10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for August

Where to be

From startup competitions to thought-provoking talks, here's where you need to be in August. Getty Images

If you subscribe to the idea that your net worth is your network, then here's your guide to networking this month in Houston's innovation ecosystem. August has meetups, pitch nights, and networking aplenty.

If you know of innovation-focused events for this month or next, email me at natalie@innovationmap.com with the details and subscribe to our daily newsletter that sends fresh stories straight to your inboxes every morning.

August 1 — Sixth Annual Bayou City Startup Showcase

Rice University's OwlSpark and University of Houston's RED Labs are coming together again for a startup pitch and showcase — this time in The Cannon's new building.

Details: The event is from 3 to 5:30 pm on Thursday, August 1, at The Cannon/Bayou City Fellowship (1400 Brittmoore Road). Learn more.

August 6 — Houston Unfiltered with Jeff Garoon, COO of FlowCommand

Station Houston has rebooted its Open Coffee series to Houston Unfiltered. Each month has a new speaker, and in August, startups can hear from Jeff Garoon, COO of FlowCommand.

Details: The event is from 8 to 9 am on Tuesday, August 6, at Station Houston (1301 Fannin Street, #2440). Learn more.

August 6 — Managing Your Sales Function 

Capital Factory's next Houston Founder's Academy installation is focused on sales.

Details: The event is from noon to 2 pm on Tuesday, August 6, at The Cannon (1336 Brittmoore Road). Learn more.

August 7 — Deep 6 AI: Advancing Clinical Research @ TMC

Imagine knowing every patient you want to recruit on day 1 of your trial. Doug Cassidy, vice president of Clinical and Academic Research at Deep 6 AI, explains how Deep 6 AI can help you find more better matching patients for trials in minutes, not months.

Details: The event is from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on Wednesday, August 7, at Third Coast Restaurant (6550 Bertner Avenue, 6th Floor). Learn more.

August 8 — Summer Salon: Broadband Internet Access & Digital Inclusion

The Center for Houston's Future is hosting a fireside chat to focus on all things digital.

Details: The event is from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, August 8, at the Omni Houston Hotel (4 Riverway). Learn more.

August 13 — Entrepreneurship Burn-out: The Power of Nutrition Psychology

Entrepreneurs are creative, highly driven, and high-performing individuals. But in the pursuit of success, entrepreneurs often neglect their health. Our guest speaker will share practical tips/advice for entrepreneurs to prioritize nutrition to prevent burnout and/or help in the recovery process.

Details: The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, August 13, at Impact Hub Houston #PopHUB @HX (410 Pierce Street). Learn more.

August 15 — SPE Talk: The Energy Dot

This inaugural digital innovation event will combine oil and gas, academia, and Silicon Valley innovation with multiple tracks of engaging programming.

Details: The event is from 8 am to 5 pm on Thursday, August 15, at Midtown Arts and Theatre Center (3400 Main Street). Learn more.

August 17 — Enventure Basecamp - Business Building Workshop

Basecamp is an inclusive environment for those who are interested in adapting their life science experiences to real business applications. All are welcome, and the event is free.

Details: The event is from 9 am to noon on Saturday, August 17, at the TMC Innovation Institute (2450 Holcombe Blvd). Learn more.

August 17 — re:3D's sixth birthday, discount print day, and design contest

re:3D is turning six, but the party is actually for you. Discount printing, plus a contest with $100 credit on the line.

Details: The event is from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, August 17, at re:3D Houston HQ (1100 Hercules Ave, STE 220). Learn more.

August 22 — TMCxAlpha: August meeting with Ashok Gowda

TMC alpha provides a pathway for any innovator affiliated with a TMC member institution to find support for the development and commercialization of their idea or product. Lunch and parking validation will be available.

Details: The event is from noon to 1 pm on Thursday, August 22, at the TMC Innovation Institute (2450 Holcombe Blvd). Learn more.

August 22 — Federal Funding 101 Introduction to the SBIR

This program is purpose-made to provide seed money of up to $1.5M to small businesses to enable them to break into the market. Following the workshop, Inspiralia experts will be available for one-on-one technology validation meetings.

Details: The event is from from 3 to 7 pm on Thursday, August 22, at the CUBIO Innovation Center (7707 Fannin St., Ste 200). Learn more.

August 28 — Enventure Biodesign Workshops

Biodesign workshops is a free course designed to provide new entrepreneurs with an understanding of the innovation process, teaching them how to evaluate a life science technology as the basis for starting a new business. Whether you're an engineer, scientist, physician, or business expert, this class will bring you up to speed on the medical innovation process.

