10+ can't-miss virtual business and innovation events in Houston for May

Where to be online

Here's what interactive, virtual events to log on to this month. Getty Images

While some things in Houston are starting to open back up, society hasn't yet established a timeline for when groups of more than 10 people will be allowed to safely gather. But, the programming must go on.

With that in mind, here are over 10 Houston innovation events you can attend virtually via online meetings. Be sure to register in advance, as most will send an access link ahead of the events.

May 4: Post-COVID Fund: Venture Investing in the Post-COVID World

Join Alumni Ventures Group for a webinar that explores how changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will create profound change—as well as unique opportunities for new ventures that tackle these challenges.

Details: The event is at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 4. Learn more.

May 5 — Sell Your Science: Developing a Non-Confidential Pitch for in Person and Virtual Presentations

Learn tricks in preparing a non-confidential pitch deck along with tips that are aimed to help you sell your science at in person meetings or virtually.

Details: The event is at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5. Learn more.

May 6 — Impacting Public Health: How Can My Idea Be A Part of the Solution?


When a pandemic hits, as a start-up company you may find that your technology can be aligned to help. However, now your timeline is expedited with a global health emergency and you need to get your technology into the market. How do you start to connect with the right players to get your technology into the U.S. market to make an impact on public health safety and security?

Details: The event is at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. Learn more.

May 6 — Virtual Event with Cindy Eckert - Expert Entrepreneur with Over $1B Exits

Cindy Eckert is an expert entrepreneur with over $1B in Exits, CEO of Sprout Pharmaceutical, and Founder of The Pink Ceiling. Attend the virtual fireside chat between Cindy Eckert and Femtech Focus founder Dr. Brittany Barreto.

Details: The event is at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. Learn more.

May 6 — Curious About Starting a Career in Tech?

One thing we know is that web developers come from different backgrounds. From teaching to consulting, design to accounting, and they're here to tell you about making that transition. Hear from professional developers in the field about how their careers lead them what they're working on now, how they got there, and how their past experiences apply to the work they do currently. Join General Assembly if you are curious about starting a career in tech, but not sure exactly where to begin.

Details: The event is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. Learn more.

May 7 — Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Day

Originally scheduled to be hosted at OTC, Rice Alliance Energy Venture Day will now be a virtual event to allow startups to connect with investors and energy companies. The event will showcase about 40 promising energy technology companies. These companies have initial funding and are seeking their A, B, C, or later rounds with technology validation, field trial experience, and/or initial company revenue. The event offers a great opportunity for viewers to learn more about innovative technologies and provides companies with access to potential partners and investment opportunities.

Details: The event is at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 7. Learn more.

May 8 — Lunch & Learn: Startup Funding Rounds

Seemingly every company wants to raise venture capital, but few founders are equipped to navigate the tangled mess of rounds, investment types, and investor expectations. At the end of this presentation, you will have a better handle on whether venture capital is right for your business and what it'll take to navigate from angels to exit.

Details: The event is at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 8. Learn more.

May 12 — Lunch and Learn with Asian Pacific American Entrepreneurs

According to New American Economy, Asian Pacific American entrepreneurs account for nearly a million of our nation's businesses. Whether it's apps, restaurants, social services, or consumer products, it's obvious that the entrepreneurial spirit is high in our nation. Let's hear it from our AAPI small business owners who will walk us through the triumphs and challenges they've faced while running their business and how they're making it work during a shaky period.

Details: The event is at noon on Tuesday, May 12. Learn more.

May 13-14 — 2020 Texas A&M New Ventures Competition

TNVC 2020 will be entirely virtual this year. This event is the culmination of a yearlong effort to identify and provide support to Texas-best technology ventures. There will be several private semi-finals judging rounds on May 13, with an Entrepreneurial Perspectives panel and Q&A with past winners and successful entrepreneurs. The finals will be on the 14th, followed by elevator pitches and an awards ceremony, all of which are open to the entire audience.

Details: The event is on Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May15. Learn more.

May 15 — How to Land a Job at a Tech Startup

Join General Assembly for this online event where a panel of tech startup talent acquisition professionals will take you through what types of opportunities exist in today's talent market, how the experience at a startup will make you more marketable in the long run, what talent acquisition professionals are actually thinking while reading resumes, advice for remote interviewing, and more.

