Groover Labs

Some Fridays, you need a cookie for breakfast.

We got some today, thanks to Grant Bellar and Planetary Talent!

Congratulations, Planetary Talent, on being named 2026 Kansas Tech Startup of the Year by FlagshipKansas.Tech at the Ad Astra Tech Summit!

This award recognizes their mission to help growing companies quickly find the talent they need to scale, while creating more opportunities for exceptional people everywhere.

RSVP to attend the Startup Showcase!

Celebrate the successful completion of the inaugural first year of the ACCEL-KS grant program by meeting the founders and learning about their products and innovations.

Join us at Groover Labs on Thursday, June 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

RSVP here: https://loom.ly/Fg95tIM

🌟You're Invited🌟

We're closing on the successful completion of the inaugural year of the Accelerating Concept to Commercialization in Kansas (ACCEL-KS) initiative with a Startup Showcase featuring the twenty-five founders who participated in the program through Groover Labs.

Join us on Thursday, June 11, starting at 2:30 p.m. in our Event Space with featured remarks from Romaine Redman, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer for the Kansas Department of Commerce, and Tracy Hoover, co-founder of Groover Labs.

Over the course of the first year, we engaged entrepreneurs from across the state, resulting in nearly 70 applications spanning multiple sectors and regions. Through a competitive review process, 25 founders ultimately received grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to advance prototype development, commercialization readiness, and market validation activities.

Meet the founders. Learn about their progress. Celebrate with us!

RSVP here: https://loom.ly/Fg95tIM

Congratulations Toadworx!

ACCEL-KS Proof-of-Concept grant recipient and Maker Lab member, Toadworx, was awarded first place in Wichita State University’s Shocker New Venture Competition.

Organized by the Wichita State University's Barton School of Business, the competition gives entrepreneurs the chance to pitch startup ideas, refine their strategies, and compete for funding.

Read more about Toadworx and the competition here: https://loom.ly/M7wxXns