Details: The event is from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, August 28, at the TMC Innovation Institute (2450 Holcombe Blvd). Learn more.

​August 29 — The Greenlight Guru True Quality Roadshow

Enjoy specially selected drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and intimate networking with medical device professionals. Finish the night hearing from leaders in the industry.

Details: The event is from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 28, at the JLABS @ TMC (2450 Holcombe Blvd). Learn more.
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Houston is poised to lead 5G growth in Texas, according to a new report

leading the stream

Based on one key measure, Houston sits at the forefront of a telecom revolution that could spark a regional economic impact of more than $30 billion.

Data published recently by the Texas Comptroller's Office points out that as of last November and December, Houston led all cities in Texas for the number of so-called "small cells." Small cells are a key component in the rollout of ultra-high-speed 5G wireless communication throughout the Houston area and the country.

As the Texas Comptroller's Office explains, small cells are low-powered antennas that communicate wirelessly via radio waves. They're usually installed on existing public infrastructure like street signs or utility poles, instead of the big communication towers that transmit 4G signals.

The comptroller's tally shows Houston had approved 5,455 small-cell sites as of the November-December timeframe. That dwarfs the total number of sites (1,948) for the state's second-ranked city, Dallas.

"Houston is in the vanguard of small cell permitting in Texas, and not just because it's the state's largest city; advocates have lauded its proactive approach to 5G. Other cities, particularly smaller ones, are lagging well behind," the Comptroller's Office notes.

According to CTIA, a trade group for the wireless communications industry, 5G holds the promise to deliver an economic impact of $30.3 billion in the Houston area and create 93,700 jobs. The group says industries such as health care, energy, transportation, e-commerce, and logistics stand to benefit from the emergence of 5G.

"Maintaining world-class communications infrastructure is a requirement for success in a rapidly changing global economy. Small cells and fiber technology are the key foundational components for network densification and robust 5G. Cities like Houston that have embraced the need for this infrastructure will see the benefits of 5G faster than others," Mandy Derr, government affairs director at Houston-based communications infrastructure REIT Crown Castle International Corp. and a member of the Texas 5G Alliance, tells InnovationMap.

Derr says leaders in Houston have embraced the importance of small-cell technology through "reasonable and effective" regulations and processes aimed at boosting 5G capabilities. Three major providers of wireless service — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — offer 5G to customers in the Houston area.

"More small cells and fiber provide greater and faster access for the masses, enabling the connectivity that is essential to our businesses today — whether it's accepting payments on a mobile card reader, completing a sale on the go, or reliably reaching consumers where they are," Derr says.

In a blog post, Netrality Data Centers, which operates a data center in Houston, proclaims that Houston is shaping up to be a hub of 5G innovation.

"Houston has always been on the frontline," Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a 5G roundtable discussion in 2019. "It is who we are. It is in our DNA. We are a leading city. We didn't wait for somebody else to go to the moon. Or to be the energy capital of the world. Or the largest medical center in the world. But you don't stay at the front if you don't continue to lead."

Houston lands on list of nation's top spots for millennials on the move

migration destination

The Bayou City is shining as an attractive destination for young people on the move.

According to the fifth-annual study from SmartAsset, millennials are fleeing cities like Los Angeles and Chicago and migrating to other areas in search of work and a better quality of life, with Houston landing as the No. 18 spot for young professionals age 25 to 39.

In order to compile the list, SmartAsset dug into U.S. Census Bureau data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 180 specific cities. According to the findings, 18,035 millennials moved in to Houston in 2019, while 15,838 moved out. That makes a net migration of 2,197, per the study.

When it comes to migrating millennials, the Lone Star State is tops, landing at No. 1 for states where millennials are moving, with more than 187,000 young people heading to Texas in the pre-pandemic year. Though some 154,000 millennials left Texas during the same time period, this results in a net gain of more than 33,000 millennial residents, the biggest net gain for the group in the country, giving Texas the lead in millennial migration for the second year in a row.

In news that is hardly shocking, Austin landing as the No. 4 hot spot overall.

While Austin ranks as the top Texas city where millennials are moving, one other Texas spot landed in the top 10, the Dallas suburb of Frisco (No. 6), with a net migration of 3,516 out-of-state millennials in 2019.

