Houston startup focused on cultivating the future workforce of the energy industry raises $2.5M seed funding

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Digital Wildcatters just raised $2.5 million in funding. Image courtesy

With $2.5 million in fresh funding, Digital Wildcatters is on its way to keep empowering the evolving energy workforce.

Digital Wildcatters, a Houston company that's providing a community for the next generation of energy professionals, has closed its seed plus funding round at $2.5 million. The round by energy industry veteran Chuck Yates, who also hosts his podcast "Chuck Yates Needs a Job" on the Digital Wildcatters' podcast network.

"Our industry's survival depends on recruiting the next generation of energy workers. We must adapt to their digital, content-rich world, as we currently lag behind, like a VHS tape in a Netflix world. Digital Wildcatters is our path to modernization," Yates, based in Richmond, Texas, says in the news release.

Diamondback Energy and ProFrac also contributed to the round, which closed on December 1 and follows up on the company's $2 million seed round raised from angel investors in 2021.

The fresh funding will go toward further development and commercialization of Collide, an energy industry professional networking app, which launched this fall. The app aims to help advance and support the industry through professional development connection, job portal, and an AI-backed content search engine for industry information.

"Our mission is to empower the next generation of energy professionals to advance their careers and collaboratively address the global energy crisis," Collin McLelland, co-founder and CEO of Digital Wildcatters, says in the release. "We are incredibly grateful to have an investor base that not only believes in our vision but also supports our endeavor to craft innovative products that will redefine the future of the energy industry."

McLelland co-founded Digital Wildcatters with Jake Corley. The two started the Oil and Gas Startups podcast in 2019.

From Your Site Articles

One of this week's trending stories is about a startup that's giving new working moms a place to pump in peace. Courtesy of Work & Mother

5 top trending innovation stories in Houston this week

What you're reading

Editor's note: This week's top stories features a few types of entrepreneurs — from podcasting to shuttling businessmen and women across the state in Teslas. Here are the InnovationMap articles that trended over last week.

Growing Houston podcast is bridging the gap between energy and tech

The Oil and Gas Startups Podcast talks to local entrepreneurs who are shaking up the industry. Pexels

Collin McLelland and Jacob Corley want you to know that Houston has a whole lot of innovation in the oil and gas industry, and they want to tell you about it. The two energy professionals launched the Oil and Gas Startups Podcast a few months ago to talk to energy entrepreneurs about oil and gas technology, leadership, and innovation. Read the rest of the story here.

This growing Houston company is revolutionizing the way new mothers pump in the office

Houston-based Work & Mother is rethinking how new mothers pump in the office. Courtesy of Work & Mother

A new mom returning to work is probably dreading her new daily inconvenience of taking the time out of the workday to pump her breast milk. While some employers provide a wellness room to us, but the more likely scenario is that she will have to pump in your car, an empty conference room or the bathroom. And once she is done pumping, she'll have to wash her equipment in the kitchen sink, alongside her coworkers' coffee mugs or dirty Tupperware containers. One newly launched company mission is to make that scenario a thing of the past. Read the rest of the story here.

Fact or fiction? Houston blockchain expert addresses common misconceptions

Here are some of the most common, misunderstood aspects about blockchain technology. Getty Images

Blockchain has become one of the most talked about emerging technologies, often mentioned in the same breath as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Internet of Things, and big data technologies. But as a relatively new technology, it's totally expected that people will not fully comprehend aspects of the technology. Here are some of the most common, misunderstood aspects about blockchain technology. Read the rest of the story here.

Texas startup using Tesla cars for more efficient and eco-friendly travel

ElecTrip uses eco-friendly Teslas to shuttle business people to and fro across the state. Courtesy of Electrip

A Texas startup shuffling business men and women across the state in style has created an elevated road trip experience for its customers. Founded in 2018 and based in Austin, ElecTrip aims to add luxury and convenience to regional commutes between major Texas cities by providing transportation in Teslas equipped with WiFi, complimentary snacks, and professional drivers. Read the rest of the story here.

