Top Houston-based sustainability startups share their 4 biggest challenges

houston innovation awards

The six finalists for the sustainability category for the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards weigh in on their challenges overcome. Photos courtesy

Six Houston-area sustainability startups have been named finalists in the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards, but they didn't achieve this recognition — as well as see success for their businesses — without any obstacles.

The finalists were asked what their biggest challenges have been. From funding to market adoption, the sustainability companies have had to overcome major obstacles to continue to develop their businesses.

The awards program — hosted by InnovationMap, and Houston Exponential — will name its winners on November 8 at the Houston Innovation Awards. The program was established to honor the best and brightest companies and individuals from the city's innovation community. Eighteen energy startups were named as finalists across all categories, but the following responses come from the finalists in the sustainability category specifically.

Click here to secure your tickets to see who wins.

1. Securing a commercial pilot

"As an early-stage clean energy developer, we struggled to convince key suppliers to work on our commercial pilot project. Suppliers were skeptical of our unproven technology and, given limited inventory from COVID, preferred to prioritize larger clients. We overcame this challenge by bringing on our top suppliers as strategic investors. With a long-term equity stake in Fervo, leading oilfield services companies were willing to provide Fervo with needed drilling rigs, frack crews, pumps, and other equipment." — Tim Latimer, founder and CEO of Fervo Energy

2. Finding funding

"Securing funding in Houston as a solo cleantech startup founder and an immigrant with no network. Overcome that by adopting a milestone-based fundraising approach and establishing credibility through accelerator/incubator programs." — Anas Al Kassas, CEO and founder of INOVUES

"The biggest challenge has been finding funding. Most investors are looking towards software development companies as the capital costs are low in case of a risk. Geothermal costs are high, but it is physical technology that needs to be implemented to safety transition the energy grid to reliable, green power." — Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems

3. Market adoption

"Market adoption by convincing partners and government about WHP as a solution, which is resource-intensive. Making strides by finding the correct contacts to educate." — Janice Tran, CEO and co-founder of Kanin Energy

"We are creating a brand new financial instrument at the intersection of carbon markets and power markets, both of which are complicated and esoteric. Our biggest challenge has been the cold-start problem associated with launching a new product that has effectively no adoption. We tackled this problem by leading the Energy Storage Solutions Consortium (a group of corporates and battery developers looking for sustainability solutions in the power space), which has opened up access to customers on both sides of our marketplace. We have also leveraged our deep networks within corporate power procurement and energy storage development to talk to key decision-makers at innovative companies with aggressive climate goals to become early adopters of our products and services." — Emma Konet, CTO and co-founder of Tierra Climate

4. Long scale timelines

"Scaling and commercializing industrial technologies takes time. We realized this early on and designed the eXERO technology to be scalable from the onset. We developed the technology at the nexus of traditional electrolysis and conventional gas processing, taking the best of both worlds while avoiding their main pitfalls." — Claus Nussgruber, CEO of Utility Global

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Emma Fauss of Medical Informatics Corp., Anas Al Kassas of INOVUES, and Scott Blair of Popable. Photos courtesy

3 Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

Editor's note: In this week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — from health tech to energy efficiency — recently making headlines in Houston innovation.

Emma Fauss, CEO and co-founder of Medical Informatics Corp.

A Houston startup that created a remote monitoring and care platform has raised millions in financing. Image via michealthcare.com

Houston-based Medical Informatics Corp. closed a $17 million series B co-led by Maryland-based Catalio Capital Management and California-based Intel Capital. The financing also includes an additional $10 million in debt led by Catalio through Catalio’s structured equity strategy, according to a news release.

“We are excited to have had this round co-led by Catalio and Intel Capital," says Emma Fauss, CEO and co-founder of MIC, in the release. "Catalio brings significant financial and technical resources, while Intel Capital possesses strong operational and industry experience, and we look forward to continuing to leverage both firms’ expertise as we continue to scale.”

MIC created an FDA-cleared virtual care platform, called Sickbay, that gives health care providers and hospitals away to remotely monitor patients in any setting with vendor-neutral real-time medical device integration, workflow automation and standardization. Click here to read more.

