A The series of funding victories stimulates the efforts of a Kansas City startup to automate the most complex – and tedious – compliance work, from own pain points and co -founder resources from a server full of local support for entrepreneurs.
With $ 2.15 million in funding to its credit so far, based in Olathe Roz – Who finds the documentation gaps, automatically draws evidence and continues continuously if companies comply with audits, contracts, regulations – makes the headlines with high -level competitions and accelerators. He won a pilot with a Fortune 100 company and updated both his strategy and his brand.
“We are in a completely different space from the place where we started,” said Sarah Hampton, who co-founded Roz with Donnie Hampton (without relationship in May 2024), “because Donnie and I managed to spend the days, nights and weekends and weekends to build this product without much. Amazing – We have been able to develop our business quite considerably. »»
Financing for the alum of programs based on Kansas City as KC digital sandbox,, Pure pitch rallyAnd Launchkcc Includes a pre-aged 1.875 million dollars this summer, led by Outlander VC with investments by Kcrise funds and providential investors. Roz also benefited from work with the Round table entrepreneurs in New YorkA Super Angel / Accelerator that brought in additional $ 275,000 at the start of 2025.
Digital Sandbox KC’s Awards for the third quarter of 2024: Blake Lappan, Nodwell; Donnie Hampton, Roz; Karli Kujawa, Whatabout; Justin Axtell, Whatabout; and Claire Harrison, Whatabout; PHOTO GUILL OF UMKC Innovation Center
Taking advantage of the resources organized for Kansas City entrepreneurs has helped Roz Pipeline network.
Donnie Hampton, Roz, launched during the event in 2024 of Launchkc; Photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“All have played a really important role in the place where we are today,” said Donnie. “Entering the launch of KC helped us gain more notoriety, opening the door to funding and the community. Pure Pitch Rally presented us with many companies and people who believed in us and helped make initial intros. ”
“And if it was not for the digital sandbox”, he continued, “we would not even have started with some of our development resources. We would probably not have pushed the pedal to the metal there because of this opportunity. They helped us to force a first story like” where are you going? “”
During Roz co-founders with the Entrepreneurs’ round table in New York led to the first big pivot of the startup, they admitted. Initially, their target market was small and medium -sized businesses. But during the accelerator, they realized that focusing on corporate companies made more sense.
“We started with SMEs and, unfortunately, we realized that – no joke – compliance is a bit of a check box for them because they just try to survive,” said Donnie. “But when you enter large complex organizations, they have to do so.”
“If we had not crossed this, I think we would not be with the right ICP (ideal customer profile),” added Sarah. “It really defined who we are as a business, helped create a structure, then really put us in the right way to move to really speed up.”
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Pressing years of confidence
Donnie and Sarah met 15 years ago thanks to a new rental program at Oklahoma Oil and Gas Company where they both worked, shared the co-founders.
“Thus, the first real and large -person work that we both had was the same, how technology will have an impact on the petroleum and gas industry,” said Donnie.
“Ironically, she gives me a lot of credit for her family name,” he added, “what is funny because I presented her, technically, to her husband, who is Daniel Hampton (also without relation to Donnie).”
Even after leaving this work, the two remained close friends, they explained. Then, it is by chance, the two left jobs at the same time and thought of their next steps. Shortly after, Donnie traveled to see Sarah, her husband and common friends.
“One of my tertiary goals was to put Sarah to say:” Hey, do you want to kick the tires on stuff? “”, Remembers Donnie.
Sarah Hampton, co-founder of Roz, Pitches to Pure Pitch Rally Investors in October 2024; Photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
A reluctant revelation
Initially, the duo considered data security automation, but when they realized that it was not the right choice, Donnie turned to manual compliance tasks-an area that Sarah had with pleasure in previous jobs, she said.
Despite her initial resistance, Donnie encouraged her to try to automate the parties of her old work which – as an engineer – she liked the least, said Sarah.
“I didn’t think I would just comply because I hate it so much,” she continued. “And finally, it was probably one of the best decisions I never made, just to try to automate some of the things with which I was personally struggling.”
“It’s a lot of documentation,” she added. “It is a lot of understanding of the controls, by ensuring that they have been implemented, by ensuring that listeners can audit what they need to audit, write policies, write procedures.”
Roz aims to reduce the manual analysis by 90%, noted Sarah, finally taking a process of several months and reducing it to days.
“What we build can really unlock real value and overeating teams,” added Donnie. “Without something like Roz, the alternative is simply impossible or simply manual. Even if you like it – there are some people who do it, which is wild – but even they are like:” Yes, there must be a better way. “”