New app rolls through hundreds of local stories for road trippers traversing Texas

Autio partnered with the Texas State Historical Association to bring more than 1,000 stories to the app over the next year. Photo by freddie marriage on Unsplash

There's almost no better education on the state of Texas than driving through it — almost. The only thing better would be listening to stories about Texas history on that drive.

A GPS-based entertainment app, Autio (currently only available to iPhone users), has Texas road trippers covered thanks to a partnership with the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), bringing more than 1,000 stories to car speakers in the Lone Star State over the next year.

“Our partnership with Texas State Historical Association allows listeners to immerse themselves in theTexas history and culture — whether they’re driving through on a road trip with their family, locals on a hike interested in learning more about their homeland, or simply someone who is interested in history,” said Woody Sears, CEO, and co-founder at Autio. “We’re thrilled to be expanding our portfolio on Autio and to provide listeners with the unique stories that TSHA has in their impressive library.”

Autio, founded in part by actor Kevin Costner, who helps narrate stories alongside Phil Jackson, John Lithgow, and other readers, works like a giant self-guided tour. As app users approach an area with a story attached, they receive notifications that a story is available, giving interesting historical context to a region or even pointing out unique places to stop on the way.

Similar apps have helped users explore Austin with fun missions and geocaching opportunities, but Autio covers the United States. There are not separate tracks for different regions, making it a seamless experience no matter where a trip leads — although there will be lots of quiet time. Each story is only a few minutes long.

The library of Texas stories features historical moments, landmarks, and notable individuals in more than 100 cities. There are already hundreds of stories to browse, including one in Austin about Barbara Conrad, a Black opera singer who drew attention to the University of Texas in 1957 when she was removed from a role that placed her in an onstage romance with a white performer.

There are at least 13 stories in Austin, depending on how you define the area. The topics are mostly about natural areas and politics (it is the capital, after all). Nearby stories highlight the Bee Cave Sculpture Park, the early history of Bastrop, the Round Rock philanthropist D.H. Snyder, and the nomadic people that founded Pinta Trail near Fredericksburg.

Houston has the most stories in Texas, followed by the DFW and then San Antonio, all with more than 75 unique tales. A map shows an even distribution of stories across the state that include some often-overlooked areas with quotes from Lonesome Dove, explanations of rural legends, and overviews of small, but notable towns.

“Autio’s unique mission ... perfectly aligns with our purpose to foster an appreciation for the unique history of Texas,” said Dr. Brett Derbes, the managing editor for Handbook of Texas, a digital encyclopedia managed by TSHA. “We’re excited to see this partnership come to fruition and continue to educate more and more people on the great state we get to call home.”

Listeners can tune in for a seven-day free trial through TSHA, using the code TSHA_TRY7. New TSHA members receive an additional $10 off in the Autio app ($29.99 for 30 days, or $35.99 for the year). More information is available at autio.com.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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Houston legacy planning platform secures $2.5M investment, adds to board

fresh funding

Houston-based Paige, a comprehensive life planning and succession software company, has secured a $2.5 million investment to expand the AI-driven tools on its platform.

The funding comes from Alabama-based 22nd State Banking Company, according to a news release. Paige says it will use the funding to expand automation, AI-driven onboarding and self-service tools, as well as add to its sales and customer success teams.

The company was originally founded by CEO Emily Cisek in 2020 as The Postage and rebranded to Paige last year. It helps users navigate and organize end-of-life planning with features like document storage and organization, password management, and funeral and last wishes planning.

“Too many families are left trying to piece together important information during some of the hardest moments of their lives,” Cisek said in the news release. “This investment allows us to accelerate the next phase of growth for Paige by improving the product and expanding support for our members, our financial institution partners and the communities they serve,”

In addition to the funding news, the company also announced that 22nd State Banking CEO and President Steve Smith will join Paige's board of directors.

“We believe banking should be grounded in relationships and built around the real needs of the people and communities we serve. Paige brings something deeply relevant to that mission," Smith added in the release. "It helps families prepare for the future in a practical and meaningful way, and it gives the banking community new pathways to support customers through important life transitions.”

Paige estimates that $124 trillion in assets will change hands through 2048. Yet about 56 percent of Americans do not have an estate plan.

