Houston construction business launches analytics tool to predict building outcomes

construction tech

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction has launched Prolégo to provide predictive analytics to its clients. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, a provider of preconstruction, construction and consulting services, has launched an analytics-driven platform for project and program management.

The new platform, Prolégo, relies on predictive analytics to help ensure resources and expectations are in sync throughout three key phases of a construction project: consultation, planning, and management.

“By applying proprietary technology to monitor project progress and track changes tied to real-time cost data, the company offers a means to accurately predict outcomes so they can be planned for and measured accurately,” Satterfield & Pontikes explains in a news release.

Among the components of a project that Prolégo measures and tracks are materials, labor, and productivity.

George Pontikes, founder, chairman, and CEO of Satterfield & Pontikes, says Prolégo can serve as a “client’s advocate” for a single project or an entire building program. Clients of Prolégo include the Houston Airport System, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Klein ISD, and Spring Branch ISD.

Russ Wallace, former chief facilities officer for facilities planning and construction at the Texas A&M University System, leads Prolégo as senior program executive.

“As the building process has become increasingly sophisticated, there are an incredible number of puzzle pieces that have to fit together seamlessly,” Wallace says. “What we know is that when we monitor work in place versus plan in place, we can address any possible issues early in the process and work more efficiently via quantifiable data. If we can predict outcomes, we can plan for them.”

Other members of the Prolégo leadership team are John Marshall, senior vice president for education; Matt Daniel, corporate vice president; Matt Russel, vice president and program manager; Mark Dinius, director of technology; and Amanda Graham, director of business development.

Satterfield & Pontikes, founded in 1989, provides services for several sectors, such as including K-12 education, transportation, healthcare, government, distribution, and manufacturing.

Aside from its Houston headquarters, the firm has offices in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. In addition to Prolégo, its subsidiaries are Rollcon, Westway Construction, Greco Structures, Pontikes Development, Rocket Concrete Pumping, and Eagle Contracting. Satterfield & Pontikes purchased Keller-based Eagle Contracting late last year.

In 2021, Engineering News-Record listed Satterfield & Pontikes at No. 148 among the country’s 400 largest U.S.-based general contractors as measured by revenue from construction contracting.

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Biosciences startup becomes Texas' first decacorn after latest funding

A Dallas-based biosciences startup whose backers include millionaire investors from Austin and Dallas has reached decacorn status — a valuation of at least $10 billion — after hauling in a series C funding round of $200 million, the company announced this month. Colossal Biosciences is reportedly the first Texas startup to rise to the decacorn level.

Colossal, which specializes in genetic engineering technology designed to bring back or protect various species, received the $200 million from TWG Global, an investment conglomerate led by billionaire investors Mark Walter and Thomas Tull. Walter is part owner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tull is part owner of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

Among the projects Colossal is tackling is the resurrection of three extinct animals — the dodo bird, Tasmanian tiger and woolly mammoth — through the use of DNA and genomics.

The latest round of funding values Colossal at $10.2 billion. Since launching in 2021, the startup has raised $435 million in venture capital.

In addition to Walter and Tull, Colossal’s investors include prominent video game developer Richard Garriott of Austin and private equity veteran Victor Vescov of Dallas. The two millionaires are known for their exploits as undersea explorers and tourist astronauts.

Aside from Colossal’s ties to Dallas and Austin, the startup has a Houston connection.

The company teamed up with Baylor College of Medicine researcher Paul Ling to develop a vaccine for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), the deadliest disease among young elephants. In partnership with the Houston Zoo, Ling’s lab at the Baylor College of Medicine has set up a research program that focuses on diagnosing and treating EEHV, and on coming up with a vaccine to protect elephants against the disease. Ling and the BCMe are members of the North American EEHV Advisory Group.

Colossal operates research labs Dallas, Boston and Melbourne, Australia.

“Colossal is the leading company working at the intersection of AI, computational biology, and genetic engineering for both de-extinction and species preservation,” Walter, CEO of TWG Globa, said in a news release. “Colossal has assembled a world-class team that has already driven, in a short period of time, significant technology innovations and impact in advancing conservation, which is a core value of TWG Global.”

Well-known genetics researcher George Church, co-founder of Colossal, calls the startup “a revolutionary genetics company making science fiction into science fact.”

“We are creating the technology to build de-extinction science and scale conservation biology,” he added, “particularly for endangered and at-risk species.”

Houston investment firm names tech exec as new partner

new hire

Houston tech executive Robert Kester has joined Houston-based Veriten, an energy-focused research, investment and strategy firm, as technology and innovation partner.

Kester most recently served as chief technology officer for emissions solutions at Honeywell Process Solutions, where he worked for five years. Honeywell International acquired Houston-based oil and gas technology company Rebellion Photonics, where Kester was co-founder and CEO, in 2019.

Honeywell Process Solutions shares offices in Houston with the global headquarters of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. Honeywell, a Fortune 100 conglomerate, employs more than 850 people in Houston.

“We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the Veriten team,” founder and CEO Maynard Holt said in a statement, “and are confident that his technical expertise and skills will make a big contribution to Veriten’s partner and investor community. He will [oversee] every aspect of what we do, with the use case for AI in energy high on the 2025 priority list.”

Kester earned a doctoral degree in bioengineering from Rice University, a master’s degree in optical sciences from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in laser optical engineering technology from the Oregon Institute of Technology. He holds 25 patents and has more than 25 patents pending.

Veriten celebrated its third anniversary on January 10, the day that the hiring of Kester was announced. The startup launched with seven employees.

“With the addition of Dr. Kester, we are a 26-person team and are as enthusiastic as ever about improving the energy dialogue and researching the future paths for energy,” Holt added.

Kester spoke on the Houston Innovators Podcast in 2021. Listen here

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