Dallas just missed the top 10, landing at No. 11 on the list, with a net millennial migration of 2,525 in 2019. San Antonio (No. 22) showed a net migration of 1,865 millennials.

The top city overall for millennial migration in 2019 was Denver, followed by Seattle.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week

what's trending

Editor's note: Another week has come and gone, and it's time to round up the top headlines from the past few days. Trending Houston tech and startup news on InnovationMap included innovators to know, self-driving pizza deliveries launching, a Houston startup with big funding news, and more.

3 Houston innovators to know this week

This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Grace Rodriguez of Impact Hub Houston, Youngro Lee of NextSeed, and Liz Youngblood of Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. Courtesy photos

In this week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — startup development, fintech, and health care — recently making headlines in Houston innovation. Continue reading.

Self-driving pizza delivery goes live in Houston

Domino's and Nuro announced their partnership in 2019 — and now the robots are hitting the roads. Photo courtesy of Nuro

After announcing their partnership to work on pizza deliveries via self-driving robots in 2019, Dominos and Nuro have officially rolled out their technology to one part of town.

Beginning this week, if you place a prepaid order from Domino's in Woodland Heights (3209 Houston Ave.), you might have the option to have one of Nuro's R2 robot come to your door. This vehicle is the first do deliver completely autonomously without occupants with a regulatory approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to a news release.

"We're excited to continue innovating the delivery experience for Domino's customers by testing autonomous delivery with Nuro in Houston," says Dennis Maloney, Domino's senior vice president and chief innovation officer, in the release. "There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space. This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations." Continue reading.

Over $1.4M in prizes awarded at Rice University's student startup competition

Auburn University's SwiftSku took first place in this year's virtually held Rice Business Plan Competition, but it was the second place company that went home with over half a million in cash and investment prizes. Photo via rice.edu

In its 21st year, the Rice Business Plan Competition hosted 54 student-founded startups from all over the world — its largest batch of companies to date — and doled out over $1.4 million in cash and investment prizes at the week-long virtual competition.

RBPC, which is put on by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, took place Tuesday, April 6, to Friday, April 9 this year. Just like 2020, RBPC was virtually held. The competition announced the 54 participating startups last month, and coordinated the annual elevator pitches, a semi-finals round, wildcard round and live final pitches. The contestants also received virtual networking and mentoring. Continue reading.

Houston alternative energy startup raises $23M series B with global support

Syzygy Plasmonics has raised $23 million thanks to international support. Photos via plasmonics.tech

A Houston startup founded based off research coming out of Rice University has closed its series B funding, the company announced this week.

Founded in 2017, Syzygy Plasmonics is a chemical company developing a photocatalyst-powered hydrogen fuel cell technology that produces a cheaper source of energy that releases fewer carbon emissions. As of this week, the company has $23 million more to fund its scaling and grow its team thanks to the closing of its series B financing led by Hong Kong-based Horizons Venture. Equinor Ventures, a new investor, also joined in on the round, along with previous seed and series A investors including The Engine, GOOSE Capital, and Evok Innovations.

"With renewable electricity as an energy source, our technology is cleaner, and because of the stability and activity of our photocatalysts, we can drive dozens of possibilities, tuning reactions that produce different chemicals," says Trevor Best, Syzygy Plasmonics' co-founder and CEO, in a news release. "Our initial product will focus on eliminating emissions from hydrogen production, transforming the industrial process involved in making semiconductors, LEDs and metals. Our system will also enable industries that are consumers of hydrogen fuel cells, like fuel cell vehicles." Continue reading.

Houston Climathon winning microgrid solution is more important now than ever

One of the winning teams at Climathon has an idea for a microgrid system in Houston's emerging innovation corridor. Photo via houston.org

More than 6,000 participants in 145 cities around the world gathered virtually for last year's Climathon, a global event put on by Impact Hub Houston to unite innovators and collaborate on climate solutions. When Winter Storm Uri left the Texas energy grid in a state of crisis, one Climathon Houston team's proposal for energy reliability became all the more important.

Last year, the City of Houston unveiled its first Climate Action Plan to address the city's challenges and strive to lead the energy transition. It was the perfect roadmap for Climathon Houston, a hackathon where eleven teams gathered to develop and pitch a concept to align with the city's new plan.

Of the three winning teams, one idea was prescient in its approach to energy. Six energy-focused Texans drew up plans for InnoGrid, a cost-effective strategy to build the first microgrid in Houston. What started as a pitch has become a developed proposal gaining collaborator and city interest in the wake of Uri. Continue reading.

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