Houston startup develops tech to protect children from online threats

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Parent ProTech allows for parents to learn about the platforms their kids are active on — and how to protect them from potential danger. Photo via Canva and ParentProTech.com

Worry is an unavoidable part of the job description for any parent with children that continuously explore social media and other online applications and networks.

It seems as if with each passing day, a litany of horror stories centered around online bullying and online predators come to light replete with children who were approached and violated online and parents that had virtually no idea what their kids were up against.

But imagine a world where parents are able to not only monitor a child’s online activity, but are able to finally understand it, control it, and restrict it.

It’s a lofty task, but the team behind Parent ProTech, the one-stop shop for parental education on technology and applications that their kids use, are not only equipped to tackle it, they are passionate about finally giving parents the guide to parenting in the digital age.

“Our goal is to make everyone the best digital parent possible,” Brock Murphy, Parent ProTech co-founder, tells InnovationMap. “We understand technology and the role it plays in influencing the next generation. So we help parents when it comes to understanding the platforms, how to use them and how to unlock the parental controls that can be hidden, deeper into these platforms.”

Growing the tech platform

Murphy — with co-founder Drew Wooten and creative director Joshua Adams — launched the platform in September 2022. Since then, Parent ProTech has made its mark through partnerships with schools in Texas.

“Currently we’re at over 20,000 users and last week I closed a big deal with a national charter school, so they’re looking to launch in their Texas schools starting in August, which will pull us to 56,000 users signed up,” says Murphy. “The easiest way to get this important research into as many hands as possible was going to the schools.

“In Texas they have the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, requirement, and so we’re filling some of the void when it comes to social and emotional learning when it comes to interacting with technology and others online, preventing violence and cyberbullying and different computer applications requirements that the state passes down to schools to teach to children.”

Brock Murphy launched Parent ProTech last fall. Photo via parentprotech.com

Murphy realized that there was a dearth in online protection when it comes to children when he first started looking at the data coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the data, it was evident that children from ages 11 to 14 years old spent over nine hours in front of a screen per day and, according to FBI reports, have the potential to encounter some 500,000 online predators during that time.

“We’re highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly,” says Murphy. “And then we’re monitoring the different platforms, so when Snapchat added a new feature, for example, and inappropriate content was popping up on my entire teams’ Snapchat, we definitely wanted to flag the families.

“We alerted them about the new feature and the inappropriate content popping up and informed them about what to look out for and how they can do to combat it. These platforms are constantly changing, and parents are busy, so we’re taking this off their plate. We’ll monitor it and let them know when there’s something major that happens that could put their child at risk.”

For convenience, Parent ProTech is web-based and mobile compatible, but with an update planned in the next few months, it will be more personalized based on the age of the child and the parent’s philosophy on social media and screen time.

Mission-driven origin with constant updates

Murphy founded the company without an application development background. Before creating Parent ProTech, Murphy took a very interesting path that brought him to the Houston area. First, he interned at the White House, then worked for SpaceX in Brownsville, Texas. After that, he was lured away to a company headquartered in Paris, France. That company, eventually sent him to Houston to open up a local branch office.

Murphy says he's routinely been asked by parents, teachers, administrators, and families about technology and how to keep their family safe online. That curiosity was the seed planted in early 2021 that sprouted into Parent ProTech and laid the foundation for the team’s mission to help parents understand technology and the role it plays in influencing the next generation.

So for those parents that have no idea what Discord or YikYak is or are still shaking their heads at the popularity of TikTok, with all of its sometimes disturbing viral challenges, Parent ProTech has it covered.

“Essentially what we’ve built is a database for families and schools to dive into the different platforms and understand them,” says Murphy. “We’re diving deep into these platforms so parents can quickly get what they need to put parental controls in place. This way, they can rest a little easier knowing that their children will see the content they want them to see and not be exposed to inappropriate content.”

Additionally, Parent ProTech wants to be able to equip parents with the tools to keep their children from talking to strangers online.

Parents, of course, love the idea for Parent ProTech, but it wasn’t as attractive to the kids on the business end of the restrictions and monitoring.

