2 Houston startup founders score cash prizes from Google's diversity-focused funds

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Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund and Black Founders Fund announced their latest cohorts and two Houston founders made the cut. Photo via Getty Images

Two Houston startups have received funding from Google in the latest round of the tech giant's Founders Funds grants.

That's Clutch, a creator economy platform that connects emerging brands with its network of digital marketing professionals, was named to the second cohort of Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund. And SmartWiz, an AI enabled IRS approved tax professional software, was named to Google for Startups' sixth Black Founders Fund.

Both startups will receive $150,000 in non-dilutive funds, mentorship, access to programs, and other resources like sales training, investor prep, mental health coaching at no cost.

Madison Long, CEO and Co-founder at That’s Clutch said the funds will help That's Clutch build upon it's go to market strategy and sales strategy, among other benefits.

“The Google for Startups support network has introduced me to so many valuable connections across the country,” Long said in a statement. “Being selected for the Founders Fund is not only an honor but a massive resource as we take Clutch to the next level."

Madison Long of That's Clutch joins the 448 founders who have been supported by Google's funds. Photo courtesy

Bre Johnson — who is based in Houston, while her company SmartWiz is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama — told Innovation Map that the funds and partnership with Google will help her company scale and improve their AI platform for the tax industry.

"This funding (gives) us the ability to build our product faster, scale our organization and really take over the digital space with improved support on how we market our software using Google SEO," she says. "We will be giving our users a more innovative, fun and revolutionary approach to tax preparation while ensuring every single person who gets their taxes done by someone using our software will have an improved experience every single year."

"Being black founders, and even me being a woman, we don't take this opportunity for granted because we know that it is a blessing," she continues.

Bre Johnson of SmartWiz also received funding from Google. Photo courtesy

That's Clutch and SmartWiz are among the 448 founders Google has backed through its Founder Funds globally since 2020. Five other Texas-based startups received funding this round, according to an announcement.

Other Texas startups include:

Last year, three Houston startups were named to the inaugural Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund: AnswerBite, Boxes and Ease. That same year, ChurchSpace and Enrichly were named to the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.

Ease, a health care fintech platform founded by Mario Amaro in 2018, was also named to Amazon's WS Impact Accelerator Latino Founders Cohort, part of Amazon's $30 million commitment to supporting underrepresented startup founders, earlier this summer.

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Google has named its first class of Latino entrepreneurs for its inclusive fund. Photo via Getty Images

Google taps 3 Houston Latino-led startups for inaugural non-equity cash awards

Money moves

Google announced today that it has selected 50 companies for the inaugural cohort of the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund.

Nine startups in Texas have been selected — and three of them are bases in Houston. Each company will receive an equity-free $100,000 investment, as well as programming and support from Google, mentorship from technical and business experts, access to free mental health therapy, and more.

The Houston companies selected were:

  • AnswerBite, which supports marketing enterprise teams with social proof videos and customer insights in minutes and has over 300 clients
  • Boxes, which creates devices that combine physical and digital technology to democratize convenient, affordable, and sustainable retail
  • Ease, financial practice operations platform that helps clinicians build new practices from the ground up

“Being selected to attend the inaugural cohort of Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund gets us one step closer towards completing our mission of increasing healthcare access for Black and Latino communities,” says Dr. Mario Amaro, founder and CEO of Ease, in a news release. “The support and excitement that Google continues to have for small business gives us so much confidence in the future of private practice and clinician entrepreneurship.”

The program was founded to shrink the gap in opportunities and wealth for Latinos in the business community who are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to funding.

“We are excited to support these talented Latino entrepreneurs as they build innovative solutions and solve tough problems,” says Daniel Navarro, US marketing lead for Google for Startups, in the release. “I hope the launch of our inaugural Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund not only catalyzes the growth of these incredible Latino-led startups, but also inspires other Latino entrepreneurs, and ultimately generates wealth within the community."

Here's your latest roundup of innovation news you may have missed. Shobeir Ansari/Getty Images

Google grants Houston founders funds, The Ion looks for artists, and more local innovation news

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The Houston innovation ecosystem is bursting at the seams with news, and for this reason, local startup and tech updates may have fallen through some of the cracks.

In this roundup of short stories within Houston innovation, the Comcast RISE program expands to grant more funds, Google names Houston-area recipients from its Black Founder Fund, The Ion is looking for artists to participate in a new initiative, and more.

Google cohort awards Black founders $100,000 each

Google has granted funds to two Houston companies. Photo via Pexels

DOSS and SOTAOG, two Houston-based startups, have received $100,000 each as a part of the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, a $10 million initiative for Black founders. Originally reported to be a part of Google's accelerator early this summer, DOSS is a digital brokerage that uses tech to make homeownership more affordable, and SOTAOG is an enterprise solutions provider within the oil and gas and heavy industrial industries.

