and optoelectronic technologies to diagnose tissue-cultured cells non-invasively, non-destructively, continuously and in real time. This quantum imaging sensing will be used broadly to monitor the health and general characteristics of any cells grown ex vivo to provide researchers and clinicians a homogeneous, consistent and reliable well-characterized cells suitable for medical use. (Digital Health KC)

• Vertical Aspect LLC (Christian Stallings, Chris Palmer, Caralynn Swain), Kansas City, Missouri — A pioneering geospatial solutions company that delivers cutting-edge remote sensing, LiDAR, automation and drone-based mapping technologies designed to solve complex spatial challenges for industries, including land surveying, utilities, transportation departments, construction and remote sensing.

Click here to submit an idea to Digital Sandbox KC.

Digital Sandbox KC has now supported nearly 240 startups with project funding and propelled them to receive more than $243 million in follow-on investment since 2013, according to the University of Missouri–Kansas City-based program.

“We are honored to join the 2025 Q2 Digital Sandbox KC cohort,” said Stallings, president of Vertical Aspect. “This funding will accelerate our development of automated volumetric software, positioning us at the forefront of next-generation construction technology. The Sandbox’s support comes at a critical growth phase, enabling us to scale our innovation and bring transformative solutions to the construction industry.”

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