UMKC Innovation Center partners with the university and the community to spark and sustain entrepreneurial efforts within our region and across the country.

KCSourceLink connects KC entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time.

MOSourceLink connects Missouri entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time.

Whiteboard2Boardroom connects entrepreneurs and businesses to technologies available for licensing.

Digital Sandbox KC provides early-stage proof-of-concept support for digital products.

Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center provides technical assistance to startup and existing businesses.

ScaleUP! Kansas City helps businesses with revenues around $200K scale toward their first $1 million.

Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers helps local businesses obtain government contracts.

KCInvestED helps investors learn more about investing in KC startups.

SourceLink® helps communities nationwide build vibrant and vital entrepreneurial ecosystems.
UMKC Innovation Center
UMKC Innovation Center

Guide: Innovation-Led  Part One

Do You Have a Marketable Product?

Determine the feasibility of your product or service.

Successful entrepreneurs must first answer the question of feasibility…you have an idea or a technology. Will it do what it’s intended to do? Can you produce it? What’s the value proposition?

The following resources can help you with concept definition and testing; manufacturing assessments (to determine whether the product can be produced efficiently); and prototype development.

 

Advanced Manufacturing Institute

The Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Kansas State University provides a broad range of services and project management resources to both private industry and researchers to advance the commercial readiness of new products or technologies.

Bloch Venture Hub

3 Levels with 3 purposes - an ideation lab to help entrepreneurs refine, and plan startups; an incubator to launch and aid new ventures with mentoring, education, and other critical resources; and an accelerator to scale and grow young businesses.

Digital Sandbox KC

Digital Sandbox KC provides proof-of-concept resources including market validation, prototyping and beta testing support for development of digital technologies within new and existing businesses.

FabLab MCC-Business & Technology

FabLab is a resource for individuals to access tools, technology and training. The lab is filled with machines that allow members to design and fabricate many different concepts into working prototypes.

Hammerspace Community Workshop & Makerspace

Hammerspace is a 7000 square foot workshop facility which is home to Kansas City's community of makers, crafters and inventors. It's like a gym for people who build stuff!

Inventors Center of Kansas City

ICKC provides a learning forum for inventor/entrepreneurs and those in allied fields, benefiting all involved. Our purpose is to provide innovative education and support that will stimulate members to guide their ideas through the idea development process.

Kansas Department of Agriculture

The mission of the KDA Agricultural Marketing, Advocacy and Outreach Team is to serve all Kansans through innovative programming and delivering solutions designed to create an environment that facilitates growth and expansion in agriculture while increasing pride in and awareness of the state's largest industry - agriculture.

K-State Research and Extension - Johnson County

K-State Research and Extension - Johnson County offers resources and referrals for small business development with emphasis on agriculture, horticulture, and food based businesses.

Leanlab Education

LEANLAB Education is an organization that builds communities and launches transformational innovations into K12 schools.

Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center

MAMTC helps companies realize never ending growth in the rapidly changing global marketplace by helping make American businesses more innovative at home and more competitive abroad.

Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC)

Mid-America TAAC assists domestic manufacturers negatively impacted by import competition by providing cost share grant funding to implement improvement projects to make a business more globally competitive.

Missouri Enterprise - Kansas City

Missouri Enterprise is an organization of entrepreneurial manufacturing and business professionals, operating in 7 locations throughout Missouri, dedicated to helping primarily small and medium size businesses (primarily but not exclusively manufacturers) succeed.

The Device Labs

The Device Labs in Shawnee offers coworking and office spaces, engineering and rapid prototyping as well as professional services for every stage of business.

Whiteboard2Boardroom

The Whiteboard to Boardroom project seeks to commercialize technology through a partnership of education, nonprofit and private sector organizations.
Guide: Innovation-Led
Next Part Two: Will Anyone Buy?

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