3 Houston energy tech innovators to know this week

From a new energy tech accelerator to an oil and gas podcasts, these three entrepreneurs have some names to remember. Courtesy photos

While Houston has historically been known as an oil and gas town, it's been slow on the uptake for being known for its energy tech — something these three entrepreneurs are looking to change. From a new energy startup accelerator to an oil and gas podcast, these three energy tech innovators are ones to know this week. Read the rest of the story here.

From a new energy tech accelerator to an oil and gas podcasts, these three entrepreneurs have some names to remember. Courtesy photos

3 Houston energy tech innovators to know this week

Who's who

Jacob Corley and Collin McClelland, co-hosts of the Oil and Gas Startups Podcast

Courtesy of Oil and Gas Startups Podcast

Despite having experience in the oil and gas field and in entrepreneurship, Jacob Corley and Collin McClelland learn something new each episode of the Oil and Gas Startups Podcast. The show has seen surprising success to the duo and has been attracting around a thousand new listeners each week.

"You think thing not many people would listen to a podcast that's so focused on something they do for their job, but that's completely wrong," Corley says.

The primary goal for the pair is to share the stories of entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing an industry that tends to be known as a slow adaptor or conservative. Great startups exist here in Houston, and McClelland and Corley want to tell you about them.

"We kind of wanted to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and oil and gas and show the world what was going on in the industry — and specifically in Houston," McLelland says. Click here to read more.

Patrick Lewis, managing partner of BBL Ventures

Patrick Lewis has worked for years trying to rethink how energy companies and private equity interact with startups. Startups have trouble proving themselves to big oil and gas companies and private equity things energy tech is more trouble than its worth.

"Energy tech is a grossly underfunded industry. Venture capitalists hate it — the hyper cyclical industry, extremely long sales cycles, slow adopters — but that creates opportunities," Lewis says.

But Lewis, managing partner of BBL Ventures, has created a software that tracks oil companies' pain points and then allows him to tap startups that are solving those issues. Now, with BBL Labs, Lewis and his team will help to accelerate these energy tech startups into the market. Click here to read more.

The Oil and Gas Startups Podcast talks to local entrepreneurs who are shaking up the industry. Pexels

Growing Houston podcast is bridging the gap between energy and tech

On air

Collin McLelland and Jacob Corley want you to know that Houston has a whole lot of innovation in the oil and gas industry, and they want to tell you about it.

The two energy professionals launched the Oil and Gas Startups Podcast a few months ago to talk to energy entrepreneurs about oil and gas technology, leadership, and innovation.

"Jake and I really had a mission to shine a light on the oil and gas industry and what was happening in the technology and startup space," McLelland says. "There's a lot of exciting things going on, but not really a medium of content to see it."

The duo interviews a leader or founder of an energy startup — notable ones include Data Gumbo, Blue Bear Capital, and OAG Analytics — on an almost-weekly basis. Corley says he can tell the podcasts are helpful to listeners, because he and McLelland are learning a lot themselves.

"The conversations we have are genuine and authentic. The questions we ask are real," Corley says. "When we schedule something with someone, we purposely try to find out just enough about them to find out if we'll have a good episode with them."

Along with their sincere questioning, the hosts also bring a diversity in industry to the table.

"Collin is the guy who grew up in the field, and I have more of the tech background," Corley says. "From that standpoint, we really compliment each other."

While still new, the podcast has seen a lot of growth — about 1,000 new listeners each week over the past couple weeks — which is surprising to the two hosts since the topic is niche and professional.

"You think thing not many people would listen to a podcast that's so focused on something they do for their job, but that's completely wrong," Corley says.

McLelland says they've seen a shift in the industry. What's been known as a siloed, traditional field is being upended by new technology being introduced into oil and gas companies. A downturn resulted in a need for efficiency and a younger senior-level leadership — that's what's changed in the business, McLelland says, and that's why the podcast is here to document.

"To see the amount of traction the podcast has gotten within oil and gas really validates where the industry is going," McLelland says.

The two want to keep doing what they're doing when it comes to the podcast, while expanding into other media. They've launched a YouTube channel, and are working on regular content for a blog.

"We kind of wanted to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and oil and gas and show the world what was going on in the industry — and specifically in Houston," McLelland says.

