3 Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Anwar Sadek of Corrolytics, Angela Holmes of OmniScience, and Eduardo Fonseca of EndoQuest Robotics. Photos courtesy

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 innovators across health care and energy.

Anwar Sadek, founder and CEO of Corrolytics

Anwar Sadek of Corrolytics joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss his company's growth and move to Houston. Photo courtesy

Despite having success in taking his technology from lab to commercialization, Anwar Sadek made the strategic decision to move his company, Corrolytics, from where it was founded in Ohio to Houston.

"Houston is the energy capital of the world. For the technology we are developing, it is the most strategic move for us to be in this ecosystem and in this city where all the energy companies are, where all the investors in the energy space are — and things are moving really fast in Houston in terms of energy transition and developing the current infrastructure," Sadek, co-founder and CEO of Corrolytics, says on the Houston Innovators Podcast.

And as big as a move as it was, it was worth it, Sadek says.

"It's been only a year that we've been here, but we've made the most developments, the most outreach to clients in this one last year." Continue reading.

Angela Holmes, CEO of OmniScience

Angela Holmes is the CEO of OmniScience. Photo via omniscience.com

Houston data science firm OmniScience announced this month that it has partnered with Florida-based INmune Bio (NASDAQ: INMB) on a global Phase 2 Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial.

The trial, known as ADO2, will utilize OmniScience's recently developed product, Vivo, which uses generative AI to centralize and analyze clinical trial data in real time, according to a release. The two companies also partnered during Vivo’s development and recent roll-out.

"OmniScience and INmune Bio share a vision to transform how clinical trial teams engage with data – transforming data into knowledge in real time and informing decisions that increase the probability of success,” Angela Holmes, CEO of OmniScience, says in a statement. “As our partnership moves forward, we’re gaining further insights from the INmune team that we can integrate into Vivo’s roadmap. We look forward to our continued mutual success.” Continue reading.

Eduardo Fonseca, interim CEO of EndoQuest Robotics

EndoQuest Robotics secured an Investigational Device Exemption from the FDA for its clinical study. Photo via LinkedIn

A Houston surgical robotics company has gotten a Investigational Device Exemption from the FDA to go forward with human trials.

This news allows EndoQuest Robotics to begin its Prospective Assessment of a Robotic-Assisted Device in Gastrointestinal Medicine (PARADIGM) study, which will be conducted at leading United States health care facilities, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston), Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale), Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland), AdventHealth (Orlando), and HCA Healthcare (Houston). The study will include surgeries on 50 subjects, who will hopefully begin to enroll in January.

“The foundational thesis is we're trying to make sure that the world's largest medical center is also the world's largest med tech innovation center,” Eduardo Fonseca, interim CEO of EndoQuest Robotics, tells InnovationMap. Continue reading.

Anwar Sadek of Corrolytics joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss his company's growth and move to Houston. Photo courtesy

Founder bets on Houston to grow innovative corrosion detection technology

HOUSTON INNOVATORS PODCAST EPISODE 265

Despite having success in taking his technology from lab to commercialization, Anwar Sadek made the strategic decision to move his company, Corrolytics, from where it was founded in Ohio to Houston.

"Houston is the energy capital of the world. For the technology we are developing, it is the most strategic move for us to be in this ecosystem and in this city where all the energy companies are, where all the investors in the energy space are — and things are moving really fast in Houston in terms of energy transition and developing the current infrastructure," Sadek, co-founder and CEO of Corrolytics, says on the Houston Innovators Podcast.

And as big as a move as it was, it was worth it, Sadek says.

"It's been only a year that we've been here, but we've made the most developments, the most outreach to clients in this one last year."



The technology Sadek and his team have created is a tool to detect microbial corrosion — a major problem for industrial businesses, especially within the energy sector. Sadek describes the product as being similar to a testing hit a patient would use at home or in a clinic setting to decipher their current ailments.

Users of the Corrolytics test kit can input their pipeline sample in the field and receive results via Corrolytics software platform.

