SoftVu, a Kansas City, Mo., company that provides marketing automation strategies to clients in the mortgage lending industry, was acquired by LoyaltyExpress, a Boston-based company. SoftVu was founded in 1999 and earned a 25 Under 25 Award from Thinking Bigger Business Media in 2007. It leverages big data to help mortgage lending companies target consumers and is used by some of the largest banks and mortgage lenders in the U.S….

The Minority Business Development Agency is now accepting nominations for the National Minority Business Awards, the highest commendations the U.S. Department of Commerce gives to a minority-owned company in the United States. The NMBA winners will be honored as part of the National Minority Enterprise Development Week, set this year for Oct. 14-20 in Austin, Texas. According to the MBDA, the National Minority Business Awards “celebrate the achievement of minority…

KCRise Fund announced investments into two local startups, PayIt and Main Street Data, bringing its total funding to $6 million across 14 companies. Since its launching as an initiative of KC Rising in 2016, KCRise Fund has raised $19 million in private capital from corporations, family offices and individuals. The fund targets companies in the Greater Kansas City region who are seeking at least $1 million in capital and have…

AltCap, the Kansas City, Mo.-based community development financial institution that supports new business development and capital investments in distressed communities, is expanding further into the metro area. Previously serving Jackson, Cass, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, AltCap’s reach will now include Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas. “We look forward to welcoming AltCap to Kansas City, Kansas,” said David Alvey, mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of…

Recent investments lend proof that Digital Sandbox KC is working. Digital Sandbox KC, a program providing proof-of-concept resources for new and existing businesses, received two recent grants totaling nearly $1 million. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation renewed its support for the program with $450,000, and the Missouri Technology Corp. awarded a $500,000 MOBEC grant. “Digital Sandbox KC plays a pivotal role in the Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Erin Jenkins,…