Collin McLelland (right) and Jacob Corley are the hosts of Oil and Gas Startups Podcast.

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UH scores $18M NIH grant for chronic disease research

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The University of Houston has received a coveted $18.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to launch a program to address the root causes of chronic disease.

Only 22 institutions nationwide receive this NIH award, and the 5-year process aligns with the newly established UH Health’s mission to expand healthcare innovations in Texas and beyond. The initiative will be housed in the UH Population Health department.

"This generous funding allows us to directly confront the root causes of chronic illness that place a heavy burden on so many families," Dr. Jonathan McCullers, vice president for health affairs at UH, said in a news release. "With the recent launch of UH Health, we have an unprecedented opportunity to translate scientific discovery into healthier outcomes for our communities by bringing together experts from across the university to improve health where it matters most.”

Through the program, UH researchers from different areas of expertise will work together to address the challenges of chronic illness by looking at biological, social and behavioral factors.

According to the university, chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, strokes and others are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in the U.S. They account for 90 percent of the nation’s $5.3 trillion in annual healthcare spending.

Bettina Beech, chief of population health and translational science at UH, serves as principal investigator for the program.

“Chronic disease management largely happens during the 8,700 hours each year that people are not visiting their healthcare provider,” Beech added in the news release. “While healthcare is indispensable, it only accounts for 20 percent of how health is created — genetics accounts for another 10 percent, and the other 70 percent is determined by behavior, social conditions and environment.”

With the funds from the grant, UH will also be able to expand research infrastructure, add to community partnerships, support complementary research, and invest in early-career investigators, according to the news release. UH also aims to develop solutions that could help ease the economic burden of chronic disease.

Report: Where Texas ranks among best and worst states to live in 2026

Texas Talk

After earning its worst-ever ranking last year, Texas has improved slightly on an evaluation of the best states to live, but it's still at the bottom of the pack.

Each year, WalletHub's analysts compare all 50 states using 51 livability metrics to measure their affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Factors that were weighed include the cost of living, homeownership rates, population and income growth rates, wealth gaps, public school system quality, road quality, crime rates, and many others.

The Lone Star State landed at No. 36 in 2026, making it the 15th worth state to live right now. That's on par with its 2024 ranking, and it's a two-spot improvement over its 2025 performance.

While Texas residents can brag about living in a state with the No. 1 highest number of restaurants per capita and the 7th best quality of life in the country, that's about it. Texas earned middling-to-poor scores among the four remaining livability rankings: safety (No. 33), affordability (No. 35), economy (No. 37), and education and health (No. 40).

Here's how Texas fared in other nationwide rankings in the study:

No. 27 – Income Growth
No. 30 – Housing Costs
No. 39 – Percentage of Population in Poverty
No. 42 – Percentage of Adults in Fair or Poor Health
No. 46 – Homeownership Rate
No. 49 – Percentage of Population Aged 25 and Older with a High School Diploma or Higher
No. 48 – Average Weekly Work Hours
No. 50 – Percentage of Insured Population

Texas has a lot of work to do to improve its livability for all of its residents, but especially for women, according to several other 2026 WalletHub studies. Texas is the fourth-worst state for women, the ninth-worst state for working mothers, and the seventh-worst place to have a baby based on limited access to maternal and pediatric healthcare.

At the very bottom of the report is New Mexico, ranking 50th overall, with Louisiana (No. 49), Mississippi (No. 48), Alaska (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46) rounding out the bottom five.

After holding on as the No. 1 best state to live for a few years in a row, Massachusetts now ranks No. 4 and was overtaken by Idaho (No. 1), New Jersey (No. 2), and Wisconsin (No. 3). New Hampshire rounds out the top five best states to live.

WalletHub's top 10 best states to live in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Idaho
No. 2 – New Jersey
No. 3 – Wisconsin
No. 4 – Massachusetts
No. 5 – New Hampshire
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Utah
No. 8 – Minnesota
No. 9 – Pennsylvania
No. 10 – Florida

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

6 exciting Houston startup raises to know from July 2026

fresh funding

Houston startups carried the fundraising momentum of Q1 and Q2 into July with several significant seed funding, Series A and Series B rounds.