"This technology, most importantly, is noninvasive. It does not have to be installed into any pipelines or assets that the company currently has," Sadek explains. "To actually use it, you don't have to introduce new techniques or new processes in the current operations. It's a stand-alone, portable device."

Corrolytics approach is to help revolutionize and digitize microbial corrosion detection — both to improves efficiency and operational cost for industrial companies, but also to move the needle on a cleaner future for the energy industry.

"We are having an energy transition — that is a given. As we are bringing new energy, there will be growth of infrastructure to them. Every single path for the energy transition, corrosion will play a primary role as well," Sadek says.

Corrolytics hopes to work with new energies from the beginning to used the data they've collected to prevent corrosion in new facilities. However, the company's technology is already making an impact.

"Every year, there is about 1.2 gigaton of carbon footprint a year that is released into the environment that is associated with replacing corroded steel in general industries," Sadek says. "With Corrolytics, (industrial companies) have the ability to extend the life of their current infrastructure."

Sadek says his move to Houston has already paid off, and he cites one of the company's big wins was at the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards, where Corrolytics won two awards.

This year's award recipients span industries and technologies. Photos courtesy

2024 Houston Innovation Awards winners named at annual event

drum roll, please...

Houston innovators — the moment you've been waiting for. The winners of the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards were named at the annual event.

The Houston Innovation Awards honored over 40 finalists across categories, naming the 12 winners and honoring the two Trailblazer Legacy Awards at the event.

The 2024 judges — who represent various industries and verticals in Houston — scored over 200 submissions. The event, hosted at TMC Helix Park on November 14 and emceed by Joey Sanchez, 2023 Ecosystem Builder award recipient and founder of Cup of Joey, revealed the winners.

The event's sponsors included Texas Medical Center, Milam & Greene, EIGHT Beer, Houston Community College, Microsoft, Halliburton Labs, Mercury, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Rice Innovation & Ion District, Growth Pods, Hunton Andrews Kurth and more.

Without further adieu, here the winners from the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards.

Corrolytics is a technology startup founded to solve microbiologically influenced corrosion problems for industrial assets. Co-founder and CEO Anwar Sadek says he's collected over $1 million in dilutive and non-dilutive funding from grants and other opportunities thanks to help from mentors.

"As a founder, I am always eager to assist and support fellow entrepreneurs, especially those navigating the unique challenges that come with being a BIPOC founder," he says. "With the guidance of mentors, I learned to master the complexities of the application process for grants and other funding opportunities. In turn, I actively share my experiences with other founders, helping them navigate similar paths."

Koda Health is a provider of a tech-enabled care coordination service for improving serious illness care planning. Founder and CEO Tatiana Fofanova says that her company's last fundraise has been one of her biggest career challenges to date.

"In a venture downturn that only cared about artificial intelligence, I closed my second round six days before I gave birth to my son," she says. "Fundraising in enterprise health tech is a tough task on a good year. Fundraising in an AI-obsessed downturn while seven months pregnant was the greatest physical and professional challenge of my life. I was only able to do such a Herculean feat through the support of my husband, my amazing professional network, and the Koda team."

March Biosciences, a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a mission to transform patient care in the most challenging hematological malignancies, was co-founded by CEO Sarah Hein.

"Our therapy has resulted in multiple long-term remissions in patients with advanced T cell lymphoma, which is unheard," Hein says on what sets March apart. "Our drug is simpler, cheaper, and more efficient to produce than any of our competition's approaches. And our company operates with a lean, fit-for-purpose structure that allows us to move faster and more efficiently than industry norms."

Founded by CEO Cindy Taff, Sage Geosystems is an energy company focused on developing and deploying advanced geothermal technologies to provide reliable power and sustainable energy storage solutions regardless of geography.

"Sage Geosystems sets itself apart from competitors with its Geopressured Geothermal Systems, which can be deployed almost anywhere, unlike traditional geothermal technologies that require specific geographic conditions," Taff says. "This flexibility enables Sage to provide a reliable and virtually limitless power supply, making it ideal for energy-intensive applications like data centers."

