Houston VC funding surged in 2024, fueled by major Q4 activity

by the numbers

Roughly half of the 2024 fundraising total for Houston-area startups came in the fourth quarter. Photo via Getty Images

The venture capital haul for Houston-area startups jumped 23 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the latest PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.

The fundraising total for startups in the region climbed from $1.49 billion in 2023 to $1.83 billion in 2024, PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor data shows.

Roughly half of the 2024 sum, $914.3 million, came in the fourth quarter. By comparison, Houston-area startups collected $291.3 million in VC during the fourth quarter of 2023.

Among the Houston-area startups contributing to the impressive VC total in the fourth quarter of 2024 was geothermal energy startup Fervo Energy. PitchBook attributes $634 million in fourth-quarter VC to Fervo, with fulfillment services company Cart.com at $50 million, and chemical manufacturing platform Mstack and superconducting wire manufacturer MetOx International at $40 million each.

Across the country, VC deals total $209 billion in 2024, compared with $162.2 billion in 2023. Nearly half (46 percent) of all VC funding in North America last year went to AI startups, PitchBook says. PitchBook’s lead VC analyst for the U.S., Kyle Stanford, says that AI “continues to be the story of the market.”

PitchBook forecasts a “moderately positive” 2025 for venture capital in the U.S.

“That does not mean that challenges are gone. Flat and down rounds will likely continue at higher paces than the market is accustomed to. More companies will likely shut down or fall out of the venture funding cycle,” says PitchBook. “However, both of those expectations are holdovers from 2021.”

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Cart.com has acquired OceanX, adding two new facilities and expanding its logistics network to enhance efficiency and support high-volume beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands. Photo courtesy of Cart.com

Houston e-commerce platform expands logistics network with acquisition of fulfillment operations arm

M&A move

A Houston e-commerce unicorn has made its latest strategic acquisition.

Cart.com, which operates a multichannel commerce platform, announced that it has acquired Guthy-Renker's wholly-owned fulfillment operations arm OceanX. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Around 200 OceanX employees will be assumed onto the Cart.com team, and the fast-growing company will add two new facilities totaling over 600,000 square feet to its network, expanding to include a West Coast distribution hub in Southern California and its third facility near Columbus, Ohio.

"Acquiring OceanX is part of Cart.com’s strategy to continue to scale our platform and capabilities across industries, leveraging our proprietary technology to improve efficiency and deliver superior results to our clients and their customers,” Omair Tariq, Cart.com founder and CEO, says in a news release. “By deploying our Constellation OMS and WMS software and seasoned operations team across these two new facilities, we will improve order visibility, labor efficiency, shipping costs and customer satisfaction for the benefit of our new clients.”

Cart.com now has 17 omnichannel fulfillment and distribution centers with around 10 million square feet and more than 1,600 team members, according to the company.

With the transition, Guthy-Renker's Co-Founder and Co-Chairman Bill Guthy will serve as a strategic adviser to Cart.com.

The move broadens Cart.com's presence in the high-volume beauty, wellness, and lifestyle industries, and the company now will work with supply chains from numerous brands, including Meaningful Beauty, The Body Firm, Smileactives, and Westmore Beauty.

“Cart.com has built a comprehensive, enterprise-grade logistics network with modern, digital capabilities that offer unparalleled visibility, control and efficiency for our brands,” Rick Odum, CEO of Guthy-Renker, says in the release. “This partnership will marry our own channel and marketing expertise with their track record of driving growth and savings for high-volume, high-SKU brands, supercharging performance across our portfolio.”

Earlier this year Cart.com secured $105 million in debt refinancing from investment manager BlackRock and a $25 million series C extension round.

In April, the company acquired an Amazon partner, Ohio-based Amify, a company that provides optimization and advertising solutions

Want to work for one of the top startups in Houston? These ones are hiring. Photo via Getty Images

Where to work: These 2024 Houston Innovation Awards finalists are hiring

growing biz

About a third of this year's startup finalists for the Houston Innovation Awards are hiring — from contract positions all the way up to senior-level roles.

The finalists, announced last week, range from the medical to energy to AI-related startups and will be celebrated next month on Thursday, November 14, at the Houston Innovation Awards at TMC Helix Park. Over 50 finalists will be recognized for their achievements across 13 categories, which includes the 2024 Trailblazer Legacy Awards that were announced earlier this month.

