A recent article on TechCrunch recently heralded the announcement that kWhOURS has been chosen to be among a select few participants in an intensive “boot camp” conducted by Greenstart, a San Francisco-based startup accelerator. (http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/15/greenstart-tightens-focus-goes-after-sexy-cleantech-startups/).  This three-month program features intensive coaching sessions provided by a veritable “who’s who” of prominent cleantech CEO/entrepreneurs and venture capitalists on topics ranging from managing customer growth to product design.   kWhOURS is in very exclusive company indeed – only five clean technology companies were selected from a nationwide pool of 152 applicants.   The selection committee cited an ability to make a large impact and a crucial need in the marketplace as the primary reasons why kWhOURS was honored accordingly (not to mention our stunning good looks).

Our selection points not only to the recognition of energy auditing software as a winning cleantech category, but to the ascension of start-ups focusing on the intersection of energy efficiency and IT.   As energy generators grapple with the implications of the drop in natural gas prices – and  hardware providers focusing on energy efficiency struggle to combat competitors receiving government subsidization overseas,   the investment community has ratcheted up its support of energy management software and SaaS providers to capitalize on the intensifying market traction and potential returns associated with this space.

Much to the delight of all of us at kWhOURS, Greenstart purports to make cleantech “sexy enough to attract investors”.   Whether any of this karma rubs off on our executive team is a subject of open debate. But we are indeed confident that our leaders will undoubtedly enjoy the weekly “red-eye” back to Boston for the next few months.  Fortified by Jet Blue snacks and the sound sleep afforded by those comfy reclining economy seats,  the team looks forward to accelerating the realization of its mission to make energy audits faster, more accurate, and more cost efficient through tablet-based technology and software-enabled improvements to audit processes.