Key Takeaways
- • Sixteen founders from across the Heartland completed the nine-week Accessing Growth Capital Series (AGCS), organized by Accelerate Venture Partners and Network Kansas/eGrowth Ventures, with a speed pitching event at Keystone CoLab in partnership with Keystone Angels.
- • Each of 14 companies rotated through small investor pods for eight-minute conversations: one minute for the founder's pitch and seven minutes for investor questions and feedback.
- • Conor Adler, director of Accelerate Venture Partners and investment manager for NXTUS, said many founders are learning that venture capital may not be the right route for their business.
- • The program, which began in 2023, has expanded beyond Kansas to include companies from Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, and has placed a push on rural founders.
- • Thomas Papadatos, senior venture investment manager for NXTUS, said the program also serves as a funnel for eGrowth Ventures' own future investments.
Summary
A speed pitching event held Wednesday at Keystone CoLab marked the culmination of the nine-week Accessing Growth Capital Series (AGCS), organized by Accelerate Venture Partners and Network Kansas/eGrowth Ventures and held in partnership with Keystone Angels. Sixteen founders from across the Heartland took part, and 14 of the companies rotated through small pods of investors for eight-minute conversations. The format gave each founder one minute to present the company and opportunity, with seven minutes reserved for investor questions, feedback, and discussion. Participating companies included Homezena (Olathe), Huxedo (Leawood), Surge Holdings (Overland Park), Rescue ID (Fairway), Balm Box (Overland Park), Lumos Equine Intelligence (Shawnee), SteroCore Therapeutics (Lawrence), and playhaus (Kansas City, Missouri).
Organizers said the goal was not for founders to close a round in eight minutes, but to hear directly from active investors about what resonates, what does not, and what needs sharpening before they raise capital. Enrichly founder Romy Carlson, whose Overland Park-based company makes a planning tool for youth activity scheduling, said the format exposed her to investors she would not otherwise have approached, including agriculture investors, though she did not expect them to back an education product. She described it as her first raise and said the program had built her confidence with the tools, skills, and contacts needed to pursue it.
Conor Adler, investment manager for NXTUS and director of Accelerate Venture Partners, said the AGCS program has evolved since its start in 2023 to help founders understand their investability. He said a major takeaway is that many founders conclude venture capital may not suit them, while those who determine it does fit are supported with connections and resources for their growth. The program has also expanded beyond Kansas, with this cohort including companies from Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, and has made a push to bring in rural founders.
The speed pitching event preceded MidxMidwest, which brings together the region's early-stage tech founders, capital providers, and corporate innovators. Several investors from outside the Kansas-Missouri region attended, including one from Nebraska Angels and one from South Dakota First Fund. Thomas Papadatos, senior venture investment manager for NXTUS, said the program allows eGrowth Ventures to meet Kansas founders before they may be ready for investment, serving both as an entrepreneur support function and as a pipeline for its own investments in companies as they grow and scale.
Organizers said the goal was not for founders to close a round in eight minutes, but to hear directly from active investors about what resonates, what does not, and what needs sharpening before they raise capital. Enrichly founder Romy Carlson, whose Overland Park-based company makes a planning tool for youth activity scheduling, said the format exposed her to investors she would not otherwise have approached, including agriculture investors, though she did not expect them to back an education product. She described it as her first raise and said the program had built her confidence with the tools, skills, and contacts needed to pursue it.
Conor Adler, investment manager for NXTUS and director of Accelerate Venture Partners, said the AGCS program has evolved since its start in 2023 to help founders understand their investability. He said a major takeaway is that many founders conclude venture capital may not suit them, while those who determine it does fit are supported with connections and resources for their growth. The program has also expanded beyond Kansas, with this cohort including companies from Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, and has made a push to bring in rural founders.
The speed pitching event preceded MidxMidwest, which brings together the region's early-stage tech founders, capital providers, and corporate innovators. Several investors from outside the Kansas-Missouri region attended, including one from Nebraska Angels and one from South Dakota First Fund. Thomas Papadatos, senior venture investment manager for NXTUS, said the program allows eGrowth Ventures to meet Kansas founders before they may be ready for investment, serving both as an entrepreneur support function and as a pipeline for its own investments in companies as they grow and scale.
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