Details: The event is at noon on Friday, May 15. Learn more.

May 29 — Mothers in Tech Breakfast

In celebration of Mother's Day, join General Assembly for a virtual breakfast featuring hard-working mothers that are also succeeding in their respective industries. A few incredible mothers will share their insights on how they reached their level of success, advice on navigating the workplace as a working mom, and how we can help the next generation of mothers in tech. Get ready for an honest, vulnerable, and insightful conversation.

    Details: The event is at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 29. Learn more.​

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    Rice Business Plan Competition awards out $2.7M to 2026 student teams

    Another team from the Great Lakes State took home top honors and investments at this year's Rice Business Plan Competition.

    BRCĒ, a material-tech startup from Michigan State University, took home the top-place finish and the largest investment total at the annual Houston event. It has developed Lattice-Grip technology to create utility-based polymers that can replace traditional fabric. The materials are stronger, fire-resistant and more stable than traditional textiles, according to the company. Last year, the University of Michigan's Intero Biosystems won first-place finish and the largest investment total of $902,000.

    In total, the RBPC doled out $1.4 million in prizes and startups brought home an additional $1.3 million in investments and non-dilutive cash this year, according to Rice. Over the three-day event, held April 9-11, the 42 competing startups presented their business plans to 300 angel, venture capital and corporate investors. Seven finalists were selected and each competing startup received at least $950 in prizes for placement in the competition.

    Three Texas teams, including one from Houston, were named among the finalists. Here's who won big this year.

    BRCĒ, Michigan State University — $571,500

    The recent Shark Tank alum finished in first place for its utility-based polymers technology.

    • $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Grand Prize
    • $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize
    • $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize
    • $75,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize
    • $50,000 nCourage Investment Network’s Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
    • $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize
    • $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize
    • $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
    • $500 Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prize – Consumer Hard Tech

    Legion Platforms, Arizona State University — $425,500

    The startup won second place for its multiplayer gaming platform that can be accessed with slow internet speeds.

    • $100,000 Anderson Family Fund & Finger Interests Second Place Investment Prize
    • $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize
    • $100,000 The OWL Investment Prize
    • $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize
    • $500 Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prize – Consumer

    Imagine Devices, University of Texas at Austin — $101,000

    The pediatric medical device company won third place for its multifunction neonatal feeding tube, known as Trinity Tube

    • $50,000 Anderson Family Fund & Finger Interests Third Place Investment Prize
    • $25,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize
    • $25,000 The Eagle Investors Investment Prize
    • $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize

    Altaris MedTech, University of Arkansas – $6,000

    The startup won fourth place for its pain-free strep test.

    • $5,000 Norton Rose Fulbright Fourth Place Prize
    • $1,000 Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prize — Overall Winner

    Routora, University of Notre Dame & University of Texas at Austin – $5,500

    The team won fifth place for its route optimization app that works to reduce fuel costs, travel time and carbon emissions

    • $5,000 Chevron Fifth Place Prize
    • $500 Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prizes — Digital

    DialySafe, Rice University — $5,500

    The startup won sixth place for its technology that aims to make at-home peritoneal dialysis simpler and safer.

    • $5,000 ExxonMobil Sixth Place Prize
    • $500 Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition Prizes — Life Science

    Arrow Analytics, Texas A&M University – $6,000

    The startup won seventh place for its AI-powered sizing system for carry-on baggage.

    • $5,000 Shell Ventures Seventh Place Prize
    • $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prizes


    Other significant prizes included:

    BiliRoo, University of Michigan – $26,000

    • $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize
    • $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prizes

    BeamFeed, City University of New York – $25,000

    • $25,000 Amentum and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize

    Grapheon, University of Pittsburgh — $20,000

    • $20,000 Aramco Innovator Cash Prize

    Last year, the Rice Business Plan Competition facilitated over $2 million in investment and cash prizes. According to Rice, more than 910 startups have raised more than $6.9 billion in capital through the competition over the last 25 years.

    See a full list of this year's winners and stream rounds from the competition here.

