5 Innovative startups to explore + Tesla may land a plant in your state!
“Design and technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizkids turn their bright ideas into useful products.” -- James Dyson
Today’s itinerary:
March 18, 2020
TAKEOFF!
Good morning passengers!
Today we cruise over five startups in our region that are using technology to solve a diverse set of problems.
From ear computers that are miniature IoT devices, to an Oklahoma City company that will come directly to your car for a fill-up; an interesting business in these lock down days.
And speaking of the coronavirus, healthcare staffing will continue to be a challenge, and there’s a startup in Iowa that is tackling it with a healthcare temp placing service.
Destiny is scaling in KC with digital savvy customers and we introduce what may be a new concept (to many) called neuromarketing.
Sounds pretty crazy? Check it all out below. 1. KC startup gains a partner, designs new “ear computer” 
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Micro-hearables have been around for a while, and they’re getting smaller and smaller—but maybe not as small as those produced by KC’s Ear Micro. Not only are these hearables tiny (the company says they’re half the size of most competitors'), they’re ear computers. So while they’re capable of providing audiophile sound quality, they can also host native apps, deliver biofeedback, and control IoT devices, just for starters.
The company recently partnered with the venerable Klipsch Group, Inc., a speaker manufacturer based in Indiana. The two are launching a new hearable, the T-10, which combines the high-end Klipsch sound quality with Ear Micro’s miniature, component-packed design. Pre-order signups are underway, with the product expected to roll out in the fall.
2. Mobile fuel delivery saves gas station hassles Wouldn’t it be nice if you could pull up an app on your phone and have someone come fuel your car, maybe replace the wiper blades, and do a bit of detailing while you’re at work or lounging at home watching The Real Housewives? Well, whether you’re parked at work or at home—and assuming you live in the Oklahoma City metro area—Fueldup can handle all that for you.
Customers pay $2.99 to order a fill-up, with discounts for those who sign up for a monthly membership. And because Fueldup buys its gas wholesale, prices are competitive with area gas stations.
To deliver the fuel, the company commissioned production of 10 F-250 trucks, with more on the way. Drivers have their CDLs and are licensed to transport hazardous materials.
And while the startup currently serves just OKC, it plans to expand the business to more locations, as well as adding services like oil changes and other auto maintenance work.
3. A hiring solution for understaffed healthcare facilities The US has a serious lack of doctors—and it’s facing a shortage of almost 122,000 by 2032, according to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Fourth-year University of Iowa medical student Jon Lensing is well aware of the crisis and its impact.
“It’s kind of been drilled into our brain since the first year of medical school that there’s a huge shortage of doctors and it’s having massive effects on the population’s health,” he said.
So Lensing, along with several others, has created an internet hiring platform to help ease the situation.
The platform, called Apollo, is designed to match healthcare facilities needing temporary coverage with providers who can step in and help out. Apollo has been in beta testing for a month and is expected to roll out in June.
4. The future looks bright for fintech Destiny Kansas City-based Destiny occupies a specialized niche in the fintech world. It facilitates debt management, but with a twist: Destiny’s focus is on bridging the gap between banks and their millennial customers, who aren’t always well served by traditional banking services. Destiny is working with financial institutions to provide tools that their digital-first customers can use to efficiently pay off their debts—while helping those institutions build loyalty and increase retention.
Destiny jumped into the startup world as part of the first Fountain City Fintech cohort in 2018. Now it’s participating in a new fintech track at New York-based accelerator Nex Cubed.
Parker Graham, Destiny co-founder and CEO, thinks they’re headed in the right direction.
“We’re at a completely different spot in our company timeline,” he told Startland News. Now, he says, they have a commercialized product, customers, a tech strategy, and connections in the financial sector. “We’re just going to continue to juggle and keep grinding.”
5. Social media meets neuroscience in Cincy marketing firm Hidden Falls Media, based in the Cincinnati Metro, is taking a different approach to digital marketing—and it’s working. The key is to build campaigns that get at what people really want. Nothing surprising there, but here’s the twist: Hidden Falls uses neuroscience and psychology to develop its marketing strategies based on neurological data.
This “neuromarketing” approach relies on brain activity measurement technology to gauge customer response to various products and how they’re marketed. It also uses AI to build marketing campaigns based on psychological profiles of a client’s ideal customer.
Hidden Falls Media has a long list of services, such as branding, web design, advertising, creative, and marketing, and it works in various industries, including manufacturing, landscaping, law, and healthcare.
LANDING!
Tilburg, Holland. Aerial view of Tesla Motors factory Photo by Aerovista Luchtfotografie via Shutterstock
Tesla scouting locations in central U.S. for new factory
Tesla founder, Elon Musk, is taking a cue from Amazon and is planning to expand his operations to the Midwest. On March 10, he tweeted “Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory. Will be in central USA.”
St. Louis is one city that is setting up a bid and reaching out to Tesla officials to see what exactly they’re looking for. TechCrunch reports that Tesla is already in negotiations with Nashville city officials.
FINAL APPROACH
Rolls-Royce partners with Purdue U.S. defense engines SkySpecs, a sustainable energy company in Ann Arbor that uses drones to inspect wind turbines, recently closed on $17 million in funding. SkySpecs contributes its success—their drone tech now operates in 19 countries—to the growth of wind power in the U.S. and elsewhere. According to the American Wind Energy Association, there are now 100,125 MW of wind energy with over 57,700 wind turbines operating across 41 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
It's ... Name that Fast Future city!
Useless information that is strangely fascinating.
One of the casualties of the preventative actions taken to ward off further spread of the Covid-19 virus was this year’s NCAA March Madness tournament. In honor of all the excitement the tourney has given to us over the years, we’re going devote today’s trivia to the most incredible plays in its history. We’ll give you a player’s name and you give us the team and the team’s home city.
Click here for today's answers.
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