Click here to secure your tickets to see which growing startups win.

Let's take a look at where you could land a job at one of Houston's top startups.

Double-digit growth

When submitting their applications for the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards, every startup was asked if it was hiring. Four Houston startups replied that they are growing their teams rapidly.

Houston e-commerce startup Cart.com, one of the city's few $1 billion-plus “unicorns," reported that it is hiring approximately 50 new employees. The company, which focuses on commerce and logistics software development, secured $105 million in debt refinancing from investment manager BlackRock this summer following a $25 million series C extension round that brought Cart.com’s Series C total to $85 million. It currently has about 1,500 employees and 4 offices in three companies since it was founded in 2020, according to its website.

Houston energy tech company Enovate Ai (previously known as Enovate Upstream) reported that it is hiring 10-plus positions. The company, with 35 current employees, helps automate business and operational processes for decarbonization and energy optimization. Its CEO and founder, Camilo Mejia, sat down for an interview with InnovationMap in 2020. Click here to read the Q&A.

Square Robot is hiring about 10 new Houston employees and 15 total between Houston and other markets, according to its application. The advanced robotics company was founded in Boston in 2016 and opened its Houston office in August 2019. It develops submersible robots for the energy industry, specifically for storage tank inspections and eliminating the need for humans to enter dangerous and toxic environments. Last year it reported to be hiring 10 to 30 employees as well, ahead of the 2023 Houston Innovators Award. It currently has 25 Houston employees and about 50 nationally.

InnoVent Renewables LLC is also hiring 15 new employees to be based in Mexico. The company launched last year with its proprietary continuous pyrolysis technology that can convert waste tires, plastics, and biomass into fuels and chemicals. The company scaled up in 2022 and has operations in Pune, India, and Monterrey, Mexico, with plans for aggressive growth across North America and Latin America. It has 20 employees in Mexico and one in Houston currently.

Senior roles

Geothermal energy startup Sage Geosystems reported that it is looking to fill two senior roles in the company. It also said it anticipates further staff growth after its first commercial energy storage facility is commissioned at the end of the year in the San Antonio metro area. The company also recently expanded its partnership with the United States Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit and announced this month that it was selected to conduct geothermal project development initiatives at Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi. It has 12 full-time employees, according to its application.

Steady growth

Other companies reported that they are hiring a handful of new workers, which for some will increase headcount by about 50 percent to 100 percent.

Allterum Therapeutics reported that it is adding six employees to its current team of 13. The biopharmaceutical company that is under the Fannin Partners portfolio of med tech companies was awarded a $12 million product development grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas this spring.

Dauntless XR will add between five and eight employees, according to its application. It currently has four employees. The augmented reality software company, originally founded as Future Sight AR in 2018, recently secured a NASA contract for space weather technology after rebranding and pivoting. The company's CEO, Lori-Lee Elliott, recently sat down with the Houston Innovators Podcast. Click here to hear the interview.

Syzygy Plasmonics is hiring four positions to add to its team of 120. The company was named to Fast Company's energy innovation list earlier this year.

Venus Aerospace is adding five to 10 key hires to its team of 72. Andrew Duggleby founded the company with his wife and CEO Sassie in 2020, before relocating to the Houston Spaceport in 2021. Last year, Venus raised a $20 million series A round, and it successfully ran the first long-duration engine test of their Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, earlier this year.

​Seeking selectively

Other finalists are adding to their teams with a handful of new hires of contract gigs.

​Future roles

Other finalists reported that they are currently not hiring, but had plans to in the near future.

NanoTech Materials Inc., which recently moved to a new facility, is not currently. Hiring but said it plans with new funding during its series B.

Renewable energy startup CLS Wind is not hiring at this time but reported that it plans to when the company closes funding in late 2024.

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Omair Tariq of Cart.com, Nádia Skorupa Parachin of Cemvita, and Han Xiao of Rice University. Photos courtesy

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 an e-commerce startup founder, an industrial biologist, and a cellular scientist.

Omair Tariq, co-founder and CEO of Cart.com

Omair Tariq of Cart.com joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to share his confidence in Houston as the right place to scale his unicorn. Photo via Cart.com

Houston-based Cart.com, which operates a multichannel commerce platform, has secured $105 million in debt refinancing from investment manager BlackRock.