Venus Aerospace, a deep tech company founded by husband and wife team Sassie and Andrew Duggleby, is developing reusable hypersonic technology for aviation, defense, and beyond. The team says its company culture is what drives its success.

"Traditionally, the aerospace industry tends to burn out its employees with no room for work- life balance. One of our core visions is being 'home for dinner,'" the company reported. "We want to fly you to one side of the world and still have you home for dinner. And if you work for Venus, we expect you to not only get your job done, but prioritize your family and make it home in time for dinner."

Cognitive Space, an automated satellite operations provider that enables constellations to scale, was founded by CEO Guy de Carufel, who worked at NASA for eight years before starting this company.

Cognitive Space, working in defense sector, provides "AI for automating the space infrastructure, from effective ordering across multiple data providers, to optimized scheduling of satellite operations from sensor and link management," de Carufel says. "Addressing complexities in managing heterogeneous space systems at scale."

Cart.com is a unified commerce and logistics solutions provider for B2C and B2B companies is a fast-growing ecommerce platform founded by CEO Omair Tariq.

"In the last 12 months, Cart.com has dramatically grown its fulfillment network’s scale and technological capabilities," writes CEO Omail Tariq in his Houston Innovation Awards application. "We have been laser-focused on improving quality, performance and efficiency at scale while continuing to aggressively grow our customer base, expand our capabilities to customers in new industries and grow our physical presence to new locations. Prioritizing our strategic growth initiatives has been critical in the current macroeconomic environment as profitable growth remains paramount for our team."

Corrolytics, a technology startup founded to solve microbiologically influenced corrosion problems for industrial assets, secured the most votes from the Houston innovation community.

"If I could give myself advice before starting the company, I would say to embrace the challenges early on, as they are invaluable learning opportunities," Co-founder and CEO Anwar Sadek says. "Focus on building a strong network, especially with mentors and industry leaders who can guide you through the unknowns. Lastly, be prepared for the unexpected, stay adaptable, and never underestimate the importance of a clear mission that inspires both your team and your customers."

Impact Hub Houston is 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.

"We mobilize problem solvers to use their knowledge, skills and technology to address community challenges, demonstrating our commitment to local impact while also providing a global reach for Houston innovators," says Grace Rodriguez, founder and CEO of the organization. "Our work extends to supporting underrepresented communities, and we work with public and private stakeholders to promote sustainable business practices that prioritize economic development, environmental stewardship and social equity."

Mitra Milleris the vice president of Houston Angel Network, but also founded and chairs Eagle Investors, a nonprofit group teaching students about the investment and innovation community. She serves as an active mentor for many organizations across Houston.

"Houston has the most friendly, open, collaborative, and inclusive innovation environment anywhere," Miller says. "When I ask individuals and organizations to partner on events and initiatives, they readily agree and give freely of their time and resources. There is a generosity of spirit that is very special to Houston."

Juliana Garaizar, founding partner of Energy Tech Nexus, invests with groups — such as Portfolia, Houston Angel Network, Business Angel Minority Association, and more — locally and beyond.

"I'm a hands on investor," she says. "I offer mentorship and industry and other investor connections. I take advisory roles and board observer seats."

Phillip Yates is the founder and CEO of Equiliberty Inc., but wears a few other hats too. In 2011, he helped establish a pre-venture business incubator at the Houston Area Urban League Entrepreneurship Center. He served as general counsel for the Business Angel Minority Association and Direct Digital Holdings Inc., and currently serves as chairman of Impact Hub Houston.

"My favorite part of Houston's innovative ecosystem is the growing network of resources for founders," he says. "Given our racial, ethnic and culturally diverse population, we have a wider range of experiences and perspectives — an idea that lead to better problem solving, creative solutions and understanding of the needs our community.

This year, the Houston innovation community suffered the loss of two business leaders who left a significant impact on the ecosystem. Both individuals' careers were recognized with Trailblazer Legacy Awards.

Paul Frison, founder of the Houston Technology Center, and Scott Gale, executive director of Halliburton Labs, received the award posthumously. Frison died on September 5, and Gale died on September 24. The award was decided on by the 2024 judges and InnovationMap.

