From faculty to founder: What to know before starting a company, from a University of Houston expert

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There are three key things every faculty who wants to start a company should think about. Graphic by Miguel Tovar/University of Houston

Trying to start a business as a faculty member in academia? Don't fret. As daunting as starting a company can seem, this blog will aim to give any prospective entrepreneur useful insights to getting started.

Jason Eriksen, Ph.D., an associate professor of Pharmacology at the University of Houston, has founded three different Biotech companies since he's been at UH: Alzeca Biosciences, Teomics, and Swift Front.

Alzeca was the first company he co-founded with Dr. Ananth Annapragada, from Texas Children's Hospital back in 2009.

"The mission of Alzeca is to develop an inexpensive non-invasive diagnostic test for the detection of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders," Eriksen said.

The second company was Teomics that he founded to "develop better diagnostic tools for scientific and medical research."

Finally, the third, and most recent, startup Eriksen founded was Swift Front.

"The mission of Swift Front is to develop a fully automated high-speed microscope platform that can be used to generate three dimensional images of whole organs or other huge objects at speeds 1000 to 10,000 times faster than what's commercially available today," he said.

According to Eriksen, there are three key things every faculty who wants to start a company should think about:

1. Mind the culture gap

Scientists evaluate research by considering whether it makes an original contribution to our understanding of the world. Businesses have a different rationale, which, by and large, is to make money. This engenders a huge culture gap. Your greatest, latest discovery in the lab may have no immediate practical application, and will never be of interest to businesses, unless it has the opportunity to become commercialized. As opposed to a company with an established business model, startup companies like yours will have neither an established technology, nor an established base of customers. As a founder of a startup, your primary mission is to identify who is going to buy your technology, and why they are going to buy it. Get out of the building to discover your customers.

2. Remember there is no single path to commercialization

It's a very long road from an idea in the lab to a commercial success. There are many ways to go from the laboratory bench to the store, and commercialization is just like any business process. It's part art, and part science; part inspiration and part perspiration. There are no shortcuts to becoming successful. So, if anyone tells you at the start that your idea is a guaranteed winner (or not), don't believe them. There is a lot of hard work that has to be done to see if an idea can make it.

3. Stay self-funded as long as possible

Starting a business is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. It takes time, energy, and money… a whole lot of money. More money than you have in your bank account (probably). Does that mean you need to find an investor? No. Avoid taking investments too early in the company. Whether you head to the bank, call a rich family friend, or tap an investor, you give up control as soon as you hold out your hand for money. Retain control of your business's money, and you will keep control of your business.

Money is the Biggest Obstacle

Obstacles are inevitable when starting a new business. "Money makes the world go round, and one of the most challenging obstacles for any new company is to have enough money to keep moving forward," Eriksen said.

Eriksen said his first company, Alzeca, was "self-funded for several years." In order to move the company forward, they needed to seek non-dilutive forms of funding to develop their technology.

Types of Non-Dilutive Funding

Grant Awards
Bank loans
(Forgivable) Loans from Family and Friends
Licensing and Royalties from Products
Tax Credits
Crowdfunding

Eventually, