Fund Me, KC: Her startup has outgrown its puppy phase; now's your chance to feed its potential – Startland News

Jonaie Johnson at the August launch party for Interplay’s PlayTach smart dog crate
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like Jonaie Johnson’s effort to publicly launch the highly-anticipated PlayTach smart dog crate attachment by Interplay — to share their crowdfunding stories and potentially gain backing from new supporters.

Who are you?
My name is Jonaie Johnson and I am the founder and CEO of Interplay.
Interplay’s PlayTach smart dog crate
At Interplay, we allow busy dog parents to interact and care for their dogs from the click of a button with our patent-pending crate attachment, the PlayTach. With the Interplay PlayTach, a pet parent can now dispense food and water, see and talk, and play music and sound for their dog from their phone while away via the Interplay App.
Simply install the PlayTach to your existing dog crate (or stand if you don’t crate), download the Interplay App, connect the device, and interact with your dog!
Click here to learn more about Johnson and Interplay, which was selected as one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022.
What does your campaign hope to accomplish?
We are preparing to get our product on the market and in the hands of busy dog parents. To do so, we need to put the finishing touches on the product development as we prepare for manufacturing. We’re hoping to use the campaign as momentum to help push us forward through the product development process while making people aware of what we’re building.
Click here to learn more about the PlayTach’s launch.
What’s your ‘why’?
As a team of pet parents, we understand how hard it can be and how much we miss them throughout the day. Our small team has been working tirelessly to create the PlayTach to help connect and give our pets a high level of care. We want to create a better world for both pet parents and their pets.
Click here to check out the Kickstarter campaign for the PlayTach.

How much do you hope to raise with the crowdfunding campaign?
Our campaign launched on Sept. 7 with a goal of $10,000 in 35 days to help get the PlayTach on the market. We have until Oct. 12 to hit our goal. We are already 30 percent funded as of Sept. 12!
How do you plan to use the funds?
The funding will go toward completing product development to get the PlayTach on the market. This includes building out the production-run-ready Android and iOS versions of the Interplay App and manufacturing costs as we prepare to get this product in the hands of customers.
Interplay’s PlayTach smart dog crate
Anything else our readers should know about Interplay/PlayTach or this effort?
Goodies included with some packages for Interplay’s PlayTach smart dog crate
While the PlayTach was designed as a crate attachment, it also works as a stand-alone for dog parents who don’t crate. They will simply purchase our stand, the PlayTach Base, separately and set it anywhere in their home.
Our Kickstarter includes a variety of deals and rewards for our early backers including up to 12 months of the Interplay Premium App for Free, saving up to $50 off the PlayTach, the Premium Play Package, and more!
Click here to explore available packages with the PlayTach pre-order.

This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
1475 Walnut St.
Kansas City, MO 64106
[email protected]
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