"The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund embodies our mission of helping underrepresented founders grow their businesses. We are excited to continue the fund and contribute funding to Black founders, with no strings attached. Black founders currently receive less than 1 percent of total VC funding," says Jewel Burks Solomon, head of Google for Startups US, in a news release. "We heard loud and clear from the 2020 fund recipients that Google for Startups and Goodie Nation have been crucial to their success not only through funding, but through community, mentorship, network connections and technical expertise."

Last year, Google for Startups awarded 76 Black-led startups up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding, as well as technical support from tools and teams across Google, including as much as $120,000 in donated search Ads from Google.org and up to $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, according to the release.

In addition to the two companies from Houston, eight companies from Austin and Dallas were also chosen for the second program.

The Ion calls for local artists

The Ion is looking for local artists to create innovative window displays. Photo courtesy of The Ion

The Ion, a Midtown innovation hub that's owned and operated by Rice Management Company, is looking for local artists to work on two prominent display windows at the front of the newly renovated historic Sears building.

"As a nexus for creativity of many different kinds, The Ion welcomes Houston's talented artists to tap into their unique skill sets and diverse backgrounds to submit inventive proposals that will ultimately comprise two different art installations. Each installation will contribute to Houston's innovation ecosystem by inspiring the growing community of creators who will see the building's display windows on a daily basis," says Artistic Consultant Piper Faust in a news release.

The two art installations will reside for six months — from February to August of next year. The submissions will be evaluated by a team of experts identified by Rice Management Co. and Piper Faust. The budget for each project will be $20,000.

According to the release, the submissions are open to Houston-area artists and should be in line with The Ion's "vision and mission of accelerating innovation, connecting communities and facilitating partnerships to create growth and opportunity in Houston."

Artists can apply online until October 1 at 5 pm.

Comcast RISE announces additional $1 million for Houston founders

Comcast to dole out $1M in grants to BIPOC-owned small businesses in Houston

The Comcast RISE program will give out another batch of $10,000 grants to BIPOC-owned small businesses in Houston. Photo via Getty Images

The Comcast RISE Investment Fund, which announced funding for 100 small businesses in Houston earlier this year, has expanded to provide an additional $1 million in support. The program is focused on BIPOC-owned small businesses in Harris and Fort Bend Counties that have been in business for three or more years with 1 to 25 employees.

Eligible businesses can apply online at ComcastRISE.com beginning October 1 through October 14 for one of the one hundred $10,000 grants.

Houston startup wins $25,000

Day Edwards, founder and CEO of Church Space

Day Edwards, founder and CEO of Church Space, won $25,000 for her company. Photo courtesy of Church Space

Dallas-based Impact Ventures, a nonprofit startup accelerator focused on empowering women and communities of color, hosted its bi-annual event, The Startup Showcase. A Houston-based company, Church Space, took the top prize of $25,000.

Billed as the "Netflix of churches," Church Space originally started as a way to allow groups to rent spaces for worship. But, in light of the pandemic, the company is pivoted to launch Church Space TV, a streaming program that allows churches and ministries to stream worship services for free.

"It felt like the perfect opportunity to give churches a way to reach more people during the pandemic," Day Edwards, founder and CEO of Church Space, previously told InnovationMap. "This would create more impact than anything we could possibly offer at this time."

The company is also one of MassChallenge Texas's 2021 cohort.

Houston health care leader receives prestigious award

Dr. Peter Hotez, a leader in the development of Texas Children's and Baylor's COVID-19 vaccine construct, has been named the recipient of a prestigious award. ​Photo courtesy of TCH

Dr. Peter Hotez, Texas Children's Hospital Chair in Tropical Pediatrics, has been awarded the 2021 David E. Rogers Award. Hotez is co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

The annual award, presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Association of American Medical Colleges, "honors a medical school faculty member who has made major contributions to improving the health and health care of the American people," according to a news release.

"I am thrilled to be honored with the David E. Rogers Award," Hotez says in the release. "As we continue this fight against COVID-19, having the additional support from the AAMC will amplify our efforts to improve public health nationally and globally."

The award will be presented to Dr. Hotez at the 2021 AAMC Awards Recognition Event on Wednesday, October 27.

Hotez is leading the development of Texas Children's and Baylor's COVID-19 vaccine construct, according to the release, and he has dedicated much of his time to vaccine advocacy efforts, countering rising antivaccine and anti-science sentiments in the United States while promoting vaccine diplomacy efforts globally.

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12 health tech startups named to Houston accelerator's next bootcamp

onboarding

Twelve promising health tech startups have been selected for the annual bootcamp at the Texas Medical Center.

TMC's Accelerator for HealthTech selected 12 companies from around the world and across specialties for the opportunity. Following the bootcamp, TMC will move forward a selection of startups to join its accelerator.