“It’s not an easy conversation because parents are scared of pushing their children away,” says the Texas A&M alum. “Kids don’t want their mom to know when they’re posting on TikTok. And that push/pull can sometimes put parents in a position where they are overwhelmed and can cause a paralysis state where they don’t do anything at all.

“I met with some sophomores in high school, and they weren’t keen on what we do, but then I told them the story about the family in San Diego where the oldest of three sons was approached by a pill pusher on Snapchat because the Snapchat map was turned on and there was Xanax delivered to the mailbox and it was laced with fentanyl and the son passed away," he continues. "Those are the kinds of stories that get the kids to listen to what we’re saying and the importance of monitoring the activity on these platforms.”

Involving the experts

The Parent ProTech team doesn’t just rely on real news fodder, though, it also regularly consults with therapists and developmental professionals for the best results.

“We talk to child psychologists and therapists on how we would recommend parents talk about the restrictions and the changes they make when they deep dive into these platforms,” says Murphy. “And what we’ve found is the education of the parents on what the platforms actually are is really important. That helps with conversation starters and plans like if a parent wants to limit their child’s screentime to 15 minutes a day.”

Parent ProTech isn’t just providing technology knowledge and parental controls, it’s also helping families monitor their digital footprint.

“What you post today could come back and haunt you when you apply to medical school or that dream job,” says Murphy. “So we focus on that and how we can promote safety and well-being of our interactions with each other online.”

Moving forward, one of Parent ProTech’s biggest goals, outside of being that one stop shop for families/parents when it comes to safely navigating technology, is also being pro technology and promoting the tools and excitement that all of this advancement has on kids and the positive activity that can come out of it.

“We also want parents and kids to realize the potential there is with all of this advancement and continue pushing that message,” says Murphy. “We’d also like to develop some AI tools to help with bullying and inappropriate content to help prevent scammers from taking advantage of kids and elderly.”

Murphy also wants to put his time on Capitol Hill to good use by helping to advocate for various policy changes in Washington D.C. and state capitals that will help protect children online.

“We have to build this army of parents that want more priority of safety when it comes to children online and part of that is parents being more engaged in what their kids are doing and we’re here to help foster that.”

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What to expect from the inaugural TiECon Texas event this week

where to be

Innovators and entrepreneurs will gather in Houston this week to show off their latest advancements in automation during the first-ever TiECon Texas conference at the Ion District.

“Automation is not simply changing how we work. It is redefining how value is created across every industry,” Somesh Singh, president of TiE Houston, said in a release. “Texas has the talent, the infrastructure, and the entrepreneurial spirit to lead this transformation. TiEcon Texas 2026 is where the people building that future will come together to shape it."

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) started in Silicon Valley in 1994 as a two-day seminar, but has grown into a worldwide network of events celebrating technological advancement. TiECon in Houston is a merger of the TiE networks across Texas for one large-scale event taking place at the Ion on Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29. Tickets are available here.

The event includes a partnership with Hatch Pitch, a founder-first startup showcase that has raised over $20 billion in funding for new companies in the tech industry. Participants will come from industries like space exploration, healthcare, energy, and the AI sector to present their ideas in front of an investor network for possible development.

“Over 80 percent of the teams we have coached have gone on to receive funding,” Greg Wright, founder of Hatch Pitch, added in a release.

In addition, there will be forums and talks on a variety of automation subjects, everything from robotic surgery to automation in government. Educators from Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth Houston, and the University of Houston plan to discuss the raising of children in a world with extensive artificial intelligence integrated into so many areas. Steven Kean, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, will give the keynote speech on the Bayou City’s place in these emerging technological spheres.

Singh highlighted how the large-scale disruptions in the technological status quo by the rise of AI could be a sign of potential growth and innovation. The entrepreneurs presenting at TiECon may be the ones to harness the sometimes unsteady AI industry for good causes.

“History shows that periods of technological disruption create extraordinary opportunities for those prepared to act,” he said. “TiEcon Texas is designed to help founders, investors, and enterprises understand where the automation economy is headed and how to participate in building it."

