GreenLancer scores $277,000 in seed capital, hires 6

GreenLancer recently landed six-figure's worth of seed capital and has added six people to its staff.

The downtown Detroit-based startup calls the M@dison Building home, helping business work green technology into their business models. The nearly 2-year-old business leveraged its growing client base into a Series A round worth $277,000. The Midland-based Blue Water Angels led the round.

That cash will go toward GreenLancer's technology development and online marketing efforts. It is also helping to expand its staff to nine employees and two interns thanks to six new hires and three more job openings in sales, web development and engineering.

"We went from a three-man band to nine people who are working on pretty much a full-time basis," says Michael Sharber, CEO of GreenLancer, formerly GreenLancer Energy.

The Bizdom-born startup guides everyday businesses through the process of integrating green technology into its operations. For instance, it helps supermarkets move things like solar panels or more energy-efficient lighting into its buildings.

"Most of the work we are doing is scattered throughout the Midwest," Sharber says. "They are the electrical and roofing contractors. People who built the local Wal-Mart. The cost of solar has gone down so much people are asking them how much it costs. We hold their hand through the process."

Source: Michael Sharber, CEO of GreenLancer
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.