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 falls from top 50 in global ranking of 'World's Best Cities'

Rankings & Reports

Houston is no longer one of the top 50 best cities in the world, according to a prestigious annual report by Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy.

The newest "World's Best Cities" list dropped Houston from No. 40 last year to No. 58 for 2026.

The experts at Resonance Consultancy annually compare the world's top 100 cities with metropolitan populations of at least 1 million residents or more based on the relative qualities of livability, "lovability," and prosperity. The firm additionally collaborated with AI software company AlphaGeo to determine each city's "exposure to risk, adaptation capacity," and resilience to change.

The No. 1 best city in the world is London, with New York (No. 2), Paris (No. 3), Tokyo (No. 4), and Madrid (No. 5) rounding out the top five in 2026.

Houston at least didn't rank as poorly as it did in 2023, when the city surprisingly plummeted as the 66th best city in the world. In 2022, Houston ranked 42nd on the list.

Despite dropping 18 places, Resonance Consultancy maintains that Houston "keeps defying gravity" and is a "coveted hometown for the best and brightest on earth."

The report cited the Houston metro's ever-growing population, its relatively low median home values ($265,000 in 2024), and its expanding job market as top reasons for why the city shouldn't be overlooked.

"Chevron’s shift of its headquarters from California to Houston, backed by $100 million in renovations, crowns relocations drawn by record 2024 Port Houston throughput of more than four million containers and a projected 71,000 new jobs in 2025," the report said.

The report also draws attention to the city's diversity, spanning from the upcoming grand opening of the long-awaited Ismaili Center, to the transformation of several industrial buildings near Memorial City Mall into a mixed-use development called Greenside.

"West Houston’s Greenside will convert 35,000 square feet of warehouses into a retail, restaurant and community hub around a one-acre park by 2026, while America’s inaugural Ismaili Center remains on schedule for later this year," the report said. "The gathering place for the community and home for programs promoting understanding of Islam and the Ismaili community is another cultural jewel for the country’s most proudly diverse major city."

In Resonance Consultancy's separate list ranking "America's Best Cities," Houston fell out of the top 10 and currently ranks as the 13th best U.S. city.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin and Dallas also saw major declines in their standings for 2026. Austin plummeted from No. 53 last year to No. 87 for 2026, and Dallas fell from No. 53 to No. 78.

"In this decade of rapid transformation, the world’s cities are confronting challenges head‑on, from climate resilience and aging infrastructure to equitable growth," the report said. "The pandemic, long forgotten but still a sage oracle, exposed foundational weaknesses – from health‑care capacity to housing affordability. Yet, true to their dynamic nature, the leading cities are not merely recovering, but setting the pace, defining new paradigms of innovation, sustainability and everyday livability."

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Waymo self-driving robotaxis will launch in Houston in 2026

Coming Soon

Houston just cleared a major lane to the future. Waymo has announced the official launch of its self-driving robotaxi service in the Bayou City, beginning with employee-only operations this fall ahead of a public launch in early 2026.

The full rollout will include three Texas cities, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, along with Miami and Orlando, Florida. Currently, the company operates in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with service available in Austin and Atlanta through Uber.

Before letting its technology loose on a city, Waymo first tests the routes with human drivers. Once each locale is mapped, the cars can begin driving independently. Unique situations are flagged by specialists, and engineers evaluate performance in virtual replicas of each city.

“Waymo’s quickly entering a number of new cities in the U.S. and around the world, and our approach to every new city is consistent,” explained the announcement. “We compare our driving performance against a proven baseline to validate the performance of the Waymo Driver and identify any unique local characteristics.”

The launch puts Waymo ahead of Tesla. Elon Musk’s Austin-based carmaker has made a lot of hullabaloo about autonomy being the future of the company, but has yet to launch its service on a wide scale.

Waymo started testing San Antonio’s roadways in May as part of a multi-city “road trip,” which also included Houston. The company says its measured approach to launches helps alleviate local concern over safety and other issues.

“The future of transportation is accelerating, and we are driving it forward with a commitment to quality and safety,” Waymo wrote. “Our rigorous process of continuous iteration, validation, and local engagement ensures that we put communities first as we expand.”

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Shipley Donuts launches AI-powered ordering assistant

fresh tech

Popular Houston-born doughnut chain Shipley Donuts has added a first-of-its-kind AI-powered assistant to its online ordering platform.

The new assistant can create personalized order recommendations based on individual or group preferences, according to a news release from the company. Unlike standard chatbox features, the new assistant makes custom recommendations based on multiple customer factors, including budgetary habits, individual flavor preferences and order size.

"We're not just adding AI for the sake of innovation — we're solving real customer pain points by making ordering more intuitive, personalized and efficient," Kerry Leo, Shipley Vice President of Technology, said in the release.

The system also works for larger events, as it can make individual orders and catering recommendations for corporate events and meetings by suggesting quantities and assortments based on group size, event type and budget.

According to Shipley, nearly 1 in 4 guests have completed orders with the new AI technology since it launched on its website.

“The integration of the AI ordering assistant into our refreshed website represents a significant leap forward in how restaurant brands can leverage technology to enhance the customer experience,” Leo added in the release.

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