Here are the 10 startups pitching during the TiE Hatch Pitch competition:

Houston startup makes Time's list of the best inventions of 2026

Innovation Station

One of the year's most buzzworthy innovations comes from a Houston-based leader in the energy transition. Utility Global's H2Gen recently made Time magazine’s list of the 300 best inventions of 2026.

The H2Gen is an innovative system that produces low-cost clean hydrogen from water and industrial off-gases. The company says the process doesn’t require electricity, a notable claim since hydrogen production typically consumes a lot of power.

"Using a tubular electrochemical cell containing a proprietary electrolyte and water, the company can turn industrial off-gases into hydrogen at scale—no extra electricity required," writes Time. "Bonus: the process also pulls out carbon dioxide as a separate stream, where it can be captured and kept out of the atmosphere.

CEO Parker Meeks tells Time, it's “a practical pathway to decarbonize existing industrial assets."

The startup is on a roll. It has raised $100 million so far in an ongoing Series D round to offer its decarbonization technology at industrial scale around the world.

H2Gen is joined by 10 other inventions with Texas connections onTime's list, as well as one "special mention."

In North Texas, they are:

Samsung
Plano-based Samsung Electronics America pulled off a hat trick this year, with three products making Time’s list. First up is the Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone. It packs a more powerful camera, Galaxy AI features, and pro-level content creation tools. But Time singled out its new built-in privacy display as the phone’s “biggest selling point.”

Samsung’s Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator also got smarter. When AI first came to the Family Hub in 2024, it could recognize some fresh foods, but you still had to log packaged items by hand, Time noted. Now, with Google Gemini built in, the fridge can identify more than 2,000 packaged foods, read handwritten labels, and warn you when food is about to expire. It then uses what’s inside to build grocery lists and suggest recipes.

And for gamers, there’s the Odyssey G8 monitor. Its 6K resolution leapfrogs the 4K standard, delivering what Samsung calls “exceptional visual clarity and detail” on a screen big enough for gaming and multitasking.

OxeFit
Plano-based OxeFit’s XS1 Peak is about the size of a treadmill but works like an entire gym. It can be set up for strength training, simulated skiing or kayaking, Pilates, or rowing. What makes it stand out is a built-in virtual spotter. According to Time, the machine “uses AI, computer vision and sensors to correct the user’s form, change resistance in the middle of a rep and reduce the weight when the user is struggling, much like a human spotter.”

EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica, the French eyewear giant whose U.S. headquarters is in Farmers Branch, makes Essilor Stellest lenses. The lenses correct nearsightedness while also slowing the eye growth that makes it worse over time. Stellest is the first and only eyeglass lens authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to control myopia, Time said. The lenses look like regular glasses but contain 1,021 tiny lenslets. In a U.S. trial of kids ages 6-12, myopia progression slowed by an average of 71 percent over two years compared with standard lenses.

Helpany
Helpany, a startup based in Phoenix that manufactures its devices in DFW, makes Paul, a ceiling-mounted gadget that uses radar and AI to spot subtle changes in how residents move and flag those at higher risk of falling. Helpany says the technology can cut falls by as much as 72 percent.

Aurora Innovation
Aurora, based in Pittsburgh with a corporate and operations hub in Coppell, rolled out its second-generation Driver 2 system in July. By September, Driver 2 trucks had logged more than 500,000 driverless miles without a single at-fault crash, Time reported, and the company expects 200 of them on the road by the end of 2026.

Colossal Biosciences
Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences built an artificial egg by placing an ultra-thin, transparent silicone membrane inside a rigid 3D-printed cup, letting scientists watch the embryo develop. Twenty-six chickens have already been hatched.

In Austin, they are:
Cedar Park-based Hyliion landed on Time’s list with its Karno Power Module, a modular generator designed to produce power wherever it’s needed. The Karno represents a big pivot for the company. Hyliion got its start building electrified powertrains for 18-wheelers before shifting into power generation after acquiring the Karno generator technology from GE Aerospace. Founded in Pittsburgh in 2015, the company relocated to Cedar Park in 2018.

