By Chris Buchanan • January 9, 2018

Cursing the weather?

Here is a nice piece from the Boston Business Journal about Slick.  The original article can be found here.

Most New Englanders are cursing the weather gods this week, but for one Newburyport startup the recent cold snap is more like a blessing.  Slick Energy wants to modernize the fractured, low-tech industry of home heating oil delivery with an online marketplace that connects homeowners to the lowest-priced delivery option in their area. While some homeowners plan ahead for the winter, many realize in the midst of frigid temperatures that they need an oil refill within a few days, and that's providing a big opportunity for Slick's young business.  “It’s like trying to go buy bread, milk and eggs at a supermarket," said Slick co- founder PJ Solomon. "There is a hysteria created."

Chris Buchanan, another of Slick's three co-founders, said the startup is on track to see about $50,000 to $60,000 worth of transactions in its marketplace in January. That would be nearly double December's total.

Slick launched its service in October, in partnership with just five Massachusetts oil delivery companies, and views this winter as something of a testing period. The record cold temperatures have raised awareness of the problem that Slick hopes to solve, but they've also made the test a little tougher. In fact, Slick has shut down orders in some zip codes so it doesn't end up promising more than it can deliver during peak demand.

"When I looked at forecasts last week, I was super anxious because I was like, 'Oh man, we’re going to get a lot of orders'," said Buchanan. “I’m extremely happy, we haven’t missed a delivery."

Slick joins a number of other Massachusetts startups that are trying to build consumer-friendly software to bring old-school industries into the digital world. Openbay, for example, connects car owners to repair shops, while Dispatch Technology does something similar for home services like exterminations and inspections.

Slick has raised about $300,000 so far and is looking to put together a $1 million round by the spring, which will allow the company to build out more software features and hire support staff ahead of next winter.