eye on the ion

Rising innovation hub announces Chevron as first tenant and program partner

Chevron has signed on to have space in The Ion. The company will also be a program partner. Photo courtesy of The Ion

Chevron is the first tenant to sign a lease at The Ion, an innovation hub rising in Midtown Houston's former Sears building.

The Ion, a Rice Management Co. project expecting to premiere at 4201 Main St. in spring 2021, announced the new tenant and program partnership this week.

"Our first tenant at The Ion is one of the most recognizable brands in the world," says Ryan LeVasseur, managing director of Real Estate at Rice Management Co., in a news release. "We're thrilled to welcome Chevron into the Innovation District. They'll be the first of many companies, local startups, and business owners who make a home at and around The Ion as we continue to develop this groundbreaking, mixed-use space."

Chevron's Houston-based corporate investing arm, Chevron Technology Ventures, will be leading the space. The location can also be used by employees for networking, professional development and other opportunities within the innovation ecosystem.

"We are thrilled to support The Ion as a key component of Houston's growing innovation ecosystem," says Barbara Burger, president of CTV, in the release. "We have a long history in Houston with its role as the global energy capital. We believe The Ion will help to ensure that Houston retains that distinction and plays a leading role in the energy transition through innovation."

Founded in 1999, CTV has been an integral part of the Houston innovation ecosystem with its investment efforts and Catalyst Program. Recently, the group added two new startups to the accelerator.

CTV and Chevron in general have an existing relationship with The Ion and its team team, and Jan E. Odegard, interim executive director of The Ion, says he's excited for the relationship continue.

"By becoming our first tenant and a founding program partner, Chevron has shown it is committed to ensuring The Ion is Houston's premier destination for innovators, entrepreneurs, and academics to collaborate on workforce development, build tech-enabled businesses, and support the community," says Odegard in the release. "We're grateful to welcome such an esteemed organization to our space with which we share the same mission and values."

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Building Houston

 
 

Greentown Houston is asking its current and potential members what they want in a wet lab. Photo via GreentownLabs.com

Greentown Houston has announced it's building a new wet lab facility — but first, they need some help from the community.

Greentown Labs, which is dual located at their headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts, and in the Ion District in Houston, has announced that they are building out a wet lab in their Midtown space.

"We have heard from several startups as well as corporate partners in the ecosystem that are looking for wet lab space," says Lara Cottingham, vice president of strategy, policy, and climate impact at Greentown Labs. "Greentown has experience running wet labs from our location in Somerville. We're excited to be able to offer wet lab space to climatetech startups as an additional amenity to the Ion District.

Although Greentown's Boston-area location has wet lab space, Cottingham says the organization is not interested in copying and pasting that same facility. Greentown wants to provide the tools that the Houston ecosystem needs, and that requires getting feedback from its current and potential members.

"We want to announce to the community that this is something we're going to build — but we still need a lot of feedback and input from startups so we can learn what exactly they need or want to see from the wet lab," Cottingham tells InnovationMap. "No two wet labs are the same."

Right now, there aren't any details available about timeline or specifics of the new facility. Greentown is prioritizing getting feedback from its members and having conversations with potential sponsors and corporate partners.

"Corporate partners are a big part of the ecosystem and the community at Greentown. They can be so many things to our startups — mentors, customers, investors," Cottingham says. "And in this space, they can help us sponsor and financially support the wet lab. We're still fundraising — we have some partners that have committed to funding, but we're still looking for more funding."

In addition to monetary contribution, Cottingham says they are looking for other options as well, from partnerships with equipment providers, hazardous materials management, and more.

Startups that need wet lab space are encouraged to fill out the online form, which will be open through the summer, and potential corporate partners can express their interest online as well.

Greentown Houston opened its doors in 2021 and has since grown to house more than 75 energy and climatetech startups, as well as several accelerators, thanks to support from dozens of corporate partners.

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