KCRise Fund — Full Portfolio

Backstitch provides internal communications and employee engagement software for organizations across industries including non-profits, health systems, manufacturing, and hospitality.

Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSKansas City, US

Jordan P. Warzecha(Executive Officer, Director)Stefanie M. Warzecha(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardChris Seago(Director)

Board seatDarcy Howe· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsCapital Midwest FundMissouri Technology CorporationSandalphon CapitalTechstarsSerra Ventures

Cariloop provides digital and human-centered support services to relieve stress and anxiety experienced by family caregivers.

Enterprise SoftwareHealthtechHR TechImpact & Social GoodSaaSDallas, US

Michael Walsh(Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Chair)inSteven Theesfeld(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardMichael Stoltz(Director)

Board seatDarcy Howe· per SEC Form D

Co-investors1843 CapitalABS Capital PartnersGreen Park & Golf VenturesHealth WildcattersNoro-Moseley PartnersRise of the Rest Seed

Daupler develops a response management platform for utilities, public works, and service organizations to manage service requests and emergency situations more efficiently.

Enterprise SoftwareGovTechRoboticsSaaSKansas City, US

John Bertrand(Founder and CEO)Ryan Rosenbaum(CTO)

BoardTom Ferguson(Director)inJiten Manglani(Director)

Board seatDarcy Howe· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsBURNT ISLAND VENTURESKnoll VenturesRunway Venture PartnersSandalphon CapitalTechstars

Idle Smart makes automated idle reduction systems for heavy-duty trucking fleets, cutting fuel use, downtime, and CO2 emissions from extended engine idling.

CleantechIoTLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationLenox, US

Jeff Lynch(Founder & CEO)inJeffrey Lynch(Executive Officer)

Board seatDarcy Howe· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsBeacon AngelsClimate Innovation CapitalEvergreen Climate InnovationsStout Street CapitalSustainVCThe Alchemy Fund

Columbia, US

Sarah Elizabeth Hill(Executive Officer, Director)

Board seatDarcy Howe· per SEC Form D · $2.5M raise · filed Dec 2023

AI assistant for doctors that listens, charts, and codes medical visits automatically.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Machine learning company quantifying higher education value to help students find meaningful careers.

Kirkland, US

Adam Wray(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohn Connors(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsCity Light

Attane Health provides nutritious groceries and educational resources tailored for people with chronic health conditions.

Digital HealthFoodTechHealthtechWellness & Fitness

Emily Brownin

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investors1st Course CapitalBluestein VenturesMissouri Technology CorporationBeta Boom

Backlot Cars is a wholesale vehicle marketplace that provides high-quality engine recordings with AI-generated issue detection for dealer vehicles, helping wholesale buyers source inventory across various age, condition, and price points.

AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesMobility & Transportation

Justin Davis(Founder)inFabricio SolanesJosh ParsonsRyan Davis

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investors500 GlobalChaifetz GroupOrigin VenturesRevolutionRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcSazze+4 more

Workers' compensation management software company managing employee lifecycle from hire to retirement.

Overland Park, US

Matthew Condon(Executive Officer, Director)Jeff Hogland(Executive Officer, Director)Paul Morris(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardRobert K Green(Director)Matthew Ferguson(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsMatrix Capital ManagementNewRoad Capital Partners, LLC

Stay AI is a subscription management platform for Shopify brands, using machine learning and reinforcement models to reduce churn and grow recurring revenue through AI-optimized cancel flows, automated winbacks, cohort analytics, and no-code retention tools.

AI & Machine LearningE-commerceRetail TechSaaSWamego, US

Matt Moody(Founder)inMatthew Moody(Executive Officer, Director)Daron Jamison(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardLaura Brady(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcTechstarsSaas Ventures, L.L.C.

Benefitbay is an end-to-end ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) administration platform that lets employers set contribution budgets and employees shop for and enroll in individual health plans while retaining group-plan tax advantages.

HealthtechHR TechInsurTechKansas City, US

Brandy Burch(Executive Officer, Director)Zach Andrew Harris(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohn McIlwraith(Director)Scott Shane(Director)inDavid Lambert(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsInvest NebraskaTen Coves Capital

Leawood, US

William A. Cilluffo(Director)inRobert R. O'Blennis(Executive Officer)Chris K. Costello(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Randall AufDerHeide(Executive Officer, Promoter)Greg Smith(Executive Officer)Kevin M. Conard(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsQED Investors

Game-based learning platform for K-6 students delivering gamified e-learning with analytics.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsPlains Ventures

Boddle develops interactive learning software for students that adapts to individual learners and tracks their academic performance.

EdTechTulsa, US

Edna Martinson(Executive Officer)Clarence Tan(Executive Officer, Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsAtento CapitalCortado VenturesLightship CapitalPlains VenturesScout Fund

Bungii is a national final-mile carrier providing on-demand delivery of large, bulky, non-parcel, and palletized items across retail, logistics, and fulfillment sectors.

