Editor's note:Another week has come and gone, and it's time to round up the top headlines from the past few days. Trending Houston tech and startup news on InnovationMap included innovators to know, a new program for Gulf Coast startups launches, and more.
3 Houston innovators to know this week
This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Don Frieden of P97, Haleh Ardebili of the University of Houston, and Babur Ozden of Aquanta Vision. Photos courtesy
In this week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — from fintech to energy — recently making headlines in Houston innovation. Continue reading.
This Houston company is 3D printing homes with eco-friendly materials
HIVE 3D is bringing science fiction to reality with this Texas project. Photo courtesy of HIVE 3D
While it may be true that the mother of invention is necessity, in today’s startup market, a more important factor is disruption. That’s where HIVE 3D, a Texas-based leader in constructing eco-friendly 3D printed homes, flourishes.
HIVE 3D was already revolutionizing the home-builder industry with its lightweight gantry system and mobile robotic arm system to 3D print its homes, but it took a giant leap further with its partnership with Utah-based Eco Material Technologies, North America’s leading producer of sustainable cement alternatives.
Together, they are building the world’s first near-zero-carbon, 3D-printed homes. Using Eco Material’s cement mixture called PozzoCEM Vite, which has 92 percent lower emissions than traditional concrete that can set in just a few minutes, they are focusing on providing a sustainable, cost-efficient and affordable housing solution.
“We want our homes to last 1,000 years,” Timothy Lankau, CEO, Hive 3D CEO, tells InnovationMap. “We want archaeologists to dig them up and wonder what they were. I mean, you go to the Parthenon in Rome, and it looks similar today to how it did 2,000 years ago because the materials are so stable." Continue reading.
University of Houston launches new collaborative program for startups in Houston, Gulf Coast Region
A new program launched by two UH-based organizations will help early-stage startups commercialize, apply for grants, and more. Photo via UH.edu
Two University of Houston organizations have partnered up to further support early-stage startups in the Gulf Coast Region.
The university announced this month that its UH Technology Bridge and the UH Texas Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center are now accepting applications for a new, collaborative program that will help innovators and entrepreneurs develop a pitch or commercialization plan. The program will also guide participants in applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants and other investments.
Applications are open to those with the university and across the region.
"We are excited to partner with the University of Houston Technology Bridge to provide this valuable support to early-tech startups in the Texas Gulf Coast region," Steven Lawrence, director of the UH Texas Gulf Coast SBDC Network, says in a statement. "Our program is designed to help innovators take their ideas to the next level and prepare for success in the marketplace."Continue reading.
Houston hospital opens next phase in $245M expansion
Texas Children's Hospital has expanded. Photo courtesy of TCH
Texas Children's Hospital has announced the opening of its newest medical tower in the Texas Medical Center.
Pavilion for Women Tower II is now open to patients, the Texas Children's Hospital revealed this week. It's the second phase of a $245 million expansion within the TMC. The new tower houses women’s services outpatient clinics and connects to the Pavilion for Women via a new sky bridge,
“I’ve always said that outgrowing a space is a good problem to have because it means that we’re doing something right and our patients and their families trust us to provide the safe and high-quality care they deserve,” says Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children’s, in a news release. “I am so proud of everything we’ve done together and I’m beyond grateful and excited for the continuous growth of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.” Continue reading.
Real estate company unveils plans for 45-acre biomanufacturing campus in Northeast Houston
Generation Park has announced additional biomanufacturing facility development. Rendering courtesy of McCord
A Houston-based real estate company has reveals its plans to create a 45-acre biomanufacturing campus in the first phase of a life science development in Generation Park.
McCord Development released its plans for BioHub Two this week. The project will include 500,000 square feet for manufacturing, lab, and office space located in Generation Park, a 4,300-acre master-planned development in Northeast Houston.
The news of the BioHub follows Generation Park's December announcement of the San Jacinto College’s Biotech Training Center, a project in partnership with the National Institute of Biotechnology Research and Training. The institute will have a "bioprocessing pilot plant operated in a realistic GMP simulated and operational manufacturing environment," according to a news release from McCord. Continue reading.