TMC names 2024 cohort of cancer treatment innovators

ready to grow

TMCi named its 2024 Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics cohort.

For the fourth year, Texas Medical Center Innovation has named its annual cohort of Texas health tech innovators working on promising cancer therapeutics.

TMCi named its 2024 Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics cohort last week, and the 23 Texas researchers and companies selected will undergo a nine-month program that will provide them with mentorship and programming, as well as open doors to potential investors and strategic partners.

“The ACT program provides a bridge to commercialization in Texas by surrounding innovators with strategic mentorship, milestone development, and a network of resources to move their projects forward,” Emily Reiser, associate director of TMC Innovation, says in a news release. "We are excited to welcome this year's cohort and to continue enabling participants to advance their solutions to treat cancer."

The program has accelerated 76 researchers and companies to date, many of which — like March Biosciences and Mongoose Bio — have gone on to secure $130 million in funding from venture capitalists and grant funding.

“Our program has cultivated a dynamic ecosystem where partners, researchers, and inventors, who have been part of the journey since its inception and received various forms of funding, continue to propel their life-saving products and technologies forward," Ahmed AlRawi, program manager of ACT, says in the release. "Our 2024 cohort represents our most diverse cohort to date, including eight companies led by women entrepreneurs. Additionally, we are particularly proud that the cohort includes a blend of new and recurring organizations that have leveraged this opportunity in the past to extend their work and continue the momentum to build off the successes of our previous years.”

The 2024 participants are:

  • Alexandre Reuben of UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Betty Kim & Jiang Wen of UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Bin He of Houston Methodist
  • Daniel Kiss & John Cooke of PeakRNA at Houston Methodist
  • Hongjun Liang of Texas Tech-Lubbock
  • Jacob Goell & Isaac Hilton of Mercator Biosciences at Rice University
  • Jay Hartenbach & Matthew Halpert of Diakonos Oncology Corp.
  • Kathryn O’Donnell of UT-Southwestern
  • Maralice Conacci Sorrell of UT-Southwestern
  • Neeraj Saini of UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Neil Thapar of Barricade Therapeutics Corp.
  • Nina Keshavarzi of Celine Biotechnologies
  • Raphael G. Ognar & Henri Bayle of NKILT Therapeutics Inc.
  • Richard Austin & Michael Abrahamson of Reglagene Inc.
  • Tim Peterson & Joppe Nieuwenhuis of Bioio Inc.
  • Todd Aguilera & Eslam Elghonaimy of UT-Southwestern
  • Venkata Lokesh Battula of Siddhi Therapeutics Inc. at UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Weei-Chin Lin & Fang-Tsyr Lin of Baylor College of Medicine
  • Yong Li & Dongxiao Feng of Sotla Therapeutics at Baylor College of Medicine
  • Anil Sood & Zhiqiang An of UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Narendra Kumar & Jayshree Mishra of Texas A&M-College Station
  • Tao Wang of NightStar Biotechnologies Inc. at UT-Southwestern
  • Jian Hu of UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center
Enrique Gomez joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss Houston as an oncology innovation hub. Photo via TMC.edu

How Houston is emerging as a leader for oncology innovation, according to this expert

Houston innovators podcast episode 114

Houston is currently establishing itself as a hub for health care innovation — and Enrique Gomez should know. He's worked in the field of biopharmaceuticals across the continent.

As entrepreneur in residence at Texas Medical Center Innovation's Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics, he works with early stage startups and researchers. However, for decades he's worked in a much later stage of drug development, holding leadership positions at Takada in Latin America and Shire in Boston.

"Texas is very well recognized for cancer therapeutics," Gomez says on this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast. "There's a lot of research going on. These researchers are looking at every angle — every possible strategy to tackle cancer."

At ACT, Gomez connects the startups or instigators with the resources they need to get their life-saving solutions to market. With cancer, there's not one thing that's going to work. There have to be options for treating cancer.