The debt refinancing follows a recent $25 million series C extension round, bringing Cart.com’s series C total to $85 million. The scaleup’s valuation now stands at $1.2 billion, making it one of the few $1 billion-plus “unicorns” in the Houston area.

Cart.com was co-founded by CEO Omair Tariq in October 2020. Read more.

Nádia Skorupa Parachin, vice president of industrial biotechnology at Cemvita

Nádia Skorupa Parachin joined Cemvita as vice president of industrial biotechnology. Photo courtesy of Cemvita

Houston-based biotech company Cemvita recently tapped two executives to help commercialize its sustainable fuel made from carbon waste.

Nádia Skorupa Parachin came aboard as vice president of industrial biotechnology, and Phil Garcia was promoted to vice president of commercialization.

Parachin most recently oversaw several projects at Boston-based biotech company Ginkjo Bioworks. She previously co-founded Brazilian biotech startup Integra Bioprocessos. Read more.

Han Xiao, associate professor of chemistry at Rice University

The funds were awarded to Han Xiao, a chemist at Rice University.

A Rice University chemist has landed a $2 million grant from the National Institute of Health for his work that aims to reprogram the genetic code and explore the role certain cells play in causing diseases like cancer and neurological disorders.

The funds were awarded to Han Xiao, the Norman Hackerman-Welch Young Investigator, associate professor of chemistry, from the NIH's Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) program, which supports medically focused laboratories. Xiao will use the five-year grant to advance his work on noncanonical amino acids.

“This innovative approach could revolutionize how we understand and control cellular functions,” Xiao said in the statement. Read more.

Cart.com announced a $25 million series C extension round and $105 million in debt refinancing from investment manager BlackRock. Photo courtesy of Cart.com

Houston e-commerce unicorn secures $130M in financing

scaling up

Houston-based Cart.com, which operates a multichannel commerce platform, has secured $105 million in debt refinancing from investment manager BlackRock.

The debt refinancing follows a recent $25 million series C extension round, bringing Cart.com’s series C total to $85 million. The scaleup’s valuation now stands at $1.2 billion, making it one of the few $1 billion-plus “unicorns” in the Houston area.

“Scaleup” refers to a startup that has achieved tremendous growth and has maintained a stable workforce, among other positive milestones. Airbnb, Peloton, and Uber are prime examples of businesses that evolved from startup to scaleup.

Cart.com says the new term loan facility from BlackRock consolidates its venture debt into one package “at competitive terms.” Those terms weren’t disclosed.

The company says the refinancing will enable it to expand into new markets and improve its technology, including its Constellation OMS order management system.

“Cart.com is one of the fastest-growing providers of commerce and logistics solutions today, and I’m excited to partner with BlackRock as we continue to aggressively invest to help our customers operate more efficiently,” Omair Tariq, the company’s founder and CEO, says in a news release.

Through a network of 14 fulfillment centers, Cart.com supports over 6,000 customers and 75 million orders per year.

"BlackRock is pleased to support Cart.com as it advances its mission to unify digital and physical commerce infrastructure," says Keon Reed, a director at BlackRock. “This latest facility underscores our confidence in the company’s differentiated product offerings and financial strategy as it enters its next stage of growth.”

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Melanie Johnson of Collaborative for Children, Aditya Mohite of Rice University, Lani Doyle of Cart.com. Photos courtesy

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 a nonprofit leader introducing new technologies, a solar tech-focused Rice University professor, and a new hire for a Houston fast-growing startup.

Melanie Johnson, president and CEO of Collaborative for Children

Collaborative for Children is focused on utilizing social-emotional learning robots and coding tech toys. Photo courtesy

Generally, when children are under the age of five, educators believe that they are best suited for and interested in learning, because those are the years in which there is the strongest opportunity to build a broad and solid foundation for lifelong literacy and well-being.

That sentiment is deeply held by Collaborative for Children, the Houston-based nonprofit organization with the mission to meaningfully improve the quality of early childhood education and provide access to cutting-edge technology through its Centers of Excellence to all children, especially those in low-income and marginalized communities.

