Kansas City-built AskSAMIE, a platform connecting people with occupational therapists and real-world solutions for safe living at home, is hitting a new stride.
Founder Dr. Brandy Archie has been selected for the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator, joining a cohort of eight companies and securing a $220,000 investment. Along with the funding, AskSAMIE gains access to Techstars’ global network of founders, mentors, and operators.
The recognition comes as the startup gains traction and sharpens its model, giving Archie new momentum to scale and broaden adoption.
“It’s a point of validation that somebody else thinks highly enough of the vision we’ve set,” said Archie. “We think we can grow to be a force and make a big change in the world, and they back that with dollars and see that possibility.”
Simple solution to ecosystem
AskSAMIE started with a straightforward mission: help older adults find adaptive equipment and solutions to stay in their homes. But demand from users quickly reshaped the platform.
“We started as a solution for older adults, plain and simple, and it’s grown into an ecosystem approach mostly by the pull of the people, the stakeholders,” said Archie. “Older adults still wanted to see an occupational therapist in person, even though we were offering virtual therapy.”
Occupational therapists also began reaching out with requests that repeated across the board.
“They were saying, ‘I want to start or I have started a private practice in my own community. Tell me how you’ve done what you’re doing,’” said Archie.
That pull from both sides inspired a bigger buildout. Today, AskSAMIE connects patients, families, and providers while offering tools to help therapists launch and grow independent practices. More than 500 occupational therapists are already on the platform, with more expected as new features roll out.
“The evolution of our tools has been from simply helping older adults find solutions to serving anyone with a physical or mental health challenge,” said Archie. “We’re also giving occupational therapists tools to do their work better and the opportunity to meet clients.”
Dr. Brandy Archie delivers her pitch for AskSAMIE during a LaunchKC celebration in November 2025; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Workforce focus unlocks new opportunities
AskSAMIE’s place in Techstars reflects its growing relevance to workforce access and mobility, even if that wasn’t the initial focus, said Archie.
“What we’re doing is helping bring occupational therapists into private practice so they can better serve older adults and people with disabilities trying to live at home,” she explained. “By enabling them to do private practice, we increase availability for occupational therapy and access to care. That’s enabling the workforce.”
The accelerator experience has opened doors beyond the obvious, giving Archie access to seasoned mentors and wider industry insight.
“The level of access has been pretty unparalleled,” said Archie. “Some of the best companies have gone through there, and the mentors all have well-established careers that I can learn from.”
New tools and faster growth
With fresh capital, AskSAMIE is moving quickly. Archie recently brought her co-founder and CTO Willie Apala Flaherty on full time, accelerating development and leading to the release of new subscription tools for occupational therapists.
“The biggest thing is that we brought my co-founder and CTO on full time, which has accelerated the speed of our development,” said Archie. “This week, we released new subscriber tools for occupational therapists, and we’re excited to see people start using them.”
The current focus is adoption, particularly among clinicians, while the Techstars program runs through early June.
LaunchKC winner Dr. Brandy Archie showcases AskSAMIE in November 2025 during a celebration event at J. Rieger; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Partnerships and impact
As the platform expands, Archie sees opportunities to support organizations tackling gaps in care, especially for patients transitioning home and needing in-home support.
“I think what you should watch for next is more adoption of this shared ecosystem between patients, families, and providers,” said Archie. “As our network grows, it becomes a much bigger resource for businesses that are trying to close gaps in care.”
These opportunities could include partnerships with groups managing complex recovery scenarios where speed and access are crucial.
Archie continues to lean on the local startup scene while building a company with national reach, she said.
“I’ve really appreciated the support from the Kansas City community,” said Archie. “It’s helpful to have locally based programming for startup growth and globally based programming because it gives us access to a bigger network.”
“The biggest thing is getting adoption from clinicians,” she added. “Once we have that, we can move forward with more partnerships and create more opportunities for occupational therapists.”
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