“I am immensely proud to honor these two remarkable individuals with the Trailblazer Award this year. It is fitting, as they represent two generations of building Houston’s ecosystem," 2023 Trailblazer Award recipient Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance and the associate vice president for industry and new ventures within Rice University's Office of Innovation, tells InnovationMap.

"Paul Frison was a pioneering leader who helped establish the Houston Technology Center and fostered the city’s tech ecosystem during the initial technology boom around the year 2000. Scott Gale, through his work at Halliburton Labs over the past five years, has been instrumental in launching Houston’s energy transition ecosystem," he continues. "Both have played pivotal roles in championing technology innovators.” Continue reading.

Calling all Houstonians — help InnovationMap decide on this year's People's Choice: Startup of the Year winner. Graphic via Gow Media

People's Choice: Pick your startup of the year for the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards

you decide

It's firmly voting season in Houston, and in addition to deciding the nation's next political leaders, the local innovation ecosystem is being called to weigh in on one category for the Houston Innovation Awards.

This year's People's Choice: Startup of the Year voting is officially open online. Read about each company below, then click here to cast your vote. You may vote once per day up until Nov. 8 when the portal closes. The winner will be named at the Nov. 14 event — click here to secure your ticketto see who wins in this and the other dozen categories.

Corrolytics

Founded by CEO Anwar Sadek, this minority-owned startup uses its patented electrochemical technology to detect and monitor corrosion. Unlike others in the market, Corrolytics allows for on-site, real-time, accurate detection of corrosion, helping to safeguard industrial assets and prolong their lifespans.

Last month, Corrolytics, which is also a finalist in the Minority-Founded Business category, was named among the most promising energy tech startups at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship's Energy Tech Venture Forum and won the People's Choice Award. It was part of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator earlier this year.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

We launched our comprehensive in-lab services in Q4 of 2023, generating $100,000 in revenue. By 2024, we tripled our revenue, confirming our early product-market fit while serving four major customers in the energy sector. With the ruggedization and scalable design of our test kit now complete, we’re set to begin field trials in the next quarter. Additionally, Corrolytics has secured a Joint Development Agreement with a leading oil and gas service provider, extending our reach across the global energy market.

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

Embrace the challenges early on, as they are invaluable learning opportunities. Focus on building a strong network, especially with mentors and industry leaders who can guide you through the unknowns. Lastly, be prepared for the unexpected, stay adaptable and never underestimate the importance of a clear mission that inspires both your team and your customers.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

Houston is the energy capital of the world, providing unparalleled access to major industry players, talent and resources. The city's strong focus on innovation and its thriving clean energy ecosystem has been a perfect fit for Corrolytics. Growing the company here has been an amazing experience—Houston’s vibrant startup community, world-class accelerators like the Rice Alliance, and its strategic location have accelerated our growth and opened doors to invaluable partnerships. Houston truly offers the ideal environment for scaling a cleantech startup like ours and advancing the future of sustainable energy.

FlowCare

FlowCare is focused on addressing menstrual inequity by providing flagship dispensers stocked with free, 100 percent organic pads and tampons for schools and businesses, while raising awareness about the issues that impacks millions.

The startup was founded in January and is led by Founder and CEO Tanu Jain.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

Here’s a summary of the significant milestones FlowCare has reached this year:

  • Building a supportive community: We’ve established a vibrant community of FlowCare cheerleaders and advisors who are passionate about our mission.
  • Newsletter Success: Our newsletter, launched just two months ago, now reaches 2,000 people each month with an impressive 50 percent to 60 percent open rate. We’ve also been moved by the personal stories of period struggles shared by our readers.
  • Competition Achievements: We secured fourth place in the Houston Community College Business Plan Competition, winning $1,000 and raising awareness about period product accessibility. FlowCare also earned a top four finish out of 200 participants in the TiE Dallas Global Pitch Competition.
  • Successful Pilot at ION: We’ve commenced a paid pilot with ION, receiving heartfelt text messages from women expressing how FlowCare has positively impacted their day and alleviated embarrassment by providing period products in restrooms."

