Don’t be mistaken. GreenLancer, while seemingly just another consulting firm, is a technology company utilizing the cloud for ambitious engineering projects. Instead of hiring a technology firm to plan, say a solar power array, GreenLancer collects all the pertinent data and farms out the work to contractors through its propitiatory and standardized platform.
GreenLancer, a Detroit-based startup, currently focuses on designing solar energy products, but is looking to quickly expand into more alternative energy markets. And with the additional $275k it just raised from four Michigan funds, GreenLancer is quickly headed towards that goal.
The startup got off the ground with $160k in seed funding from the owners of Mersino, a Michigan-based construction company. This latest funding comes from investors throughout Michigan: Bizdom (Detroit), Start Garden (Grand Rapids), Blue Water Angels (Midland) and Northern Michigan Angels (Traverse City).
“GreenLancer has created a hybrid business model that leverages technology with the flexibility of the human touch,” said Rick DeVos, Founder and CEO of Start Garden, one of GreenLancer’s newest investors. “Their assembly line approach has proven that they can provide professional engineering support that is far more cost effective than their brick-and-mortar competitors. This is exactly what the renewable energy industry needs to reduce the soft cost associated with developing clean energy projects.”
This round of funding helped the company hire five full time staffers including the two web developers and a database engineer. With these new hires, GreenLancer is looking to build an API to increase its efficiency.
In the coming months the company hopes to expand into other green markets including hydro-power, geothermal, solid outside fuel cells, and energy efficiency.
“We’re not experts in the fields. We’re experts on the platform” co-founder CEO Michael Sharber told me. GreenLancer is seemingly off to a good start. Founded in late 2011, the company is already showing revenues from projects spanning 32 state and six countries. It’s even more impressive considering the jobs were acquired just from the co-founders personal contacts. GreenLancer plans on opening its platform to general use in early April.