Idle Smart posts Series A round with KCRise Fund, multimillion-dollar investment support
October 24, 2018 | Austin Barnes
A multi-million dollar investment round has Kansas City-grown Idle Smart revving its engine and accelerating toward rapid growth in 2019, revealed Jeff Lynch, company president.
“I think it’s a reflection of what the team has been able to create over the past few years,” Lynch said of Idle Smart’s completion of a milestone Series A funding effort.
The round was led by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, but also included significant support from the KCRise Fund and Service Provider Capital, he said. Stout Street Capital and Clean Energy Fund have also invested in the company, according to online Crunchbase reports.
Known for its patented, energy-saving technology that automates engine start-stops of fleet vehicles, Lynch said the cash infusion will greatly contribute to the internal growth of the company.
“Our business to date commands that we need to build, grow, and enhance our team in advance of what we think will be even better years in 2019, 2020, and 2021,” he said.
Idle Smart’s personnel upgrades will focus on technical expertise, U.S. and international sales forces, and internal account management functions, Lynch added.
“We think it’s a positive sign and a positive year mark in terms of our future opportunities and potential for success,” he said.
In addition to internal growth, Idle Smart is now in the process of relocating its offices from the Kansas City Startup Village to Plexpod Westport Commons, Lynch said.
Idle Smart was one of the first companies to inhabit the startup village –– a series of homes nestled within the 45th Street and State Line Road neighborhoods that first welcomed Google Fiber, which came to Kansas City in 2012.
Featured Business

2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KC Social Innovation Center kicks off with $100K
Education in Kansas City is receiving an innovative boost. Village Capital, a global entrepreneurial development organization, recently announced that Kansas City will be one of its pioneer “VilCap communities.” The KC Social Innovation Center, or KCSIC, will manage Kansas City’s VilCap community. The organization — launched by Think Big Partners in May — focuses on education…
Events Preview: Think Big Customer Experience Showcase
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Kansas City Developer Conference When: June 23 – 24 Where: Kansas City Bartle Hall This event draws a large audience…
It’s back: TEDxKC returns to ‘question everything’
Ticket sales for the popular lecture series “TEDxKC” kick off next Tuesday. With a theme to “question everything,” the eighth-annual TEDxKC will welcome innovators, artists, activists and researchers from around the world to share their big ideas. TEDxKC is a wildly popular event in Kansas City, garnering sellout crowds not only at its host location,…
Trio of tech startups hop in the Digital Sandbox
A trio of tech startups have entered the Kansas City-based incubator Digital Sandbox KC. Led by entrepreneur Jeff Shackelford, the incubator welcomed Flokk, Routine Success and Tapyness into its program. Digital Sandbox invests up to $25,000 in area businesses for specific projects that help the firms secure additional funding. The organization has now supported 73…