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

Expect the journey to be challenging and more time-consuming than anticipated. You’ll face financial struggles and setbacks, but remember to stay patient and resilient. Embrace the journey and find joy in the small victories along the way. Build a network of supportive individuals who believe in your mission and can help you navigate the tough times. You’ll experience self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but remember, even high-profile leaders experience these feelings. Stay focused on your mission and trust in your ability to make a difference.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

I chose Houston for FlowCare’s headquarters because it’s home to me—having grown up here, it felt natural to build my company in a place I know and love. My experience growing the company here has been incredibly positive. Houston boasts a strong and supportive community with a robust network of individuals who are always willing to help. As an entrepreneur, having access to people who are willing to spend time with you, offer guidance, and introduce you to the right connections is invaluable. The local support has been a key factor in keeping us going towards the mission of period equity.

InnoVent Renewables

InnoVent Renewables is a circular economy business that has developed a proprietary net-zero process that converts waste tires, plastics, and biomass into fuels and chemicals. It estimates that it will reduce emissions by 80 million pounds when its production facility is operating.

InnoVent was founded by chemical-engineer-turned-CEO Vibhu Sharma in 2023. It has plans for aggressive growth across North America and Latin America.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

We started our business in July 2023, raised a "friends and family" round, which was oversubscribed, and we carry no debt. We went from concept to the commissioning stage in 14 months and will start full commercial operations in Q4 2024.

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

Always raise more cash than you think you will need. We raised a friends and family round and then had to tap that network again to get some additional funds to account for some add-ons and escalations.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

Houston is a remarkably affordable city with exceptional talent and expertise in engineering, design, renewables, and oil and gas processes. In addition, we were able to tap an excellent and experienced advisory board that has been guiding us. Houston is well connected with the rest of the world, as well as easy access to Monterrey, Mexico, where our tire facility is located.

MendIt

MendIt Inc. was founded in 2019 to help quickly and easily connect users with small businesses and non-profits that can mend and repair clothing sustainably.

It is led by CEO and founder Kaitlyn Allen and was a member of the gBETA Houston accelerator in 2023.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

We are finally in the feasibility phase of our (stealth) B2B offering for brands and are excited that the initial results are positive and are pointing to scalability. We are currently in the process of contracting to provide our solution for two initial B2B customers.

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

Seek product-market fit from the beginning (rather than product-problem fit), and don’t invest so much before that is demonstrated.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

We founded MendIt in Houston because it is our hometown and where we lived. It’s been interesting growing a non-energy-related company because so many of the resources are focused on that sector, and at the same time we get to stand out as the only “tech” startup focused on fashion and textile sustainability.

Passport Journeys

Passport Journeys is a teletherapy app that's specifically designed for mother-daughter pairs. The app launched on Mother's Day 2023 and provides users with personalized therapies, journal opportunities, interactive worksheets and intentional bonding activities.

The company is led by founder and CEO Lacey Tezino.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

This year, we’ve achieved several significant milestones: We filed for a trademark to protect our brand, applied for our first NIH SBIR grant to secure funding for our innovative teletherapy app, and launched a nonprofit arm to provide free therapy to those in need, demonstrating our commitment to both innovation and community support.

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

I would advise myself to secure funding and the sustainability plan for the first five years before leaving the big corporate job.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

We chose Houston for our company’s headquarters due to its vibrant and diverse community, robust health care and tech sectors, and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Growing our company here has been a rewarding experience, marked by strong local partnerships, access to a large talent pool, and a dynamic business environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. The city’s emphasis on healthcare and technology aligns well with our mission, providing a solid foundation for our growth and impact.

TrueLeap

Ed-tech startup TrueLeap Inc. aims to address the global education gap by providing affordable, scalable digital tools to educators in emerging markets through its e-learning platform.

Founded in 2022, it raised $610,000 in a pre-seed round earlier this year, which was over its target of $500,000. It's led by co-founders Sandip Bordoloi, who serves as CEO, and Sunny Zhang, the company's Chief Evangelist. Dario Calogero, founder and CEO of Maya Investments Limited, which led the round, was recently named to the company's board of directors.

