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Leap2

  • Leap2’s 2012 Silicon Prairie Awards tale: From last legs to new investors

    Last year, leading up the 2012 Silicon Prairie Awards, Leap2 was on its last legs. For months we had searched far and wide for new investors. Frustrated, exhausted and burned out, we decided we would send the team up to Omaha to be part of the Awards …

  • Leap2 closes $1.6m round led by Dundee VC, launches new apps

    In its quest to reinvent the mobile search experience, Kansas City, Mo., startup Leap2 today announced it closed a $1.6 million round of funding and launched the latest version of its iOS and Android apps. Since its start more than two years ago, Leap2’s interface and functionality has evolved as the team tries “to reimagine…

  • Sprint CEO opens Big Kansas City by reaching out to startups

    Dan Hesse’s eight years in Kansas City have put him in the front seat for the city’s evolution into an entrepreneurial hub after long being a hub for transportation of livestock and goods. Delivering the opening remarks today at our inaugural Big Kansas City conference, the Sprint CEO connected the dots from the city’s past…

  • Grassroots KC Startup Village fuels high hopes amid uncertain outcomes

    Mike Farmer has spent time in Silicon Valley and New York, but he says he hasn’t seen anything quite like what’s springing up along State Line Road in Kansas City. Farmer is the founder and CEO of Kansas City, Kan.-based mobile search startup Leap2, and his company is part of Kansas City Startup Village (KCSV),…

  • CNN shines spotlight on Kansas City Startup Village (Video)

    CNN show Anderson Cooper 360º on Monday highlighted the entrepreneurial activity taking place in the first neighborhood to receive Google Fiber in the Kansas City area. “In the bustling heart of Kansas City, the pioneer spirit is burning brightly,” CNN’s Tom Foreman reports as footage from the Nov. 28 edition of 1 Million Cups appears.…

  • A (belated) midyear look at the “10 Silicon Prairie startups to watch”

    One counts McDonald’s among its account holders, another carries recognition from the SXSW Interactive Awards and another had its product featured on the PBS News Hour. Seven months ago, none of these milestones had been achieved, but we’ve seen quick progress and achievements. In January, I presented a list of 10 Silicon Prairie companies that…

  • With “Living Search,” updated Leap2 looks to satisfy ongoing curiosities

    Leap2 today released a new version of its mobile app, marking a shift in the startup’s mission to reinvent mobile search. Now in its third version since a November 2011 launch, the app scales back Leap2’s original search verticals – removing categories like social buzz and maps – and puts more focus on a new…

  • America, the startup

    Amazing day yesterday. Leap2 was one of 10 startups from across America that were invited to be a part of the signing of the JOBS Act. During my day, I walked to the White House with the CEO of the Startup America Partnership, Scott Case, and it was during my walk that Scott and I…

  • Prairie Moves: Josh Harbert, Erica Birkman, Jim Howard and more

    Published Tuesdays and Fridays, Prairie Moves keeps our readers informed about career moves, media coverage, product development and more from the companies and individuals we cover on Silicon Prairie News. If you or your company would like to submit one of the items below for our next Prairie Moves post, please email editor@siliconprairienews.com. And if…

  • Thad Langford discusses decision to invest in Leap2 (Video)

    Get Thad Langford going, and he’ll talk at length about the importance of entrepreneurs who have made successful exits investing in other startups. With his involvement in Leap2, Langford is walking the walk to back that talk. Langford, who is currently the executive in residence at OpenAir Equity Partners, was at the helm of Zave…