NXTUS Graduates Fifth Enterprise Engagement Series Cohort During Launch Week
2026 Cohort; Photo courtesy of Darrin Hackney Photography.
Wichita, Kan. – September 15, 2026 – NXTUS, Inc. celebrated the culmination of the fifth-annual NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series yesterday at the Startup-Enterprise Summit, hosted at Cargill Protein Headquarters during Launch Week. The event brought together entrepreneurs, enterprise leaders and community supporters for the graduation of 16 Midwest entrepreneurs and to recognize the 13 enterprise partners that supported the 2026 program.
The program bridges knowledge and access gaps between early-stage entrepreneurs and larger organizations. Startups participated in weekly workshops, one-on-one meetings, and enterprise coaching sessions. They also received Enterprise Playbooks and direct introductions to enterprise leaders, giving them the tools, knowledge and connections needed to build relationships and pursue sales and collaboration opportunities with larger organizations.
“The Enterprise Engagement Series has been incredibly helpful for us. We’ve had follow-up meetings with almost every company we connected with through the program. I always ask, ‘If we were coming in cold, would we have been able to meet with you?’ The answer is always no,” said Ted Kihm, Founder of Euphemystic Ventures. “These relationships give us access to valuable feedback and allow us to pressure-test our assumptions in a way that would be nearly impossible otherwise. It’s an incredible resource for our community.”
This year’s enterprise partners included Berry Companies, Cargill, City of Wichita, Equity Bank, Evergy, IdeakTek, Kansas Department of Commerce, Koch Supplier Strategies, LANGE Companies, iSi Environmental, Sedgwick County, Textron Aviation, and USD 259 Wichita Public Schools.
The 2026 program launched in mid-July and concluded at the Startup-Enterprise Summit, on opening day of Wichita’s Launch Week. At the summit, participants showcased their businesses through fast-paced pitches while connecting with enterprise leaders, entrepreneurs and members of the broader entrepreneurial community.
Since 2022, the program has graduated 96 startups representing seven Midwest states and 22 Kansas counties. Collectively, those companies have generated more than $72 million in lifetime revenue and created or retained 244 jobs.
By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing between startups and established organizations, NXTUS continues to create pathways for entrepreneurs to build relationships, access new opportunities and accelerate business growth across Kansas and the broader Midwest.
The 2026 program was made possible through the generous support of the Enterprise Partners, as well as Network Kansas, the Greater Wichita Partnership through its Opportunity Wichita initiative, and INTRUST Bank. The Startup Enterprise Summit was supported by Capitol Federal, KentAV, Malibu Creative, and BLUXE events.
2026 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series Cohort, representing a diverse mix of technology, human resources, product and service-based businesses:
· AB&C Bilingual Resources (Wichita, KS)
· Aptly (Oklahoma City, OK)
· Avery Boardroom (Wichita, KS)
· Culver-Turner Institute (Wichita, KS)
· Demo Dogs (Wichita, KS)
· EPIC Coaching (Wichita, KS)
· Euphemystic Ventures (Lawrence, KS)
· ExpressIt Messaging (Andover, KS)
· GiftWellSoon (Kansas City, MO)
· MobilityZ Health (Cypress, TX)
· NurtureWell (Fort Smith, AR)
· oneCOMMUNITY (Wichita, KS)
· playhaus (Kansas City, MO)
· Sales Coach Pro (Hutchinson, KS)
· Smart Business Engines (Topeka, KS)
· VisiPay (Olathe, KS)
For more information about the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series or to view the 2026 participants, visit https://www.nxtus.io/enterpriseseries.