"Cancer is very heterogeneous. Not one strategy will be the single silver bullet to overcome the disease," Gomez says. "We are talking about personalized medicine. Every person is different and every cancer in every patient is different. It will require a number of approaches to overcome the health situation."

Thankfully, through TMC's ACT and the numerous research institutions working on the future of oncology, Houston's a great spot to move that needle.

"Houston is a place where everyone looks at when it comes to novel research and approaches to treating cancer," Gomez says. "The landscape here is going to be accelerated because we see much more collaboration between the founding institutions — and that's a very important element of growth. Houston has no comparison to any other place in terms of what's going on here and the level and quality of research."

He shares more on how COVID-19 has affected drug development and research — as well as what's next for his own career — on the podcast. Listen to the full interview below — or wherever you stream your podcasts — and subscribe for weekly episodes.

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Top innovators: 2024 Houston Innovation Awards finalists revealed

best of the rest

After nearly 300 nominations, InnovationMap and its group of judges are ready to reveal the finalists for this year's Houston Innovation Awards.

Taking place on Thursday, November 14, the Houston Innovation Awards celebrates all of Houston's innovation ecosystem — startups, entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and more. Over 50 finalists will be recognized in particular for their achievements across 13 categories, which includes the 2024 Trailblazer Legacy Awards that were announced earlier this month.

Scroll down to see the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards finalists.

This year, 35 startups, 14 individuals, and six organizations will all be recognized, and winners will be named at the event. The finalists were decided by this year's judges after they reviewed over 130 applications.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to sales@innovationmap.com. If you have questions about the Houston Innovation Awards, email awards@innovationmap.com.

Minority-founded business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ representation

  • CLS Wind, a self-erection wind turbine tower system provider for the wind energy industry
  • Corrolytics, a technology startup founded to solve microbiologically influenced corrosion problems for Industrial assets
  • Gold H2, a startup that's transforming depleted oil fields into hydrogen-producing assets utilizing existing infrastructure
  • Nap Bar, a white-glove rest sanctuary, with an integration of artificial intelligence for professionals, entrepreneurs, and travelers to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate
  • Speakerbox Media, a B2B video agency that turns experts into thought leaders with engaging webinars and video podcasts, providing end-to-end content strategy and production.

Female-founded business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by a woman

  • Dauntless XR, a developer of extended reality software
  • EveryDopeGirl, a community building an interracial and intergenerational culture of support amongst women globally
  • Koda Health, provider of a tech-enabled care coordination service for improving serious illness care planning
  • March Biosciences, a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a mission to transform patient care in the most challenging hematological malignancies
  • nVenue, machine learning and AI technology provider that generates and delivers real-time odds and predictive analytics to sportsbooks and media

Energy transition business, honoring an innovative startup providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond

  • Amperon, an AI platform powering the smart grid of the future
  • ARIX Technologies, an integrated robotics and data analytics company that delivers inspection services through its robotics platforms
  • Elementium Innovations, a battery technology with liquid electrolyte solutions
  • InnoVent Renewables, a startup with proprietary continuous pyrolysis technology that converts waste tires, plastics, and biomass into valuable fuels and chemicals
  • Sage Geosystems, an energy company focused on developing and deploying advanced geothermal technologies to provide reliable power and sustainable energy storage solutions regardless of geography
  • Tierra Climate, a software provider that helps grid-scale batteries reduce carbon emissions

Health tech business, honoring an innovative startup within the health and medical technology

  • Allterum Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company creating a treatment for cancer
  • Bairitone Health, an AI-driven, sonar-based diagnostic imaging technology platform
  • Ictero Medical, a medical device company developing the first minimally-invasive cryoablation solution to treat gallstone disease
  • InformAI, a technology company dedicated to advancing healthcare through the development of AI-driven solutions in radiology, oncology and transplant surgery
  • Koda Health, provider of a tech-enabled care coordination service for improving serious illness care planning
  • March Biosciences, a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a mission to transform patient care in the most challenging hematological malignancies