True Leap is being developed out of Born Global Ventures, a Houston venture studio focused on advancing immigrant-founded technology, of which Zhang is a founding partner. It serves educators in schools in the United States, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries.

What significant milestone(s) has your company reached this year?

Advancing our mission to make education accessible to underserved communities worldwide, we have reached the following milestones:

1. New country entry into Ghana by partnering with International Business and Opportunity Network (IBON)
2. Expanded implementation in the DRC by partnering with the Catholic School Association
3. New product launch enabled global educators and institutions to create and distribute high-quality content to prepare global talents for success.

What advice do you wish you could tell yourself before you started your company?

Just do it.

Why did you choose Houston for your company's headquarters and how has your experience been growing a company here?

We chose Houston for its diversity and international connections, which align with our mission to expand access to education worldwide. The city's supportive startup scene, access to top talent, and thriving innovation ecosystem have made it an ideal place to grow TrueLeap.

Pick your 2024 Houston Startup of the Year.

Over 500 people attended the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum hosted by the Rice Alliance. Photo courtesy of Rice

10 most-promising energy tech startups named at annual Houston event

top companies

Investors from around the world again identified the most-promising energy tech startups at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship's annual event.

"The recognition that Houston is the epicenter of energy transition is growing. It's something we are championing as much as possible so that the world can know exactly what we're doing," Paul Cherukuri, chief innovation officer at Rice University says at the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum.

The event took place during the inaugural Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, and nearly 100 startups from 23 states and seven countries pitched investors Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12. At the conclusion of the event, the investors decided on 10 companies deemed "most promising" from the presentations.

This year's selected companies are:

  • Revterra, a Houston-based company innovating within kinetic battery technology to enable faster and cleaner electric vehicle charging.
  • From Austin, 360 Mining is a modular data center provider for the oil and gas producers.
  • New York company Andium is a centralized and optimized operations platform for large energy companies.
  • Elementium Materials, a local Katy-based company, created its battery technology that originated out of MIT.
  • Splight is a San Mateo, California-based technology platform that provides real-time operational data based on inverter-based resources assets.
  • Los Angeles-based Mitico, one of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator's class 4 participants, provides services and equipment for carbon capture through its granulated metal carbonate sorption technology.
  • From Cambridge, Massachusetts, Osmoses is changing the way molecular gas separations are performed within the chemical, petrochemical, and energy industries.
  • Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator class 4 participant CORROLYTICS, based in Houston, has a corrosion detection and monitoring technology. The company also won over the crowd and secured the People's Choice win too.
  • Ardent, based in New Castle, Delaware, has developed a membrane technology for point-source carbon capture.
  • New Haven, Connecticut-based Oxylus Energy produces an alternative fuel from converting CO2 into green methanol.

Last year, investors named its selection of most-promising companies at Rice.

"We have a responsibility as a city to lead energy transition," Cherukuri continues. "A lot of the investments we're making at Rice are going to change the world."

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Houston space tech company develops new engine features with NASA funding

testing 1, 2, 3

Outfitted with a new type of aerospace technology, a rocket engine developed by Houston startup Venus Aerospace for hypersonic flights will undergo testing this summer.

Supported by a $155,908 federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from NASA, Venus Aerospace came up with a new design for nozzles — engine parts that help manage power — for its compact rocket engine. Venus Aerospace says the newly configured nozzles have “exceeded expectations” and will be incorporated into Venus’ upcoming ground-based engine testing.

“We’ve already proven our engine outperforms traditional systems on both efficiency and size,” Venus Aerospace CEO Sassie Duggleby says. “The technology we developed with NASA’s support will now be part of our integrated engine platform — bringing us one step closer to proving that efficient, compact, and affordable hypersonic flight can be scaled.”

The engine at the heart of Venus’ flight platform is called a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). Venus says it’s the first U.S. company to make a scalable, affordable, flight-ready RDRE.

Unlike conventional rocket engines, Venus’ RDRE operates through supersonic shockwaves, called detonations, that generate more power with less fuel.