Anas Al Kassas, founder and CEO of INOVUES

INOVUES Founder and CEO Anas Al Kassas joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss how he’s moving the needle on the energy transition within the construction and architectural industries. Photo courtesy of INOVUES

An architect by trade, Anas Al Kassas says he was used to solving problems in his line of work. Each project architects take on requires building designers to be innovative and creative. A few years ago, Kassas took his problem-solving background into the entrepreneurship world to scale a process that allows for retrofitting window facades for energy efficiency.

“If you look at buildings today, they are the largest energy-consuming sector — more than industrial and more than transportation,” Kassas, founder and CEO of INOVUES, says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. “They account for up to 40 percent of energy consumption and carbon emissions.”

To meet their climate goals, companies within the built environment are making moves to transition to electric systems. This has to be done with energy efficiency in mind, otherwise it will result in grid instability.

"Energy efficiency goes hand in hand with energy transition," he explains. Read more.

Scott Blair, CEO and co-founder of Popable

Walmart and Popable are teaming up just in time for the holiday shopping season. Image courtesy of Popable

With the holidays in full swing, and small businesses looking to gain back revenues lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, Walmart and Houston-based Popable are providing the opportunity to display and sell their products at Walmart can be highly beneficial to recoup profits, and unload new and extra products to a larger audience.

“Going into the holidays the timing is pretty good for a lot of brands looking to move some access inventory that they have loaded up from last year, but this (hopefully with Walmart) will be a year-round thing,” says Popable CEO and co-founder Scott Blair. “The pop-up opportunities we’ve been seeing with brands doing reach outs so far, a lot of them are looking for stuff into January and February too.”

Popable has assisted brands secure qualified spaces, get education and resources, and build community, and connections that are vital to helping small businesses expand their visibility in the marketplace. The platform simultaneously helps retail landlords find qualified retailers from a directory of tens of thousands of brands to fill vacancies and drive traffic to their shopping centers. Read more.

Houston innovator on seeing a greener future on built environment

HOUSTON INNOVATORS PODCAST EPISODE 163

"Energy efficiency goes hand in hand with energy transition," he explains.

Kassas says that he first had the idea for his company when he was living in Boston. He chose to start the business in Houston, attracted to the city by its central location, affordable labor market, and manufacturing opportunities here.

Last year, INOVUES raised its first round of funding — a $2.75 million seed round — to scale up the team and identify the best markets to target customers. Kassas says he was looking for regions with rising energy rates and sizable incentives for companies making energy efficient changes.

"We were able to now implement our technology in over 4 million square feet of building space — from Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, Portland, and very soon in Canada," he says.

Notably missing from that list is any Texas cities. Kassas says that he believes Houston is a great city for startups and he has his operations and manufacturing is based here, but he's not yet seen the right opportunity and adaption

"Unfortunately most of our customers are not in Texas," he says. "A lot of work can be done here to incentivize building owners. There are a lot of existing buildings and construction happening here, but there has to be more incentives."

Kassas shares more about his growth over the past year, as well as what he has planned for 2023 on the podcast. Listen to the interview below — or wherever you stream your podcasts — and subscribe for weekly episodes.

Window-retrofitting climatetech company has raised its first round of funding. Photo via inovues.com

Houston startup raises $2.75M to make buildings more energy efficient

seeing green

A Houston startup that retrofits windows with smart glass innovations to reduce energy use has raised its first round of funding.

INOVUES closed its seed round at $2.75 million last month. The oversubscribed round was led by Dallas-based Paulos Holdings with participation from new and existing investors, including Houston-based VC Fuel, Saint-Gobain NOVA, Fund4SE, Momentum Glass, Lateral Capital, E8 Angels, and the Central Texas Angel Network.

"Our mission is to help cities achieve their energy efficiency and emissions-reduction targets by increasing the rate of window upgrades in existing buildings," says INOVUES founder and CEO, Anas Al Kassas, in a news release. "To achieve that, we have developed a low-carbon, high-ROI retrofit solution that makes upgrading building windows a financially attractive energy conservation measure instead of a massive capital upgrade associated with business disruptions and prohibitive payback periods."

Up to 40 percent of the energy loss in buildings comes from windows, per the release, and buildings as a whole represent the largest energy-consuming sector. The climatech company's patented Glazing Shield system provides a lower cost and less intrusive solution to complete window replacement.

