Fast-growing Houston tech firm leads dozens of local companies on Inc. 5000

growth report

Houston-based Action1 landed at No. 29 nationally and No. 1 in the software category in this year's Inc. 5000 ranking. Photo via Getty Images.

Dozens of Houston-area businesses appear in this year’s Inc. 5000 ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., with a security software provider capturing the region’s No. 1 spot on the list.

Landing at No. 29 nationally and No. 1 in the software category, the top-ranked Houston-area private company is Houston-based Action1. The company recorded median revenue growth of 7,188 percent from 2021 to 2024, according to the Inc. 5000.

It’s the first appearance on the Inc. 5000 list for Action1, founded in 2018.

Action1 produces patch management software. A patch, or fix, quickly repairs software to resolve functionality problems, improve security or add features, according to TechTarget.

“Modern organizations understand that proactive patch management is essential to staying ahead of today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape,” Mike Walters, co-founder and president of Action1, said in a news release. “Our continued hypergrowth reflects the increased demand for enterprise cybersecurity innovation. You can’t be just powerful and secure — you must also be simple to deploy and scale and cost-effective.”

Below are the Houston-area businesses that earned a ranking among the top 1,000 companies, including their industries and their three-year growth rate. To see the other Houston-area companies in the Inc. 5000, visit inc.com/inc5000/2025.

No. 29 Houston-based Action1, software (7,188 percent)
No. 49 Spring-based Bogey Bros Golf, retail (5,540 percent)
No. 84 Houston-based Turtlebox Audio, consumer products (3,818 percent)
No. 87 The Woodlands-based Allied Wealth, financial services (3,796 percent)
No. 319 Houston-based Strategic Office Support, business products and services (1,228 percent)
No. 324 Houston-based Novo Communications, security (1,212 percent)
No. 363 Houston-based OptiSigns, software (1,101 percent)
No. 385 Houston-based Cart.com, business products and services (1,053 percent)
No. 421 Houston-based Sydecar, financial services (962 percent)
No. 471 The Woodlands-based Acuity Technology Partners, IT services (869 percent)
No. 577 Stafford-based Dahnani Private Equity Group, real estate (718 percent)
No. 706 Houston-based Why Not Natural, consumer products (585 percent)
No. 709 Stafford-based Signarama Sugar Land, manufacturing (584 percent)
No. 744 Houston-based FINBOA, software (557 percent)
No. 747 Houston-based Amundson Group, human resources (557 percent)
No. 793 Houston-based Field Industries, manufacturing (533 percent)
No. 957 Friendswood-based Good Ranchers, food and beverage (448 percent)
No. 999 Houston-based ARIA Signs & Design, business products and services (428 percent)

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Here's what Houston company scored the No. 2 spot among the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest. Photo via Getty Images

Houston companies snag spots on regional Inc. 5000 list

by the numbers

Revenue growth is on fire at Houston-based Simple Solar.

Revenue at Simple Solar, a provider of residential solar installations, soared 8,007 percent from 2019 to 2021, putting it at No. 2 among the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest. It leads the list of 25 Houston-area companies appearing in the new Inc. 5000 Regional rankings for the Southwest.

Between 2019 and 2021, the 165 private companies on the Southwest list posted an average growth rate of 557 percent. In 2021 alone, they added 16,116 jobs and nearly $5.5 billion to the Southwest’s economy.

“This year’s Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America’s off-the-charts growth companies,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine. “They’re disruptors and job creators, and all delivered an outsized impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you’ll be hearing about for years to come.”

Here are the 25 Houston-area companies that made the Inc. 5000 Regional list for the Southwest, including their regional rankings.

No. 2 Simple Solar, Houston-based provider of residential solar installations, 8,007 percent growth
No. 6 Medical Edge Recruitment, The Woodlands-based health care recruiting and staffing firm, 2,980 percent growth
No. 8 Specialty1 Partners, Houston-based provider of surgical support services for dental practices, 2,921 percent growth
No. 15 Magnolia-based online women’s clothing retailer Jess Lea, 1,471 percent growth
No. 36 Houston-based accounting and advisory firm EFS Group, 458 percent growth
No. 39 Blackbuck Resources, Houston-based designer, builder, and operator of water infrastructure for the oil and gas industry, 432 percent growth
No. 48 Leveled Concrete, Houston-based provider of concrete and foundation repair services, 298 percent growth
No. 52 iCRYO Brands, Houston-based franchisor of cryotherapy centers, 269 percent growth
No. 53 TAXA Outdoors, Houston-based retailer of camping trailers, 268 percent growth
No. 58 Proxima Clinical Research, Houston-based contract research organization, 243 percent growth
No. 64 Ledge, Katy-based seller of in-pool and backyard furniture and accessories, 234 percent growth
No. 66 TekRevol, Houston-based software developer, 226 percent growth
No. 79 Finish Line Tax Solutions, Houston-based tax relief firm, 194 percent growth
No. 82 Incfile, Houston-based provider of services for small businesses, 192 percent growth
No. 99 Flocknote, Magnolia-based provider of technology that helps churches boost attendance and foster connections, 152 percent growth
No. 125 Onit, Houston-based developer of workflow and AI software, 104 percent
No. 137 InterLinc Mortgage, Houston-based mortgage lender, 85 percent growth
No. 140 Classy Art, Houston-based supplier of wall décor, 83 percent growth
No. 145 Zulie Venture (Cellpay), Sugar Land-based provider of prepaid wireless services, 78 percent growth
No. 149 Total Pump Solutions, Houston-based distributor of fire suppression equipment, 75 percent growth
No. 155 Construction Concepts, Houston-based commercial construction firm, 67 percent growth
No. 157 Energy Ogre, Houston-based service that helps consumers find electricity plans, 63 percent growth
No. 164 Garrison Construction Group, Houston-based commercial construction firm, 60 percent growth
No. 165 Technocrats Domain, Houston-based provider of IT services, 60 percent growth
No. 166, G&A Partners, Houston-based professional employer organization, 60 percent growth

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Houston edtech company closes oversubscribed $3M seed round

fresh funding

Houston-based edtech company TrueLeap Inc. closed an oversubscribed seed round last month.