"Houston, a thriving hub for innovation, is rapidly becoming the destination of choice for healthtech companies," reads a statement from TMC. "With the Texas Medical Center at its heart, the city offers unparalleled resources, cutting-edge research facilities, and a collaborative spirit that fosters growth. This environment not only attracts startups but also provides them with the necessary tools to navigate the complex landscape of healthcare commercialization."

Through the bootcamp, the participants will engage with advisors and industry experts, refine their business models, prepare for market entry, and have opportunities for collaboration with the TMC's member organizations.

The selected bootcamp companies, according to TMC, include:

  • Alyf, founded in Newport Beach, California, has developed a personalized cardiac care system that brings patients and providers together with real-time, AI-driven insights, enabling them to monitor, track, and improve cardiac health outcomes collaboratively.
  • Seoul, South Korea-based Deepmetrics leverages artificial intelligence to provide ICU smart care services that optimize medical device settings, such as mechanical ventilators, to reduce mortality and shorten the length of stay for critically ill patients worldwide.
  • EquityQuotient, from New York City, is a healthcare intelligence platform that automates compliance and provides actionable insights by aggregating public, private, and first-party data, using proprietary analytics to help leaders address disparities, improve outcomes, and lower care costs.
  • Also from New York City, Ethermed's AI-powered solution streamlines prior authorizations, eliminating up to 90 percent of auths and 70 percent of the labor involved. Ethermed requires no workflow changes, is fully auditable, and offers aligned incentives from a mission-driven, human-focused company.
  • Fibricheck, based in Hasselt, Belgium, transforms ordinary smartphones into regulated digital heart rhythm monitors, offering unparalleled access to cardiovascular diagnostics for patients and streamlined workflows for physicians.
  • Austin-based NearWave has developed a non-invasive, AI-powered handheld imaging device that can predict breast cancer therapy response within seven days.
  • Pragmaclin, founded in Newfoundland, Canada, developed a cutting-edge PRIMS (Parkinson’s Remote Interactive Management System) that leverages depth cameras and machine learning to monitor and assess Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, offering healthcare professionals remote and in-clinic insights to enhance treatment decisions.
  • Somnair, a Baltimore, Maryland, company, is developing a non-invasive neurostimulation oral appliance for treating obstructive sleep apnea, offering a sleek, retainer-sized device that provides an effective alternative to CPAP or invasive surgery for millions of patients.
  • Vancouver, Canada-headquartered Total Flow Medical is developing solutions to enhance the quality of care and life for patients requiring the use of a heart-lung machine during surgery or life support.
  • Tympulse, hailing from Dublin, Ireland, is commercializing TympanoColl, an innovative and disruptive solution for eardrum (Tympanic Membrane) repair in an outpatient setting through the ear canal.
  • Perth, Australia-based Vital Trace is developing a continuous lactate monitor for real-time, accurate detection of fetal distress.
  • New York City's WorkUp is a healthcare-specific talent pipeline management platform that connects students with tailored resources for their clinical career journey, providing personalized support as their needs evolve.

University of Houston-founded company secures $2.5M in NIH grant funding

all in the timing

You could say that the booming success of Houston biotech company CellChorus owes very much to auspicious TIMING. Those six letters stand for Time-lapse Imaging Microscopy In Nanowell Grids, a platform for dynamic single-cell analysis.

This week, CellChorus announced that the company, along with The University of Houston, has been awarded up to $2.5 million in funding from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institute of Health. A $350,000 Phase I grant is already underway. Once predetermined milestones are achieved, this will lead to a two-year $2.1 million Phase II grant.

The TIMING platform was created by UH Single Cell Lab researchers Navin Varadarajan and Badri Roysam. TIMING generates high-throughput in-vitro assays that quantitatively profile interactions between cells on a large scale, particularly what happens when immune cells confront target cells. This has been especially useful in the realm of immuno-oncology, where it has demonstrated its power in designing novel therapies, selecting lead candidates for clinical trials and evaluating the potency of manufactured cells.

“By combining AI, microscale manufacturing and advanced microscopy, the TIMING platform yields deep insight into cellular behaviors that directly impact human disease and new classes of therapeutics,” says Rebecca Berdeaux, chief scientific officer at CellChorus. “The generous support of NCATS enables our development of computational tools that will ultimately integrate single-cell dynamic functional analysis of cell behavior with intracellular signaling events.”

Houston’s CellChorus Innovation Lab supports both the further development of TIMING and projects for early-access customers. Those customers include top-25 biopharmaceutical companies, venture-backed biotechnology companies, a leading comprehensive cancer center and a top pediatric hospital, says CEO Daniel Meyer.

CellChorus’s publications include papers written in collaboration with researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist, MD Anderson, Texas Children’s Hospital, the University of Texas and UTHealth in journals including Nature Cancer, Journal of Clinical Investigation and The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.

