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.

[adinserter block="4"]

2018 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Meet 20 entrepreneurs primed to scale their ventures through KC program’s 15th cohort

    By Tommy Felts | August 18, 2025

    Transformational opportunities await growth-minded entrepreneurs from across Kansas City’s wide range of industries, said Jill Hathaway, noting business leaders from sports tech to roofing, brewing to nutrition counseling, can scale with the right coaching, perspective and connections. ScaleUP! Kansas City on Monday announced its 15th cohort of 20 local companies looking to create new jobs,…

    Plaza food hall returns with Lula’s, Guy’s, J. Rieger and more KC foodie favorites inside

    By Tommy Felts | August 18, 2025

    A hotel food hall — just up the hill from a main artery of the Country Club Plaza — is planning a restaurant rally this week; reopening its shared culinary experience with some of the Kansas City food scene’s biggest local brands and a food hall rarity: full-service. Under new management, a new name, and…

    Fit Truk shifts gears, building mass by scaling custom-built mobile gyms across US

    By Tommy Felts | August 15, 2025

    Fit Truk has traded its hometown workout circuit for a manufacturing floor and an international sales map. The Kansas City-born company is now producing custom-built mobile gyms for clients across the country and abroad. “We have three different models of trucks,” said Josh Guffey, co-founder of Fit Truk. “We have trucks going out all over…

    Down to vibes: Fans of fellow their musicians form Kansas City dream pop group Silvee

    By Tommy Felts | August 15, 2025

    Kansas City’s lineup of creative talent plays best when musicians can plug into bands where they’re needed most, said Sky Cowdry, describing an inclusive local music scene built on shared resources, and sounds. Silvee — a singer-songwriter-driven dream pop group infused with rock and roll (and set to perform at Tuesday’s Small Biz to Watch…