Idle Smart earns $125K in national clean energy program
December 1, 2016 | Bobby Burch
Idle Smart recently was dubbed a top clean-energy firm and won some substantial investment capital for its technology.
Based in Kansas City, Kan., the company was voted by its peers as the top firm in the Energy: US 2016 program, nabbing $125,000 for its smart thermostat device for fleet vehicles, such as semi-trucks. The company’s device only kicks the truck on when necessary to maintain the temperature of the cabin, recharge batteries or create engine warmth, thus saving fuel and mitigating environmental impact.
To win the program, nine startups ranked each other in a peer-selection process and named Idle Smart as the top firm. The Autonomous Tractor Corporation won second prize and $100,000.
Village Capital, the New Belgium Family Foundation and Sustainable America awarded Idle Smart the funds. As part of the program, Idle Smart also received mentoring from industry experts and potential investors.
Founded by CEO Jeff Lynch in 2012, Idle Smart is based in the Kansas City Startup Village and owns a patent on its smart thermostat tech. In July, Startland News named the company as one of its top under-the-radar startups in Kansas City.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Five Elms Capital leads $7.4M round in San Diego firm
Five Elms Capital is the lead investor in a $7.4 million finance round for a San Diego-based security firm. The Kansas City-based investment group is backing Trackforce, a SaaS provider of operations management tools for security guard operators. The company’s GuardTek software suite is used by more than 80,000 users at over 8,000 sites in…
Rockstar team forming at KC-based Firebrand Ventures
A venture fund’s success is determined by its ability to find and evaluate the best deals. And that job is a whole lot easier when you have a team with decades of technology investment experience guiding your decisions — as is the case with Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures. Launched in July by John Fein, Firebrand…
Charlotte Street Foundation launches program for arts, culture startups
The Kansas City-based Charlotte Street Foundation is launching a program to support emerging arts and culture startups in the area. The foundation’s “Startup Residency” program will offer its participants 12 months of free storefront space at Charlotte Street’s Project Space in downtown Kansas City, professional development training, mentoring and marketing opportunities. “We noticed that a…
International business program ScaleUpU taps KC as inaugural city
Kansas City has been nationally recognized for its plethora of startup resources. And thanks to the launch of a new, international program, the area has more opportunities to grow its mid-sized firms that hope to become Kansas City’s next billion-dollar business. After its launch in January, ScaleUpU aims to take 15 midsized Kansas City companies…