"INOVUES is a game-changer in the energy efficiency market because it has developed an innovative, patented building retrofit solution that significantly reduces the energy usage and carbon emissions of existing buildings at a fraction of the cost of more expensive standard building retrofit options," says Ahmad Atwan, founder and CEO of VC Fuel, in the release. "We are excited that INOVUES has been recognized as the industry leader by winning prestigious green building awards on both domestic and international levels. At a time when cities are encouraging, and sometimes mandating, building owners to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, INOVUES has become the logical solution to such challenges."

The fresh funding will go toward growing the INOVUES team, expanding commercialization efforts, and scaling its technology.

"INOVUES' technology can radically shrink the carbon footprint of 20th-century buildings and help commercial real estate owners meet their sustainability and ESG goals with no tenant disruption and in many cases with payback periods of less than five years plus incentives," says John Paulos, vice president of Paulos Holdings, in the release. "It is exciting for us to be a part of the journey INOVUES is taking to mitigate climate change and accelerate the transition to a sustainable cleaner world."

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10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for August

where to be

School is back in session this month, and a busy slate of Houston business and innovation events follows. This month brings demo days, loads of networking opportunities and a major health symposium. Here’s what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to add more events.

Aug. 4 — CEOs: Build With AI, Exit With a Premium

Join Blue People for this engaging presentation by David Lopez, founder of Summa, at the latest installment of Tech + Tequila Talk. Lopez will discuss AI moves that can multiply a company's value.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 4 — SEIP Demo Day

The Rice Center for Engineering Leadership will showcase the groundbreaking projects developed by its Summer Engineering Innovation Program at the 2026 Demo Day. Attendees can meet the SEIP participants and partners and hear the teams' final presentations.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 5 — Summer Venture Studio Preview Day

The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) will present its inaugural Summer Venture Studio Preview Day this month. Hear from the student founders selected for Lilie's summer cohort, which features teams ranging from the healthcare and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing sectors.

This event is Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 4-6 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 11 — Mercury Fund Day at the Ion: How Legacy Software Giants Are Going AI-First

Don’t miss the latest installment of Mercury Fund Day at the Ion, previously known as Software Day. The recurring monthly event features office hours (by application), a keynote and networking opportunities. This month's topic will feature a working conversation with Senior Director of Growth at Twilio Mustafa Ali, Senior Director of Consumer Product at WhatsApp Zafir Khan, and Founder and CEO of utilITise Salim Gheewalla.

This event is Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 13 — Pints and Prototypes

TMC Innovation Lab will host its Pints & Prototypes networking event this month. Minneapolis-based Medtronic will support this month's event and has invited guest speakers to share their journey in the medtech scene.

This event is Thursday, Aug. 13, from 4-5:30 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Find more information here.

Aug. 14 — Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium

The 14th Annual Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium will bring together Houston Methodist scientists and physicians from a broad spectrum of fields to discuss everything from innovative translational science to clinical updates. The symposium aims to provide education focused on improving patient care, research collaboration and leading medicine.

This event is Friday, Aug. 14, from 7:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. at Houston Methodist Research Institute. Find more information and register here.

Aug. 14 — Hands-On Workshop: Build Your Own Reusable AI System

Impact Hub Houston and Social Media Breakfast of Houston will host this hands-on workshop on using Smart Card to create a repeatable process users can hand off to AI. Attendees should bring a laptop, an AI tool, and a task that AI could help with. The workshop will focus on working with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.

This event is Friday, Aug. 14, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 17-21 — Foundations of Cancer Therapeutics Crash Course

The Gulf Coast Consortia will host a virtual course focused on the commercialization aspects of moving cancer therapeutics toward the market. Presenters represent The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the Greater Houston Partnership, TMC Innovation, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and other major institutions.

This event begins Monday, Aug. 17, at 10 a.m. Register here.

Aug. 20 — Pickle Lab’s Two-Year Anniversary Celebration

Enjoy an evening of open-play pickleball, beats by a live DJ, giveaways and more at the second anniversary celebration of Pickle Lab in the Ion District. Enjoy a free beverage from Second Draught and food for purchase from the Crunchy’s for the Munchies food truck.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 6-9 p.m. at Pickle Lab at the Ion. Register here.