Logistics & Supply ChainMarketplacesMobility & TransportationSaaSOverland Park, US

Benjamin Jackson(Executive Officer, Director)Ben JacksoninHarrison Proffittin

BoardHarrison Profitt(Director)Kevin Winkley(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsCadron Capital Partners

Celerity provides end-to-end automation for the SPA (special pricing agreement) lifecycle, handling data ingestion, transformation, validation, claim submission, and reconciliation.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSKansas City, US

Megan O'Rear(Executive Officer, Director)John Mitchell(Director)

BoardRobert Green(Director)Dana Abraham(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsIron Prairie

Click-Ins provides AI-based vehicle inspection technology that automatically processes car images to detect and measure damage, recognize car parts across models, and generate inspection reports.

AI & Machine LearningInsurTechMobility & Transportation

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsCabra VCSmart Partnership Capital

Overland Park, US

Randall Wasinger(Executive Officer, Director)Randy Wasinger(Founder)in

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsalphabet angelsGobi PartnersMetastableRed Beard VenturesSora VenturesAnimoca Brands+1 more

Web3 platform connecting phone numbers to blockchain wallets for enterprise use cases.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Degree Insurance offers an insurance product marketed around guaranteeing outcomes tied to earning a degree.

InsurTech

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsTrust Ventures

Social media intelligence company helping clients identify influential customer segments.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Decarbonization-as-a-Service platform connecting organizations with cleantech vendors for climate action.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

PlayVS is a scholastic esports platform that provides officially sanctioned competitive leagues and educational programs for high school and middle school students across North America.

EdTechGamingSports Tech

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsClearVision EquityMoore Venture Partners

Goldfinch Health offers a surgery support program focused on improving pain management and recovery while reducing unnecessary opioid use after surgery.

Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessAustin, US

John Greenwood(Founder)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Healium is an immersive wellness platform that pairs VR with real-time biometric data such as EEG brainwaves and heart rate to give clinicians measurable, drug-free tools for managing patients' stress, anxiety, and pain.

Digital HealthHealthtechMental HealthWellness & Fitness

Sarah Hill(Founder)Dr. Jeff Tarrant(Co-founder)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsCitrine AngelsMissouri Technology CorporationNueterra Capital

Neonatal care technology developer for preterm and full-term infants.

BiotechOlathe, US

R. Bruce Richardson(Executive Officer)Michael D. Peck(Executive Officer)in

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsFlyover Capital

Kenzen develops AI-powered occupational health and safety systems that integrate predictive analytics and real-time monitoring to reduce workplace injuries and improve workforce performance.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechHR TechSan Francisco, US

Sonia Sousa(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJake Ireland(Director)Lorenzo Thione(Director)Steven Pecko(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcWorking Capital FundEvolution VC PartnersSignal Peak Ventures

Creator of Balance, a superfood shot delivering half a day's recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

FINRA-registered broker-dealer and online exchange for trading secondary real estate investment vehicles.

Overland Park, US

Brian King(Executive Officer, Director)Annemarie Tierney(Executive Officer, Director)Jeremy Smith(Executive Officer, Director)Jeffrey S. Kinney(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohn Fein(Director)inGary Fish(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsFirebrand VenturesVista Equity Partners

Kansas City, US

Ronald T LeMay(Executive Officer, Director)Holly OKeefe(Executive Officer)Lance LeMay(Executive Officer, Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, Llc

Virtual primary care and patient advocacy company providing on-demand dedicated care teams.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

FinTech platform offering revenue-based financing for B2B subscription-based companies.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Cloud-based AI agents for healthcare administrative tasks and revenue cycle optimization.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

AR-driven order fulfillment platform with machine learning to optimize retail operations.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

PayIt provides digital payment and online services platforms to government agencies, helping residents pay bills and renew services online.

FintechGovTechSaaSKansas City, US

John Thomson(Founder and CEO)inMike Plunkett(Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer)John P Thomson(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Plunkett(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardScott Murphy(Director)inKevin Childress(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsInsight PartnersGovtech VenturesMissouri Technology CorporationRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcWeatherford CapitalAdvantage Capital Partners+1 more

IoT operating system and service delivery platform for enterprise IoT solutions.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Micro-learning platform delivering bite-sized training for deskless workforces.

Blue Springs, US

Tucker Garrett Graves(Co-manager)Greg Paul Gorgone(Co-manager)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Plotly builds data visualization tools and platforms for analysts, engineers, scientists, and coding agents, including open-source graphing libraries and frameworks plus cloud and self-hosted app platforms.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper Tools

Co-investorsVanedge CapitalACME CapitalGroundBreak VenturesSeven Seven SixSuffolk TechnologiesXYZ Venture Capital

Plot is an AI video social listening platform that watches, listens to, and reads social video to capture brand mentions and turn them into signals for marketing teams.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS

Thomas Chang Min Jeon (He/Him)(Founder)in

Co-investorsACME CapitalBroom VenturesTrust FundGroundBreak VenturesSeven Seven SixSuffolk Technologies+1 more

SaaS-based jobsite management software for construction project coordination and communications.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

PLOT is a construction coordination tool that manages delivery and procurement, replacing logistics plan PDFs, delivery whiteboards, and procurement log spreadsheets.

