Mozilla Invests 59,000 In Three Kansas City Startups

Three Kansas City startups will receive a combined 59,000 from the Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund to expand and develop programs that promote innovation in the classroom. KC Social Innovation Center, PlanIT Impact and Pennez were awarded money for using Kansas City's gigabit internet to create new ways to learn. The KC Social Innovation Center will give students real-world experience in the emerging'Internet of Things' industry. The internet of things is the network of physical objects -- devices, vehicles, buildings -- containing software, sensors and internet connectivity that enable them to collect and exchange data. PlanIT Impact is a tool that provides architects, planners and designers with information on how a building or site will utilize energy, emit greenhouse gases and perform in other ways by using open data to create interactive 3D models.