Aug. 20 — SBA Lender Matchmaking Event

Business owners can meet with multiple lenders in scheduled, one-on-one 15-minute sessions during this speed-dating style SBA event. SBA Houston District Office representatives will also be onsite to provide free business advising.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 8:30 a.m.–noon at SBDC Sam Houston State University – The Woodlands Center. Register here.

Aug. 27 — BiteLabs Digital Health and Innovation Summit

TMC Innovation and BiteLabs will host the Digital Health and Innovation Summit, which aims to connect clinicians, founders and investors. The event will include an AI in biotech panel, a healthcare AI ethics panel, a hiring in digital health panel, and pitches from BiteLabs USA HealthTech, AI, and Innovation Fellowship.

This event takes place Thursday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Register here.

Houston nonprofit wins Meta grant to study AI glasses for disabilities

Helping Houston

A grant from Meta will help Easter Seals Greater Houston determine whether wearable AI smart glasses improve accessibility for those with disabilities. The local nonprofit is one organization that received a share of $2 million that Meta allocated in late July.

"Meta is proud to select recipients, including the Easter Seals Greater Houston, based on demonstrated impact, scalability, and relevance to areas where hands-free technology can make the biggest difference," Meta executive Beth Murray said in a request for comment. "It was exciting to receive nearly 500 applications from organizations across the country, and now the real innovation begins here in Houston with the Easter Seals project to understand how different local communities can benefit from AI glasses."

Meta launched its AI Glasses Impact Grant program in January with the goal of delivering nearly $2 million in funds to organizations across the country to see how their Meta AI Glasses could improve people's lives. It selected over 30 recipients from more than 500 applicants.

Easter Seals is using the grant to help pay for its BridgingApps Program, "a community-centered pilot studying how three distinct populations — people with low vision, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those with cognitive aging – can benefit from AI glasses," Meta says. Easter Seals is part of one of the oldest networks in America for disabilities, delivering disability support, veteran training, and other services. The Greater Houston branch was established in 1947.

Meta AI Glasses integrate AI personal assistance with wearable tech for a hands-free connective experience. While many people use their built-in cameras and social media access to create content, the Impact Grant promotes how the technology might assist people with disabilities as well as innovate in industrial and scientific fields.

Data storage and recall could aid people with memory loss, while interpretative AI facial recognition software may let neurodivergent and developmentally delayed people recognize social cues. The pilot program at Easter Seals will explore some of these possibilities.

Two other Texas organizations received grants. The University of North Texas will also explore disability assistance through Meta AI Glasses, in a school environment rather than in the general public space. Austin software company Embarcadero Technologies will use the glasses to build a remote training platform that can simultaneously mentor five junior workers at once.

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston startup lands $10M to power up electrician staffing platform

money moves

Houston-based Buildforce, which provides a tech-enabled staff platform geared toward electricians and electrical contractors, has raised a $10 million Series A round led by Houston’s Saepio Capital.

Other investors in the round include Blue Heron Capital, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, S3 Ventures and Chicago Ventures.

Buildforce says the funding will help fuel its national expansion and further development of its technology.

The startup, founded in 2019, connects electricians with electrical contractors for commercial and industrial construction projects. Buildforce’s mobile app helps electricians find and carry out work, and a web app helps electrical contractors find and manage electricians.

“This financing is a major milestone in furthering our mission to help people dedicated to a career in the construction trades lead more secure and fulfilling lives,” co-founder and CEO Moody Heard said in a news release.

Buildforce focuses solely on the electrical trade within the construction sector.

Nick Graziano, principal at Blue Heron, says the shortage of electricians is intensifying as demand for electricians accelerates, driven by data center construction, infrastructure development and energy transition initiatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the U.S. will need to hire about 80,000 new electricians per year through 2032 to catch up with demand. According to the National Electrical Contractors Association, the U.S. is grappling with a current shortage of 50,000 electricians.

A 2026 economic report from asset manager BlackRock says the electrical trade is expected to be the single fastest-growing employment category in the U.S. labor market over the next 10 years.

“Buildforce is capitalizing on a clear opportunity in America’s generational infrastructure buildout. We believe their mission to use technology to improve lives in the construction space will allow them to make a positive long-term impact on a large and important labor market,” added Jaan Bains, managing partner at Saepio Capital.

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