Read more on the topic from Cisek in a recent op-ed here; or listen to InnovationMap's 2021 interview with her here.

Houston digital health platform Koda lands strategic investment

money moves

Houston-based advance care planning platform Koda Health has added another investor to the lineup.

The company secured a strategic investment for an undisclosed amount from UPMC Enterprises, the commercialization arm of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The funding is part of Koda's oversubscribed series A funding round that closed in October, according to a release.

"UPMC Enterprises’ investment is a meaningful signal, not just to Koda, but to the broader market," Dr. Desh Mohan, chief medical officer and co-founder of Koda Health, said in the news release. "It validates that health systems are ready to invest in infrastructure that makes advance care planning work the way it should: proactively, at scale, and with the human support that these conversations require. Having UPMC Enterprises as a strategic investor puts us in a unique position to prove what's possible."

Koda has raised $14 million to date, according to a representative from the company. Its series A round was led by Evidenced, with participation from Mudita Venture Partners, Techstars and the Texas Medical Center last year. At the time, the company said the funding would allow it to scale operations and expand engineering, clinical strategy and customer success. The company described the round as a "pivotal moment," as it had secured investments from influential leaders in the healthcare and venture capital space.

Koda Health, which was born out of the TMC's Biodesign Fellowship in 2020, saw major growth last year, as well, and now supports more than 1 million patients nationwide through partnerships with Cigna Healthcare, Privia Health, Guidehealth, Sentara, UPMC and Memorial Hermann Health System.

The company integrated its end-of-life care planning platform with Dallas-based Guidehealth in April 2025 and with Epic Systems in July 2025. It also won the 2025 Houston Innovation Award in the Health Tech Business category. Read more here.

UH med school gets $2M gift and more top Houston innovation news

Trending Topics

Editor's note: The top Houston innovation news of the month is full of fresh funding, with two Texas medical schools receiving major gifts — one of historic proportions. Below are the five most-read InnovationMap headlines from April 16-30, 2026.

UH med school granted $2M gift to offer student scholarships

A new scholarship endowment aims to support students in the University of Houston’s recently established medical school. The University of Houston’s Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine received a planned estate gift commitment estimated at $2.1 million to establish the Bob Diehl and Teresa Evans Diehl Scholarship Endowment. The scholarship will assist full-time medical students who demonstrate financial need and meet academic standards. Continue reading.

How Houston innovators played a role in the historic Artemis II splashdown

Research from Rice University played a critical role in the safe return of U.S. astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission this month. Rice mechanical engineer Tayfun E. Tezduyar and longtime collaborator Kenji Takizawa developed a key computational parachute fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis system that proved vital in NASA’s Orion capsule’s descent into the Pacific Ocean. The FSI system, originally developed in 2013 alongside NASA Johnson Space Center, was critical in Orion’s three-parachute design, which slowed the capsule as it returned to Earth, according to Rice. Continue reading.

Baylor scientist lands $2M grant to explore links between viruses and Alzheimer’s

A Baylor College of Medicine scientist will begin exploring the possible link between Alzheimer’s disease and viral infections thanks to a $2 million grant awarded in March. Dr. Ryan S. Dhindsa hypothesizes that Alzheimer’s may have some link to previous viral infections contracted by the patient. To study this intriguing possibility, the American Brain Foundation has gifted him the Cure One, Cure Many award in neuroinflammation. Continue reading.

New UT Austin med center, anchored by MD Anderson, gets historic gift

A donation announced April 21 breaks a major record at the University of Texas at Austin. Michael and Susan Dell are now UT Austin's first supporters to give $1 billion. In response, the university will create the UT Dell Campus for Advanced Research and the UT Dell Medical Center to "advance human health," per a press release. Continue reading.

Houston VC funding surged nearly 50% in Q1 2026, report says

Houston saw a jump in VC funding in Q1 2026, fueled by several major investments in clean energy startups. Image via Getty Images

First-quarter venture capital funding for Houston-area startups climbed nearly 50 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. In Q1 2026, Houston-area startups raised $532.3 million, a 49 percent jump from $320.2 million in Q1 2025, according to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. However, the Q1 total fell 23 percent from the $671.05 million raised in Q4 2025. Continue reading.

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