Idle Smart posts Series A round with KCRise Fund, multimillion-dollar investment support

October 24, 2018  |  Austin Barnes

Jeff Lynch, Idle Smart

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2018 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    ShotTracker scores partnership with sports equipment giant Spalding

    By Tommy Felts | January 4, 2016

    Overland Park, Kan.-based startup ShotTracker will partner with Spalding, the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, to debut the first multi-player basketball tracking technology. ShotTracker’s technology tracks real-time basketball performance statistics using data from chips embedded in a basketball, players’ shoes, and portable sensors placed around the court. Davyeon Ross, COO of ShotTracker, commented that their…

    After waning state support, Kansas Bioscience Authority will go private

    By Tommy Felts | December 31, 2015

    A formerly state-backed investment organization for Kansas bioscience businesses will soon be transitioning from a public to private organization. After dwindling support from the State of Kansas, the Kansas Bioscience Authority’s board recently voted unanimously to shift the organization to the private market in 2016, allowing portfolio companies to partner with investors in the private…

    Rightfully Sewn founder stitches a vision for Kansas City’s fashion future

    By Tommy Felts | December 29, 2015

    Poised, posh and purposeful, Jennifer Lapka Pfeifer sits straight as a board at Kaldi’s coffee shop with unwavering eye contact. Donning a contoured-floral blue and white dress, Lapka smiles as she poetically recalls painting in high school and learning to sew with her grandmother in rural Kansas. Those experiences fostered a love for fashion, art…

    By the Numbers: A look at Midwest tech investment in 2015

    By Tommy Felts | December 28, 2015

    Startland News recently distilled a report by Lead Bank and investment research firm CB Insights that analyzed the Midwest tech investing scene. Here are a few more of the findings from the nearly 40-page report, as presented by Startland’s Kat Hungerford.