“The reason the organization was started about 40 years ago is that a group of philanthropists in the greater Houston area suggested that this was so important because 90 percent of the brain develops or grows in the time frame between ages zero to five years of age,” Melanie Johnson, president and CEO of Collaborative for Children, tells InnovationMap. Read more.

Aditya Mohite, director of Rice Engineering Initiative for Energy Transition and Sustainability

The new process developed by Rice University researchers makes solar cells that are about 10 times more durable than traditional methods. Photo courtesy

Presented on the cover of a June issue of Science, a study from Rice University engineer Aditya Mohite's lab uncovered a method to synthesize a high-efficiency perovskite solar cell, known as formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3), converting them into ultrastable high-quality photovoltaic films, according to a statement from Rice. Photovoltaic films convert sunlight into electricity.

The new process makes solar cells that are about 10 times more durable than traditional methods.

“Right now, we think that this is state of the art in terms of stability,” Mohite said in a statement. “Perovskite solar cells have the potential to revolutionize energy production, but achieving long-duration stability has been a significant challenge.” Read more.

Lani Doyle, chief people officer at Cart.com

Fast-growing Cart.com has named its new chief people officer. Photo courtesy of Cart.com

Houston-based e-commerce software and services company Cart.com has hired a former Shopify executive as its chief people officer.

Before joining Cart.com, Lani Doyle was chief HR officer at Strategic Solutions Group, a provider of health care software. Previously, she was vice president of HR and people operations at 6 River Systems, a provider of software and robotics for warehouses. Prior to that, Doyle was head of talent development and operations at Shopify, an e-commerce platform for businesses that posted revenue of $7.1 billion in 2023.

“Cart.com is one of the fastest-growing companies in commerce today, and I’m excited to partner with our teams to help drive growth and scalability,” Doyle says in a news release. “I am eager to contribute to shaping our culture and developing programming that supports and elevates high-performing teams, ensuring we achieve our ambitious goals.” Read more.

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Houstonian Dr. Bernard Harris named to Astronaut Hall of Fame

out of this world

University of Houston alumnus Dr. Bernard Harris, who was the first Black astronaut to walk in space, is being inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will be held May 31 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“Being inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor, made even more special by the fact that it comes from my peers,” Harris says in a UH news release. “This recognition isn’t just about my accomplishments. It is also a testament to the teamwork and dedication of everyone who shared this amazing journey with me along the way.”

Harris and former astronaut Peggy Whitson, who spent more time in space than any other woman, will join 109 other astronauts inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation selects the honorees.

Harris, a Texas native who spent much of his childhood in Houston and San Antonio, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UH in 1978 and went on to medical school. After completing his residency at the Mayo Clinic and a fellowship at NASA’s Ames Research Center, he joined NASA as a clinical scientist and flight surgeon. He was chosen for the astronaut training program in 1990 and became an astronaut a year later.

In 1993, Harris flew his first mission on Space Shuttle Columbia, during which he conducted research and experiments in physical and life sciences. During his second mission, on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1995, Harris became the first Black astronaut to walk in space. In total, Harris logged 437 hours in space and traveled over 7 million miles.

After leaving NASA, Harris founded the Houston-based investment firm Vesalius Ventures to support emerging medical technology and devices. He also focuses on philanthropy through The Harris Foundation, a Houston-based nonprofit that empowers socially and economically disadvantaged students and communities.

“Space exploration has always been about pushing boundaries, inspiring future generations and proving that the impossible is achievable,” Harris says. “I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, and I hope to continue empowering others to reach for the stars.”

Texas ranks as top U.S. manufacturing hub, behind only one state

By The Numbers

Texas ranks among the country’s biggest hubs for manufacturing, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by Chinese manufacturing components supplier YIJIN Hardware, puts Texas at No. 2 among the states when it comes to manufacturing-hub status. California holds the top spot.

YIJIN crunched data from the U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade Administration, and National Association of Manufacturers to analyze manufacturing activity in each state. The study weighed factors such as number of manufacturing establishments, number of manufacturing employees, total value of manufacturing output, total manufacturing exports and manufacturing’s share of a state’s gross domestic product.

Here are Texas’ figures for those categories:

  • 19,526 manufacturing establishments
  • 847,470 manufacturing employees
  • Total manufacturing output of $292.6 billion
  • Total manufacturing exports of $291.9 billion
  • 11.3 percent share of state GDP

According to Texas Economic Development & Tourism, the state’s largest manufacturing sectors include automotive, tech, petroleum, chemicals, and food and beverage.