Construction TechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Co-investorsAlloy PartnersGroundBreak VenturesIron PrairieSuffolk Technologies

API for transforming rich-media content like videos and podcasts into LLM-ready data.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Marketplace connecting fleets and drivers to a nationwide network of mechanics with AI-powered repair insights.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Roz builds AI tools for auditors, with a focus on security, compliance, and technology.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechLegalTechSaaS

Donnie Hampton(Founder)in

Co-investorsEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Service Provider CapitalG9 VenturesOutlander VCSilas Capital Partners

AI-native compliance platform automating manual document review and audit evidence gathering.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

AI-powered sales enablement solution using natural language processing for top-of-funnel prospecting.

Kansas City, US

Nicholas Smith(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardMichael Rockhold(Director)inJean-Luc Vanhulst(Director)inJohn Tedesco(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsLewis & Clark VenturesValor Ventures

AAHA-compliant web-based platform for veterinary hospitals managing dental and anesthesia workflows.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

ShotTracker builds real-time data and AI-driven analytics technology for basketball, using sensor hardware to capture game data.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureHardwareSaaSSports TechMission Hills, US

Davyeon D Ross(Executive Officer, Director)Ianni C Bruce(Executive Officer, Director)Davyeon Ross(Co-Founder & CEO)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsIrishAngelsR/GA VenturesSeventySix CapitalVerizon Ventures

AI-based smart building platform for performance and operations management.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Medication adherence system capturing patient data to drive behavioral interventions.

HealthtechOverland Park, US

MICHAEL J HUFFER(PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)VICTOR CHU(SECRETARY AND TREASURER)STEPHAN VALTER(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardCHARLES W SCHELLHORN(Director)MICHAEL K MCMAHAN(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Advanced ManufacturingGrandview, US

DARYLL NOTTINGHAM(DIRECTOR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND CONTRACTS)JEFFERY T. KOSTOS(PRESIDENT AND CEO, MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBER)JOON KIM(CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER AND MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBER)MITCH MABREY(VICE PRESIDENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING)

BoardMICHAEL YIM(MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBER)DENNIS ODELL(MANAGEMENT BOARD MEMBER)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsEmerald Technology Ventures AgABB Technology VenturesChevron Technology VenturesEvergy VenturesNabtesco Technology Ventures

Kansas City, Missouri-based data and systems security platform using blockchain and encryption technology.

Lenexa, US

William Wolf(Director)Michael Madden(Director)Laura Gowans(Executive Officer)Alan Fairless(Director)William Conroy(Director)David Pearah(Executive Officer, Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsMethod Capital

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsMissouri Technology CorporationNueterra CapitalLeawood Venture Capital Llc

Stay AI is a subscription management platform for e-commerce merchants that enables A/B testing, cross-selling, and personalized offers to reduce churn and increase average order value.

AI & Machine LearningE-commerceMarketing TechSaaS

Gina Perrelli(Co-Founder, CEO)inPierson(Co-Founder)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsRiverPark VenturesRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcWatchfire VenturesTelescope Partners

Advanced ManufacturingFintechInsurTechKansas City, US

Bek Dispatch Abdullayev(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardPat Matthews(Director)in

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsSilicon BadiaTamarind HillTechstarsActive Capital

Advanced monitoring platform for government authorities to electronically supervise criminal justice populations.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

NFT platform providing creator infrastructure, community tooling, and analytics for artists and collectors.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

TripleBlind develops privacy and security software using quantum-safe and cryptographic methods, with two main products: Privacy Suite for HIPAA-compliant sharing of protected health data and SecuriKey, a software-only security module addressing account takeover attacks.

CybersecurityDigital HealthSaaSKansas City, US

Riddhiman Das(Executive Officer, Director)Greg Storm(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Krowne(Director)

BoardThad Langford(Director)in

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsClocktower VenturesFlyover CapitalDolby Family VenturesGeneral Catalyst

Vytelle offers an integrated technology platform for cattle producers to accelerate genetic progress and enable individual animal management.

AgTechBiotechFoodTechSaaSLenexa, US

Kerryann Kocher(Executive Officer, Director)Rudy Leemans(Executive Officer)

BoardDuane Cantrell(outgoing director)inJim Schultz(Director)Robin Readnour(Director)James (Jim) Shafter(outgoing director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsFulcrum Global CapitalMountain Group CapitalSerra Ventures

Whipz is a used-car dealer offering in-house financing with online pre-qualification, letting buyers get personalized payment terms via a 2-minute credit application and browse inventory with real numbers before purchase.

ConsumerFintechMarketplacesMobility & TransportationKansas City, US

Anders Ericson(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardCharles Clow(Director)Paul Ericson(Director)

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsConnetic Ventures

EdTechHR TechWichita, US

Co-investorsTechstarsSandalphon Capital

Hiring and career discovery marketplace for skilled-trade and service industry workers.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Technology platform for resident engagement and smart home solutions in apartment communities.

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Zohr provides mobile tire replacement and repair services that come directly to customers at their location.

Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesConsumerMobility & TransportationKansas City, US

PartnerDarcy Howe· solo GP

Co-investorsExpansion Venture CapitalFirebrand VenturesM25TechstarsTrucks VC