AI/data science business, honoring an innovative startup utilizing artificial intelligence and data science within a tech solution

  • ARIX Technologies, an integrated robotics and data analytics company that delivers inspection services through its robotics platforms
  • Cognitive Space, an automated satellite operations provider that enables constellations to scale
  • Enovate Ai, a provider of business and operational process optimization for decarbonization and energy independence
  • nVenue, machine learning and AI technology provider that generates and delivers real-time odds and predictive analytics to sportsbooks and media
  • Voyager Portal, a software plaform that helps commodity traders and manufacturers in the O&G, chemicals, agriculture, mining, and project cargo sectors optimize the voyage management lifecycle

Deep tech business, honoring an innovative startup providing technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges

  • FluxWorks, developer and manufacturer of magnetic gears and magnetic gear-integrated motors
  • Gold H2, a startup that's transforming depleted oil fields into hydrogen-producing assets utilizing existing infrastructure
  • Hertha Metals, developer of a technology that cost-effectively produces steel with fewer carbon emissions
  • Venus Aerospace, a deep tech company developing reusable hypersonic technology for aviation, defense, and beyond

Scaleup of the year, honoring an innovative later stage startup that's recently reached a significant milestone in company growth

  • Cart.com, a unified commerce and logistics solutions provider for B2C and B2B companies
  • Coya Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing therapies for neurodegenerative, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases
  • NanoTech Materials, a chemical manufacturer that integrates novel heat-control technology with thermal insulation, fireproofing, and cool roof coatings to drastically improve efficiency and safety
  • Square Robot, an advanced robotics company serving the energy industry and beyond by providing submersible robots for storage tank inspections
  • Syzygy Plasmonics, a company that's decarbonizing chemical production with a light-powered reactor platform that electrifies the production of hydrogen, syngas, and fuel with reliable, low-cost solutions

People’s choice: Startup of the Year, a startup celebrating a recent milestone or success and the winner will be selected by the community via online portal and announced at the event

  • Corrolytics, a technology startup founded to solve microbiologically influenced corrosion problems for Industrial assets
  • FlowCare, a startup advocating for free menstruation products in business and academic settings
  • InnoVent Renewables, a startup with proprietary continuous pyrolysis technology that converts waste tires, plastics, and biomass into valuable fuels and chemicals
  • MendIt, an app that quickly and easily connects users to professionals who specialize in mending and repairing clothing
  • Passport Journeys, an app connects mother-daughter pairs with licensed therapists
  • TrueLeap, an education technology company on a mission to accelerate access to quality education for emerging markets by integrating e-learning software, content, training, analytics, and community

Community champion organization, honoring a corporation, nonprofit, university, or other organization that plays a major role in the Houston innovation community

  • Energy Tech Nexus, a new global energy and carbon tech hub focusing on hard tech solutions that provides mentor, accelerator and educational programs for entrepreneurs and underserved communities.
  • Greentown Houston, a climatetech incubator and convener for the energy transition community that provides community engagement and programming in partnership with corporations and other organizations.
  • Houston Angel Network, supports Houston startups with capital, connections, and counsel and provides accredited investors access to startup deals in which they can invest, both locally and nationally.
  • Impact Hub Houston, a nonprofit that serves as a pivotal hub within the city's innovation ecosystem, fostering a dynamic environment where changemakers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders converge to drive social impact and innovation forward.
  • Microsoft, a global tech company that supports the local innovation ecosystem with mentorship and opportunities in underserved communities.
  • University of Houston, a Tier One research institution that fosters entrepreneurship, innovation, and commercialization of new technologies and leverages its research capabilities and diverse student body.

Ecosystem builder, honoring an individual who has acted as a leader in developing Houston’s startup ecosystem

Investor of the year, honoring an individual who is leading venture capital or angel investing

Mentor of the year, honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support to budding entrepreneurs

Houston startup expands DOD partnership to provide clean energy at Texas site

seeing green

Expanding on its partnership with the United States Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit, Sage Geosystems has been selected to conduct geothermal project development initiatives at Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi.

