The world is moving to better, cheaper and more efficient energy equipment but when it comes to upgrades and replacements Sparkfund is introducing a new financing model. SparkFund is a financial technology company that let's businesses pay over time for new energy efficient products and services. The company is based in Washington DC, has raised $20 million from investors and has 42 employees (25% working outside of their main office). In this interview I spoke with Nikko about this new financing model through Sparkfund, where the idea came from, when did the founding team begin working on it, when and why did they raise their first round of capital, when did they launch their service, what types of businesses/industries do they work with, how did they acquire their early customers, what have been the biggest challenges, what have been the biggest mistakes, why are they down to 2 founders, what's the value of a good board of directors, how are the investors adding value, why is the company based in Washington DC, what's his favorite thing about being an entrepreneur, what advice can he share with other founders and much more. -------- Thanks for listening to the Startup Sense Podcast. All of our interviews and episodes are also available at StartupSense.net You can find me at JonahLupton.com or email me at jonahlupton@gmail.com Startup Sense Podcast is sponsored by Jool Media and SoundGuard. Jool Media helps entrepreneurs build, launch and grow their companies by providing superior technology, marketing and consulting services. SoundGuard is a soundproofing company that provides products and solutions to commercial, residential and industrial clients.