From geothermal leaders to medtech innovators, these six Houston companies raised more than a quarter billion dollars last month alone, according to reporting by InnovationMap and our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

Did we miss a funding round? Let us know by emailing innoeditor@innovationmap.com.

Altillion

Houston-based startup Altillion has secured $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary IRIS and ALIX technologies, which convert oilfield-produced water into valuable minerals, the company reported earlier this month.

San Francisco-based EIC Rose Rock and Houston-based Flathead Forge led the round. Altillion says the funding will go toward pilot facilities and commercial deployments as the company looks to scale in the U.S. Continue reading.

Buildforce

The U.S. is grappling with a current shortage of 50,000 electricians, according to the National Electrical Contractors Association. Photo via Unsplash

Houston-based Buildforce, which provides a tech-enabled staff platform geared toward electricians and electrical contractors, closed a $10 million Series A round led by Houston’s Saepio Capital last month.

Other investors in the round include Blue Heron Capital, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, S3 Ventures and Chicago Ventures.

Buildforce says the funding will help fuel its national expansion and further development of its technology.

The startup, founded in 2019, connects electricians with electrical contractors for commercial and industrial construction projects. Continue reading.

Hephae Energy Technology Corp.

The company develops ultra-high-temperature tools to withstand the heat of geothermal reservoirs. Photo via hephaeet.com

Houston-area startup Hephae Energy Technology Corp. closed a $17.8 million Series A financing round last month to commercialize its geothermal technology.

The round was co-led by Pennsylvania-based Susquehanna Sustainable Investments, which invests in early-stage climatech companies, and Copenhagen-based Underground Ventures, which focuses on geothermal energy startups. Alfa8, Baruch Future Ventures, Centaurus Capital LP, Elemental Impact, Exa Ventures, Future Ventures, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, New System Ventures and True North Institute joined the round, along with existing Houston-based investor Nabors Industries. Hephae reports in a news release that the Series A round brings the company's total capital raised to $24.7 million. Continue reading.

TYBR Health

The company's B3 GEL System is designed to protect tendons, ligaments and muscles while they heal from orthopedic surgery. Photo via Unsplash

Houston-based healthtech startup TYBR Health has raised a $30 million Series A round to scale its B3 GEL System, which helps protect tendons from scarring after surgery, the company announced last month.

The round was led by Minneapolis-based Vensana Capital and Cleveland-based Mutual Capital Partners, with participation from Denver-based Neovate Capital Partners and existing investors, according to a news release from the company.

TYBR Health said it plans to use the funding to broaden the B3 GEL System's clinical applications, expand commercialization and conduct studies to evaluate its ability to protect tissue and improve healing outcomes. Continue reading.

Venus Aerospace

Venus Aerospace has secured funding from Mercury Fund, Lockheed Martin Ventures and others. Photo courtesy Venus Aerospace

Houston-based Venus Aerospace closed a $91 million Series B round last month and plans to scale the production of its hypersonic engine.

The round was led by Houston-based Mercury Fund with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures, MESH, PEAK6, Draper Associates, Starboard Star Venture Capital, Green Sands Equity and other investors, according to a news release.

The investment comes about a year after Venus completed the first U.S. flight test of its high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). The engine is expected to enable vehicles to travel four to six times the speed of sound from a conventional runway and is about 15 percent more efficient than traditional alternatives, according to the company. Continue reading.

Quaise Energy

A rendering of a Quaise Energy geothermal plant. Rendering via quaise.com

Houston-based Quaise Energy, a producer of utility-scale geothermal power, closed $134 million in a Series B round last month to advance its “superhot” geothermal power plant.

Climate-focused San Francisco-based investment firm Prelude Ventures led the round, with participation from JERA Co., Japan’s largest power generation company, and Idemitsu Kosan, one of Japan’s largest energy companies. Nearly all existing investors, including cleantech-focused investment firm Safar Partners, participated in the round.

The startup expects more equity and debt deals to close “imminently.” Quaise has raised $230 million since its founding in 2018. Continue reading.

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