Along with the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, Sage will provide its proprietary Geopressured Geothermal Systems technology, will be able to evaluate the potential for geothermal baseload power generation to provide clean and consistent energy at the Naval Air Station base.

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with the DOD at NAS Corpus Christi to demonstrate the advantages of geothermal technology for military energy independence,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, says in a news release.

Sage is also conducting initiatives at Fort Bliss and has completed an analysis at the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. The analyses could “pave the way for expanding geothermal energy solutions across additional U.S. military installations,” according to Sage.

The company’s proprietary technology works by leveraging hot dry rock, which is a more abundant geothermal resource compared to traditional hydrothermal formations, and it provides energy resilience for infrastructures. In addition, Sage is building a 3 megawatt commercial EarthStore geothermal energy storage facility in Christine, Texas, which is expected to be completed by December. Sage also announced a partnership with Meta Platforms. With Meta Platforms, Sage will deliver up to 150 megawatt of geothermal power generation east of the Rocky Mountains.

The Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is considered a critical training and operations hub for the U.S. Navy, and the partnership with Sage shows the Navy's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Sage’s technology will be assessed for its ability to create a microgrid, which can reduce reliance on the utility grid and ensure power supply during outages.

“As we advance our Geopressured Geothermal Systems, we see tremendous potential to not only provide carbon-free power, but also strengthen the operational capabilities of U.S. military installations in an increasingly digital and electric world,” Taff adds.

In September, the Air Force awarded Sage a grant of $1.9 million in a first-of-its kind contract to determine whether a power plant using Geopressured Geothermal Systems is able to generate clean energy needed for a base to achieve energy resilience.

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.

3 Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

Editor's note: Every week, I introduce you to a handful of Houston innovators to know recently making headlines with news of innovative technology, investment activity, and more. This week's batch includes three Houston startup founders celebrating big wins.

Shreyans Chopra, founder of Mstack

Shreyans Chopra, founder of Mstack, is celebrating the close of his company's $40 million series A. Photo courtesy of Mstack

Houston-based Mstack, whose platform helps manufacturers source specialty chemicals, has raised $40 million in a series A funding round. The company says the infusion of cash will enable it to “double down on its mission to disrupt a historically flawed supply chain for specialty chemicals.”

“This new funding affirms investor confidence in our vision and technology to transform global markets. It enables us to expand geographically and intensify our R&D efforts,” Mstack founder Shreyans Chopra says. Read more.

Scott Deans, co-founder and CEO of BeOne Sports

Rice University's athletic programs will be supported by Houston startup BeOne Sports' technology. Photo via LinkedIn

Rice University — in an effort to enhance athletics and research-driven innovation — has formed a partnership with a startup founded by its alumni.

BeOne Sports, a sports performance technology company developed a platform for mobile motion-capture AI and advanced data analytics, will integrate its technology within Rice's sports medicine and rehabilitation programs.

“BeOne Sports was born from the collaborative environment at Rice, where business leaders and engineers work together to solve real-world problems” Scott Deans, co-founder and CEO of BeOne Sports, says. “Our mission is to provide cutting-edge technology to maximize potential in the simplest, fastest and most versatile ways possible. This partnership with Rice is an exciting step toward democratizing access to sports technology for athletes and coaches at all levels.” Read more.

Henal Patel, founder and CEO of DocJuris

Henal Patel, CEO of DocJurisDocJuris has raised its first round of venture funding to grow its team to keep up with demand for its legal software platform. Photo courtesy of DocJuris

Houston-based DocJuris, a leader in AI contract review, announced the successful closure of its series A funding round by raising $8 million in new capital. This brings the total capital raised to date to $11.2 million.

"DocJuris AI has become an industry-leading platform that empowers enterprise legal, procurement, and sales teams to close deals faster while reducing risk," DocJuris CEO and Founder Henal Patel says in a news release. "With this funding, we will continue scaffolding our platform around generative AI, expand our customer success team, and grow our user base." Read more.

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