ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Two new companies in St. Joseph received project funding thanks to the recent partnership between Innovation Stockyard and Digital Sandbox KC.
“Our partnership with Digital Sandbox KC has given us an opportunity to capture the full range of innovative concepts being developed in the St. Joseph area,” said Ronan Molloy, president of Innovation Stockyard.
According to a press release, the Sandbox partnered with the Innovation Stockyard in 2017, along with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri Western State University and other local organizations, to drive new business growth and jobs in St. Joseph and throughout northwest Missouri.
“When we launched Digital Sandbox KC in 2013, we hoped to find 10 high-growth potential companies,” said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC. “Now with more than 100 projects funded and more than $50 million raised in follow-on funding, we’ve proven by supporting early-stage ideas in Kansas City and surrounding local communities like Olathe, St. Joseph and Independence we can drive new business starts and help create new jobs.”
Digital Sandbox KC is a proof-of-concept program that significantly and rapidly moves early-stage entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization. It is a unique collaboration among private, public, university/research and philanthropic organizations.
The companies selected for support include:
Carroll’s Irish Bitters, a St. Joseph-based startup making handcrafted small-batch bitters. In addition to timeless favorites, co-founders Brian Carroll and Christina Hitch are developing new bitters recipes and formulas for bartenders across the region.
“We greatly appreciate the support from St. Joseph and the Sandbox,” said Carroll. “This unbelievable opportunity will help us get our bitters to market and the company ready to scale sooner than we originally anticipated.”
Grant Company, an entrepreneurial communications and marketing company based in St. Joseph. Established in 2017, Grant Company offers a unique marketing and advertising model for agribusiness clientele in the KC Animal Health Corridor and across North America and Europe.
“Funding from the Sandbox gives us an opportunity to expand our internship program with universities across northwest Missouri, helping us to help students in their professional development and identify top talent to ensure the continued growth of our company,” said Eric Grant, managing director of Grant Company LLC.
Carroll’s Irish Bitters and Grant Company received funding from the Sandbox partnership with the Innovation Stockyard in St. Joseph. In addition to up to $15,000 in project development funds, Innovation Stockyard, located inside the Kit Bond Incubator in St. Joseph, will offer the two startups coworking space for three to six months.