The other Austin-associated honoree is Moment Energy. As more electric vehicles hit the road, a growing number of their batteries are nearing retirement, while demand for power keeps climbing. Moment Energy found a way to tackle both problems at once. The company’s Megafactory 1, which opened in Vancouver, Canada, in June, turns old EV batteries into modular energy storage systems for hospitals, factories, data centers, and other big power users. “Our goal is to make sure these batteries don’t end up in landfills,” founder Edward Chiang told Time.

In the “Special Mentions” category, Austin-based Renzoe Box gained notice for its refillable custom makeup palette for on-the-go people. Licensed architect René Graham designed the box. She graduated from Houston's Rice University, and was born and raised in Dallas.

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A version of this article first appeared on CultureMap.com.

4 Houston health tech startups advancing medical innovation

meet the finalists

Houston has been driving medical innovation for decades. And thanks to leading hospitals, cutting-edge research and breakthrough technologies, the region’s healthcare ecosystem continues to improve how patients are diagnosed, treated and cared for.

The Health Tech Business category in our 2025 Houston Innovation Awards will honor an innovative startup within the health and medical technology sectors.

Four forward-thinking businesses have been named finalists for the 2026 award. This year's finalists, selected by our esteemed panel of judges, range from a startup developing miniaturized medical technologies for space to a company using AI to help develop cancer treatment plans.

Read more about these businesses, their innovative founders, and how they're shaping the future of health care below.. The 2026 winners will be announced on InnovationMap.com in mid-November.

Bairitone Health

Bairitone Health is bringing anatomy imaging for sleep apnea to the home environment. The company's platform maps users' anatomy during natural sleep using a facial patch to determine the root cause of airway obstruction. It then offers effective therapies for each patient.

The company was founded in 2022 in the Texas Medical Center's Biodesign program by CEO Meagan Pitcher, CTO Onur Kilic and chief medical officer Britt Cross. It was a member of Activate Houston's inaugural cohort and has participated in numerous accelerators and incubators. The company raised an oversubscribed seed round for $2.4 million earlier this year and received Breakthrough Device Designation from the Food and Drug Administration in April.

InformAI Inc.

InformAI Inc. develops fit-to-purpose AI solutions for the clinical setting. Its RadOncAI product recently received FDA 510(k) clearance. The product uses AI to create a first-pass radiation therapy dose plan for complex head and neck cancers in an effort to eliminate bottlenecks in radiation planning and ultimately cancer treatment. The company has also developed AI products for sinus disease detection and 3D organ reconstruction.

CEO Jim Havelka founded the company in 2017. It is participating in the Mayo Clinic Accelerate Platform. It has raised about $4 million in seed funding and has received numerous non-dilutive grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The company shared in its application that it plans to launch a Series A fundraising round and submit an FDA 510K application for its organ reconstruction product, Voluquant, by the end of 2026.

Prana Surgical

Prana Surgical is developing a minimally invasive surgical platform for small, hard-to-reach lung nodules that may be cancerous. The company's Prana System cleared U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval earlier this year.

Prana Surgical was originally founded as Prana Thoracic in 2022. It has participated in numerous accelerators, including the Texas Medical Center Innovation Accelerator in 2023 and the IGNITE Health accelerator in 2022. It raised $6 million in Series A funding rounds in 2023 and 2024 , with a Series B currently ongoing. The company said in its application that it is currently moving into the next stage of clinical validation and revenue generation in the U.S., in addition to preparing its manufacturing and commercial infrastructure for broader use.

Skybound MedTech

Skybound MedTech develops technologies that aim to address the health risks of long-duration spaceflight. Its compact, miniaturized medical technologies can deliver complex therapies without a physician.

CEO Matthew Kuhn, who previously founded Taurus Vascular, founded Skybound last year. The company emerged from stealth in January after raising a $1.25 million Series A round. It plans to advance its lead dual-use platform into critical preclinical validation in November, the company shared in its application. It is currently raising a $25 million Series A round and is pursuing federal research partnerships with DARPA and ARPA-H.

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