The new Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award will specifically support the development of a scalable integrated software system conceived with the goal of analyzing cells that are not fluorescently labeled. This label-free analysis will be based on new AI and machine learning (ML) models trained on tens of millions of images of cells.

“This is an opportunity to leverage artificial intelligence methods for advancing the life sciences,” says Roysam. “We are especially excited about its applications to advancing cell-based immunotherapy to treat cancer and other diseases.”

The Houston-born-and-bred company couldn’t have a more appropriate home, says Meyer.

“Houston is a premier location for clinical care and the development of biotechnology and life sciences technologies. In particular, Houston has established itself as a leader in the development and delivery of immune cell-based therapies,” the CEO explains. “As a spin-out from the Single Cell Lab at the University of Houston, we benefit from working with world-class experts at local institutions.”

In May, the company received a similar $2.5 million SBIR grant from NCATS at the NIH. Also this summer, CellChorus's technology was featured in Nature Cancer.

Bridging the skills gap: How recent college grads can help address urgent staffing needs

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With the current low unemployment rate, locating seasoned and talented staffers who require minimal training is no small task, especially within the high-tech sector. At the same time, college graduates are hungry for new opportunities. In fact, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, many new workforce members are currently underemployed. Approximately 4 in 10 are working in a job that does not utilize the skills they recently obtained on a college campus.

On the employer side, there’s the fear of excessive onboarding needs. On top of that, many hiring managers are afraid that recently trained staffers will simply move on to a new opportunity in a few short years or even months.

But when faced with multiple open positions, is it worth taking the chance on the newest members of the workforce? Here’s some advice on how to successfully navigate the current hiring atmosphere, where college graduates may play a big role in combatting staffing shortages.

Consider culture fit

Hard skills are always important. But at the same time, recognize bright and energetic applicants equipped with a baseline of strong knowledge also tend to be rapid learners. These individuals can often get up to speed quickly as long as they receive the appropriate level of training and mentoring over their first few months on the job. In short, there are many cases where hard skills can be taught.

But how about soft skills?

Identifying candidates who understand and appreciate the company’s culture is a separate but critically important issue. When considering whether to bring an individual on board, be sure to assess all of their compatibilities as well. Often, some extra training for an employee who already values and appreciates the company environment results in a staff member who will stay with and benefit the organization for many years to come.

Look for transferable skills

In the current highly competitive hiring atmosphere, it can be difficult to locate candidates with skills that perfectly align with the needs of open positions. Therefore, it’s important for HR staff and hiring managers to consider transferrable skills. While an individual candidate may not be familiar with a particular software solution, do they have any experience that suggests they are well-equipped to navigate relatively similar systems? Be sure to closely review resumes and CVs that might reveal these hidden strengths. In addition, make certain your list of candidate interview questions is crafted to elucidate this kind of information. Remember that recent college graduates often lack significant interview experience. As a result, you may need to pose specific questions that get to the heart of the information you are seeking. For example, you might ask a candidate to relay past experiences where they needed to learn a new skill or solve a complex problem rapidly. This helps identify whether they can navigate new waters in the workplace or whether they can translate previously held skills into new ones.

Benefits of in-house development programs

Skilled employee shortages tend to surface repeatedly. Even if you don’t have any openings right now, things can change rapidly in a matter of months or even weeks. Because this is the case - especially in the technology sector - consider launching internal training programs that help recent hires learn new skills or sharpen older ones. One option would be in-house training by a skilled staffer as part of the new employee onboarding process. Other possibilities include online learning sessions or a partnership with a local college. Training programs can also be launched to help longtime employees learn new skills as emerging, modernized systems are introduced into the workplace, benefitting the company’s entire workforce.

Track new employee progress

All new employees — whether they are recent college grads or more established members of the workforce - can benefit greatly from a performance review process that features frequent check-ins throughout the initial stages of employment. Supervisors should try to meet weekly or biweekly with new staff during their onboarding process to assess their progress in learning new skills, while identifying needs for additional training. Managers should also regularly communicate with mentors assigned to new employees to ensure skills are developed in a positive learning atmosphere.

In addition to any perceived hurdles, companies should also consider the many benefits of hiring recent college graduates. In some cases, they might bring with them new insights and experiences with emerging technologies. They often arrive with an eagerness to learn and they can introduce ideas and energy, creating increased enthusiasm in the workplace.

When it comes to filling vacant positions, there are many cases where considering recent college graduates can greatly benefit your company. A little training and mentoring can often go a long way and sometimes, taking a chance on a yet unproven, but smart and energetic candidate can land a professional who will benefit the organization for years or even decades to come.

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Jill Chapman is a director of early talent programs with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources and business performance solutions.

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