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
KU Innovation Park names new CEO as business incubator ramps up regional eco devo efforts
LAWRENCE — A longtime financial executive at the KU Innovation Park who successfully led funding efforts for the nonprofit economic development organization’s sprawling campus has been officially named its CEO. Adam Courtney most recently served as CFO for the Lawrence-based KU Innovation Park before being named interim CEO in September 2023 after the passing of the…
Book lovers can finally go down The Rabbit Hole at a new North KC children’s literature museum
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. The new museum in North Kansas City’s Iron District is dedicated to immersing kids and their parents in the world of…
How the Kauffman Foundation is tripling down on its KC-focused strategy with trio of high-profile hires
Three new executives are joining the leadership team at one of Kansas City’s most-impactful foundations — a move meant to deepen connections to the city and drive a renewed approach to its mission of economic stability, mobility and prosperity for all. The trio — two Kansas City natives who became experts in their fields and a…
Food bank leases Lawrence restaurant to provide fresh eats for Kansans in need
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Lawrence, Kansas — Nearly a year after the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended…