July 18 was a pretty momentous day for us!

We announced Greentown Labs’ move to Somerville at a press event in our future home at 28 Dane Street.

We also announced our $30,000 Greentown Grows crowd-funding campaign to help pay for it. We ask for your help to support the campaign and spread the word!

Our timing is urgent – we must move out of our current space at by Labor Day!

At the press event (coverage here, here, here and here), The Mayor of Somerville shared his excitement and huge support, Governor Deval Patrick congratulated us and said we are a leading example of the innovation economy he’s worked to build in the Commonwealth. Other dignitaries attended and spoke to show their support, including the Massachusetts Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs, Richard Sullivan, and the Massachusetts Secretary for Housing and Economic Development, Greg Bialecki.

We were overwhelmed by the 100+ attendees who joined us including elected officials, Greentown Labs entrepreneurs, investors, partners, sponsors, friends and even the building maintenance crew who greeted us warmly at the entrance and helped visitors find our free rooftop parking around the corner.

The terrific, patiently crowd stood in an empty, unfinished shell with high ceilings and no air conditioning to hear the news and a few speeches on a day when the heat index topped 105 degrees.

But we saw in the space was huge potential, a place for companies to dream even bigger, and a place to soon call home for our 28 organizations, 15 wait-listed companies, new water and cleanweb clusters to launch, and more programs, events, and initiatives to unveil. So much has happened in the two years since four startups found space in South Boston to get off the ground!

We can’t wait to keep doing what we are doing with you – building new companies, creating a community, and supporting the clean technology ecosystem.

We’ve gotten this far with your help. We wouldn’t be making this move without you.

You believed in our stories told on a dirty, dusty floor, with few windows, and little circulation.

You believed in enough to attend our programs, share your ideas on panels, invest in our companies, and volunteer for events – some that lasted entire weekends.

You’ve believed in us enough to send 5,000 people to visit from around the world last year alone.

We hope you will join our crowd funding campaign, enjoy the perks we are offering, and be recognized as the Friend of Greentown that you are.

Thanks for spreading the word!

Emily Reichert
Executive Director
Greentown Labs

Jason Hanna
Co-Founder and Board Chair
Greentown Labs