    Here's the income it takes to live comfortably in Houston in 2026

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    2026 report analyzing how much it costs to live "in sustainable comfort" in the biggest U.S. cities has found Houston residents have the 11th lowest salary requirement to live a comfortable life in 2026.

    SmartAsset's annual report found single adult residents in Houston need to make $89,981 a year to qualify as "financially stable." Compared to last year, single Houstonians needed to make $83 more to live comfortably in the city.

    Families with two working parents and two children need to make a household income of $204,672 to have a financially stable life in Houston, the report found. That's almost $2,000 less than what families needed to make last year.

    To determine the rankings, SmartAsset's analysts examined 100 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest cost of living data – such as the costs for housing, food, transportation, and income taxes where applicable – from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for childless individuals and for two working adults with two children.

    For the purpose of the study, the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy was used to determine "comfortable lifestyle" costs for both individuals and families: 50 percent of income to cover needs and living expenses, 30 percent for "wants," and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt.

    Here's breakdown of a Houston resident's comfortable lifestyle based on SmartAsset's findings:

    • $44,991 dedicated to needs and living expenses
    • $26,994 dedicated to wants
    • $17,996 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

    This is SmartAsset's interpretation of a comfortable lifestyle for families of four:

    • $102,336 dedicated to needs and living expenses
    • $61,402 dedicated to wants
    • $40,934 dedicated to savings or debt repayment
    SmartAsset said single individuals and families should compare the fluctuating local cost of living and their long-term goals to fully "understand the context" of their respective household incomes. But it's worth pointing out that a financially stable life in Houston isn't quite attainable for many residents: The city had a median household income of $64,361 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Comfortable salaries in other Texas cities

    Elsewhere in Texas, the report found that families in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs Frisco and McKinney "are closest to a comfortable salary."

    "In Frisco, the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730," the report's author wrote. "This figure also accounts for 63.1 percent of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9 percent of the $230,464 needed."

    Both cities also tied with Plano for the 29th highest salary needed nationally to live comfortably in 2026. Single adults living in these cities need to make $109,242 a year to live a financially stable life this year.


    On the opposite end, San Antonio has the lowest salaries needed to live comfortably in the U.S. Single adults only need to make $83,242 a year, and $192,608 for families of four.

    Houston medtech startup clears FDA approval for new surgical tool

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    Houston-based Prana Surgical will soon bring a new electrosurgical tool to operating rooms around the country. The Prana System officially cleared U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval earlier this month.

    "Receiving FDA clearance for the Prana System represents a defining milestone for our company," Joanna Nathan, CEO and co-founder of Prana Surgical, said in a news release. "Surgeons today are increasingly focused on achieving precise outcomes while minimizing disruption to healthy tissue. The Prana System was designed to support that shift by integrating targeting and excision into a single, streamlined tool."

    Prana Surgical began as Prana Thoracic in 2022. Back then, the company primarily focused on developing screening tools for lung cancer diagnosis. It raised $6 million in series A funding rounds in 2023 and 2024 before transitioning to broader surgical needs in 2025.

    The Prana System is a minimally invasive, image-guided, single-use tissue extraction tool designed to retrieve samples without damaging healthy tissue. The tool is still designed with the respiratory system in mind, helping Prana in the fight against lung cancer and other thoracic diseases.

    Reducing the impact of tissue extraction via electrosurgery and enhanced image scanning can significantly reduce complications. The Prana System combines localization and tissue-cutting capabilities in one, which keeps surgeons from having to swap out components during a procedure, making for a smoother process. It can core, cut and feel blood vessels on the way toward the intended target, giving surgeons greater control over tissue preservation.

    "Electrosurgery is foundational to modern surgery, but there is still opportunity to improve how energy-based tools are applied in minimally invasive settings," Nathan added. "Our goal is to introduce a new class of image-guided surgical tools that enable more precise intervention across a range of procedures."

    The company projects sales of $7.5 billion from the Prana System in the United States, estimating that 2.5 million surgical modules will be able to use the new tool. While starting out focused on biopsies, the company plans to evolve the system into other procedures, such as ablation, in the future. It is also planning for a controlled U.S. clinical rollout as it moves toward commercialization

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