Sorry I couldn’t make it to this year’s Global  Cleantech Meetup but am pleased to post information provided  by Harold Simansky about his company, 360 Chestnut , which provides resources for consumers and service providers  in the home improvement market, and about WeFunder, a crowd investing platform for startups.

Both companies are headquartered at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Kendall Square, where I share space, although I have not yet met either Simansky or WeFunder cofounder and President Mike Norman.

Simansky says the two companies “stole the show,” but I’ll bet they got a run for their money (so to speak) from my friend and informal PR client,  Christine Adamow, who announced that her company, EuphorbUS,  which has produced pure fuel oil from tree seeds in Africa since 2007, is setting up shop in Hawaii. [Link to Euphorbus release.]

Simansky writes that WeFunder is the premier crowd investing platform for startups, while 360Chestnut is growing into one of the largest home improvement sites on the web.

Both startups were featured presenters at the  two day conference: Norman gave the keynote address to the more than 500 attendees and Simanski spoke on home improvement and sustainability.

Simansky points out that 360Chestnut is using the WeFunder  platform to raise its most recent round  of  investment, and in his  keynote, Norman called  360Chestnut an “ideal company” to use crowd investing to fund its growth.

Simansky describes WeFunder as “a crowd investing platform for startups.”  Using the platform, crowd investors can purchase stock for as little as $100 in promising new businesses around the country.  With the passage of the  US JOBS Act in April,  startups will soon be allowed to solicit investment from small, “unaccredited” investors and sell small stakes in their businesses online.

He says that  360Chestnut is “a no-cost, trusted source” where homeowners learn what to do to make their homes more healthy, energy-efficient and comfortable;  connect with qualified service providers, and access the more than 5000 rebate and incentives that will pay for this type of work.

For service providers, 360Chestnut is “a constant source of educated, nurtured customers; marketing & sales support; easy-to-use software and applications; online training; financing options and more.   Service providers pay to join and may purchase products and service son the site.

–Anita M. Harris

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning public relations and online-marketing firm based in Cambridge, MA.

        Later today, I hope to attend the Clean-Tech Meetup–an event which,  Gov. Deval Patrick, has said, “brings together innovative leaders from across the Commonwealth, the country and the globe to grow businesses, advance technologies and expand the adoption of clean energy sources.”

             As described on the Clean Tech Meetup Web site,  “through  Clean Energy Week and the Conference on Clean Energy in Boston,”  Massachusetts has been “steadily growing” a community of clean energy innovators and implementers.   “Now, we’re using what we’ve learned to bring you an event focusing on connecting people in intimate settings—instead of panels or keynotes.”

• Major Energy Consumers, Utilities, Leading Cleantech Companies, and other companies looking to form partnerships will meet providers of innovative clean energy services, products, and technologies.
• Investors will meet over 50 companies from more than 10 countries, hear from emerging clean energy companies, and talk with major energy users about their needs for clean energy technologies.
• Emerging Clean Energy Companies will talk with potential investors, strategic partners, and customers.

View the conference program.

Innovation Tour:  The conference also includes a tour of “cool companies and organizations” that will be holding open houses”from  Kendall Square to the Seaport Innovation District,” on Wednesday.  View the Tour participants.

I’m pleased that my friend and informal client, Christine Adamow, President and CEO of EuphorbUS,   announced today that her company, , a  “tree-based”  biofuel company that  has operated in East Africa since 2007,  will soon open its first operating site in North America in Hawaii.

The Meetup  is pricey, with registration $400+ for  participants and  $500-$1000 for presenters, who are selected by the conference organizations. (Might say I was surprised that the organizers called the event a meetup– because most “meetups” I’ve heard of are free or nearly so).   Held at the Boston Convention Center, it  runs through Wednesday.

—Anita M. Harris