Two more businesses are joining Digital Sandbox KC, allowing them to tap into a range of resources for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Drones4Hire has built a platform that makes it easy for people and companies to hire drone pilots who are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Hidden Abilities has created a device – the Read ‘n Style pen – that will scan printed text and translate it to audio. It’s designed to help people struggling with dyslexia.
Hidden Abilities and Drones4Hire are joining Digital Sandbox KC under a partnership that it has with the City of Independence and the Independence Economic Development Council.
“The partnership with Independence is doing exactly what we’d hoped it would,” said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC. “We are continuing to feed the funnel and drive both the quality and quantity of entrepreneurs entering the market.”
The two companies will get up to $20,000 in product development funding, coworking space at WerksLab and support from the Independence Ennovation Center’s iNtech Growth Program.
“Funding from Digital Sandbox KC will help us move forward,” said Cory Mullins, founder and CEO of Drones4Hire. “The co-working space and support at the Ennovation Center will be a fantastic resource as we expand our company’s platforms to provide a truly exceptional drone hiring service for our clients.”
“This grant from the Sandbox is a tremendous boost for Hidden Abilities,” said Payden Miller, president and co-founder of Hidden Abilities. “With funding from the Sandbox and help from the experts at the Ennovation Center, we’ll be able to start building an intellectual property portfolio that will protect our invention and add great value to our company. We are so grateful for this support.”
Digital Sandbox KC provides proof-of-concept funding, training and other support to early-stage companies. As a result of its work, about three dozen companies have been created, along with more than 480 jobs and more than $12 million in payroll.
“The Independence EDC is pleased to work with Hidden Abilities and Drones4Hire and help the founders take their ideas to market,” said Lee Langerock, executive director of the Ennovation Center. “Both companies are great iNtech growth program clients and, with the help of our experts, will have the support and resources needed to realize their business goals. We appreciate the investment that the Sandbox Independence program is making in these early-stage technology companies.”