The $3.3 million round was led by Joe Swinbank Family Limited Partnership, a venture capital firm based in Houston. Gamper Ventures, another Houston firm, also participated with additional strategic partners.

TrueLeap reports that the funding will support the large-scale rollout of its "edge AI, integrated learning systems and last-mile broadband across underserved communities."

“The last mile is where most digital transformation efforts break down,” Sandip Bordoloi, CEO and president of TrueLeap, said in a news release. “TrueLeap was built to operate where bandwidth is limited, power is unreliable, and institutions need real systems—not pilots. This round allows us to scale infrastructure that actually works on the ground.”

True Leap works to address the digital divide in education through its AI-powered education, workforce systems and digital services that are designed for underserved and low-connectivity communities.

The company has created infrastructure in Africa, India and rural America. Just this week, it announced an agreement with the City of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo to deploy a digital twin platform for its public education system that will allow provincial leaders to manage enrollment, staffing, infrastructure and performance with live data.

“What sets TrueLeap apart is their infrastructure mindset,” Joe Swinbank, General Partner at Joe Swinbank Family Limited Partnership, added in the news release. “They are building the physical and digital rails that allow entire ecosystems to function. The convergence of edge compute, connectivity, and services makes this a compelling global infrastructure opportunity.”

TrueLeap was founded by Bordoloi and Sunny Zhang and developed out of Born Global Ventures, a Houston venture studio focused on advancing immigrant-founded technology. It closed an oversubscribed pre-seed in 2024.

Texas space co. takes giant step toward lunar excavator deployment

Out of this world

Lunar exploration and development are currently hampered by the fact that the moon is largely devoid of necessary infrastructure, like spaceports. Such amenities need to be constructed remotely by autonomous vehicles, and making effective devices that can survive the harsh lunar surface long enough to complete construction projects is daunting.

Enter San Antonio-based Astroport Space Technologies. Founded in San Antonio in 2020, the company has become a major part of building plans beyond Earth, via its prototype excavator, and in early February, it completed an important field test of its new lunar excavator.

The new excavator is designed to function with California-based Astrolab's Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, a highly modular vehicle that will perform a variety of functions on the surface of the moon.

In a recent demo, the Astroport prototype excavator successfully integrated with FLEX and proceeded to dig in a simulated lunar surface. The excavator collected an average of 207 lbs (94kg) of regolith (lunar surface dust) in just 3.5 minutes. It will need that speed to move the estimated 3,723 tons (3,378 tonnes) of regolith needed for a lunar spaceport.

After the successful test, both Astroport and Astrolab expressed confidence that the excavator was ready for deployment. "Leading with this successful excavator demo proves that our technology is no longer theoretical—it is operational," said Sam Ximenes, CEO of Astroport.

"This is the first of many implements in development that will turn Astrolab's FLEX rover into the 'Swiss Army Knife' of lunar construction. To meet the infrastructure needs of the emerging lunar economy, we must build the 'Port' before the 'Ship' arrives. By leveraging the FLEX platform, we are providing the Space Force, NASA, and commercial partners with a 'Shovel-Ready' construction capability to secure the lunar high ground."

"We are excited to provide the mobility backbone for Astroport's groundbreaking construction technology," said Jaret Matthews, CEO of Astrolab, in a release. "Astrolab is dedicated to establishing a viable lunar ecosystem. By combining our FLEX rover's versatility with Astroport's civil engineering expertise, we are delivering the essential capabilities required for a sustainable lunar economy."

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston biotech co. raises $11M to advance ALS drug development

drug money

Houston-based clinical-stage biotechnology company Coya Therapeutics (NASDAQ: COYA) has raised $11.1 million in a private investment round.

India-based pharmaceuticals company Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Inc. led the round with a $10 million investment, according to a news release. New York-based investment firm Greenlight Capital, Coya’s largest institutional shareholder, contributed $1.1 million.

The funding was raised through a definitive securities purchase agreement for the purchase and sale of more than 2.5 million shares of Coya's common stock in a private placement at $4.40 per share.

Coya reports that it plans to use the proceeds to scale up manufacturing of low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2), which is a component of its COYA 302 and will support the commercial readiness of the drug. COYA 302 enhances anti-inflammatory T cell function and suppresses harmful immune activity for treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The company received FDA acceptance for its investigational new drug application for COYA 302 for treating ALS and FTD this summer. Its ALSTARS Phase 2 clinical trial for ALS treatment launched this fall in the U.S. and Canada and has begun enrolling and dosing patients. Coya CEO Arun Swaminathan said in a letter to investors that the company also plans to advance its clinical programs for the drug for FTD therapy in 2026.

Coya was founded in 2021. The company merged with Nicoya Health Inc. in 2020 and raised $10 million in its series A the same year. It closed its IPO in January 2023 for more than $15 million. Its therapeutics uses innovative work from Houston Methodist's Dr. Stanley H. Appel.

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