“The Lone Star State is truly a manufacturing powerhouse,” the state agency says.

In an October speech, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the state’s robust manufacturing industry.

“We are proud that Texas is home to a booming manufacturing sector,” he said. “Thanks to our strong manufacturing sector, ‘Made in Texas’ has never been a bigger brand.”

Houston is a cornerstone of Texas’ manufacturing industry. The region produces more than $75 billion worth of goods each year, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. That makes Houston the second-ranked U.S. metro area for manufacturing GDP. The more than 7,000 manufacturing establishments in the area employ over 223,000 people.

“As one of the most important industrial bases in the world, Houston has access to many global markets thanks to its central location within the U.S. and the Americas,” the partnership says.

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This story originally appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.

Houston's top 25 business and civic leaders named by local organization

HTown leaders

As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, the Center for Houston’s Future has named its first-ever group of Top 25 Business/Civic Leadership Forum Alumni, including energy transition CEOs and legendary craft brewery founders.

The group was selected from among 1,400 alumni of the Center for Houston's Future's Leadership Forum, which hosts two cohorts per year, bringing together leaders from across industries to focus on issues critical to the long-term success of Greater Houston.

The individuals will be honored throughout the year, starting with an event this Thursday, March 20, at the Junior League of Houston called Leaders for Houston’s Future: Women Who Stand Apart, and culminating in the signature Dinner & Conversation event this fall.

Earlier this year, the organization selected an honor roll of 75 Leaders Who Stand Apart before naming the list of 25. See the honor roll here.

“Both our Top 25 and the honor roll of 75 Leaders are a testament to the amazing group of leaders working for the good of our region every day,” David Gow, the center’s CEO and president, said in a statement. “They are also a reflection of the Center’s historical and ongoing commitment to develop, inspire and connect leaders across all facets of our region.

Gow is the founder and chairman of Gow Media, InnovationMap's parent company.

The Top 25 Business/Civic Leadership Forum Alumni list includes:

  • Laura Bellows, president and board chairman, W.S. Bellows Construction
  • Richard Campo, chairman and CEO, Camden Property Trust
  • Anne Chao, co-founder, Houston Asian American Archive
  • Donna Cole, founder, president and CEO, Cole Chemical & Distributing
  • Suzan Deison, CEO, president and founder, Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce
  • Amanda Edwards, principal, The Community Based Solutions Firm
  • Bob Eury, retired president and CEO, Central Houston, Inc.
  • Sidney Evans II, senior advisor, business affairs, Reliant Energy
  • Roland Garcia, shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
  • Cullen Geiselman, board chair, Houston Parks Board
  • Bernard Harris Jr., former NASA astronaut
  • Winell Herron, senior vice president of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs, H-E-B
  • Paul Hobby, founder and managing director, Genesis Park
  • Laura Jaramillo, executive director, LISC
  • Melanie Johnson, president and CEO, Collaborative for Children
  • Laura Murillo, president and CEO, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Wilhelmina "Beth" Robertson, president, Cockspur, Inc. and Westview Development Inc.
  • Judson Robinson III, president and CEO, Houston Area Urban League
  • Kimberly Sterling, principal, Sterling for Good
  • Y. Ping Sun, of counsel, Yetter Coleman LLP
  • Bobby Tudor, founder and CEO, Artemis Energy Partners
  • Brock Wagner, founder, Saint Arnold Brewing Company
  • Barron Wallace, public finance partner and practice group co-Head, Bracewell LLP
  • Marc Watts, president, The Friedkin Group
  • Beth Wolff, founder and chairman, Beth Wolff Realtors

Eury, Sun and Wolff serve on the center’s board of directors.

“I’m grateful to be included on the Top 25,” Wolff said in the release. “I cannot stress enough what an extraordinary opportunity it is to participate in the Leadership Forum and focus on Houston’s future. Fellow cohort members become friends and colleagues working together in service of the community.”

This week's panel will feature Cole, Geiselman and Herron. They will be joined by Lharissa Jacobs, executive director of Fit Houston, who made the top 75 list. Frances Castañeda Dyess, president of the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce, will moderate.

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