“This is just the beginning of what can be achieved with Venus propulsion technology,” says Andrew Duggleby, chief technology officer at Venus, founded in 2020. “We’ve built a compact high-performance system that unlocks speed, range, and agility across aerospace, defense, and many other applications. And we’re confident in its readiness for flight.”

Last fall, the company unveiled a high-speed engine system that enables takeoff, acceleration, and hypersonic cruising — all powered by a single engine. While most high-speed systems require multiple engines to operate at different speeds, Venus’ innovation does away with the cost, weight and complexity of traditional propulsion technology.

Among other applications, the Venus system supports:

  • Spacecraft landers
  • Low-earth-orbit satellites
  • Vehicles that haul space cargo
  • Hypersonic drones and missiles

Nvidia announces plans to produce AI supercomputers at new Texas plants

Manufacturing News

Nvidia announced Monday that it will produce its artificial intelligence supercomputers in the United States for the first time.

The tech giant said it has commissioned more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing space to build and test its specialized Blackwell chips in Arizona and AI supercomputers in Texas — part of an investment the company said will produce up to half a trillion dollars of AI infrastructure in the next four years.

“The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time,” Nvidia founder Jensen Huang said in a statement. “Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthens our supply chain and boosts our resiliency.”

Nvidia’s announcement comes as the Trump administration has said that tariff exemptions on electronics like smartphones and laptops are only a temporary reprieve until officials develop a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry.

White House officials, including President Donald Trump himself, spent Sunday downplaying the significance of exemptions that lessen but won’t eliminate the effect of U.S. tariffs on imports of popular consumer devices and their key components.

“They’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

Nvidia said in a post on its website that it has started Blackwell production at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. chip plants in Phoenix. The Santa Clara, California-based chip company is also building supercomputer manufacturing plants in Texas — with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas.

Nvidia's AI super computers will serve as the engines for AI factories, “a new type of data center created for the sole purpose of processing artificial intelligence,” the company said, adding that manufacturing in the U.S. will create “hundreds of thousands of jobs and drive trillions of dollars in economic security over the coming decades."

Mass production at both plants is expected to ramp up in the next 12-15 months, Nvidia said. The company also plans on partnering with Taiwan-based company SPIL and Amkor for “packaging and testing operations” in Arizona.

In a statement Monday, the White House called Nvidia’s move “the Trump Effect in action.”

Trump “has made U.S.-based chips manufacturing a priority as part of his relentless pursuit of an American manufacturing renaissance, and it’s paying off — with trillions of dollars in new investments secured in the tech sector alone,” the White House said.

Earlier this year, Trump announced a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, was tasked with building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House.

The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum.

Houston XR training company lands $5.8M contract with Air Force

taking flight

The U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX innovation arm has picked Houston-based HTX Labs to provide AI-enabled immersive training for workers who maintain Boeing KC-135 refueling tankers.

HTX Labs, an extended reality (XR) company and provider of immersive training programs for U.S. armed forces, will receive as much as $5.8 million in military funding for this project.

The new initiative comes on the heels of HTX Labs completing the second phase of a virtual KC-135 maintenance training program in partnership with Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force station in England. HTX Labs received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding for the second-phase project.

Under the new initiative, part of its EMPACT training platform, HTX Labs will develop a virtual AI-powered classroom for workers who maintain the KC-135’s F108 engine. In conjunction with this project, HTX Labs will collaborate with the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing Maintenance Squadron on improving EMPACT.

Major Ryan Wing of the Maine Air National Guard says KC-135 maintenance workers “have limited opportunities to perform some of the more complex aircraft and engine repairs in a training environment. Providing immersive training to our warfighters is essential to ensuring mission readiness.”

In January, HTX Labs tapped Brian Reece as vice president of strategic accounts for the Air Force. In this role, he oversees HTX Labs’ relationship with this military branch. Reece is a retired Air Force colonel.

In 2022, Dallas-based Cypress Growth Capital invested $3.2 million in HTX Labs, which was founded in 2017.

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