HOUSTON, April 28 (dbusiness.com) -- WoodFuel.com, a newly-formed Website for buyers and suppliers of wood fuel products, has a new investor in Novus Systems Inc.

Novus Systems is the former parent company of Houston's Novus Wood Group, one of the largest suppliers of biomass wood fuel and related products in Texas.

In addition to signing on Novus Wood Group as a new strategic partner, WoodFuel.com has signed its first major wood fuel supply contract with the company.

The Houston-based site was launched earlier this month as a business-to-business link between buyers and suppliers of wood fuel products.

Scott Mactier, one of eight private investors who put an undisclosed amount into the new venture, told dbusiness.com Thursday that the company plans to use the equity investment from Novus Systems to finish the first phase of the technology infrastructure development for the Website.

"We will also be sharing some overhead costs with them going forward," he said. "In addition, we will be able to use their personnel to help further develop our business strategy and Website."

The site has not yet had any transactions, but it should soon, Mactier said.

"We're in the embryonic stages right now," he added. "And although we haven't done any trade or direct mail advertising, we have had some activity on the site and accounts created. There seems to be a definite interest in the marketplace."

Mactier told dbusiness.com that WoodFuel.com views Novus Systems "as a terrific candidate for second round funding sources."

"We're also evaluating VC firms and other corporate partners at this point," he said.

Bill Winters, president and CEO of Novus Wood Group, said e-business represents a tremendous opportunity for the alternative fuel industry.

"WoodFuel.com's virtual pipeline of wood fuel products is the answer to what our industry needs," he said. "WoodFuel.com has found a way to streamline this very fragmented market, thus making transactions more efficient for both the buyers and suppliers of wood fuel products."

Novus aggregates, processes and delivers more than 500,000 tons of wood fuel throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Mary Ann Tawasha covers Houston for dbusiness.com.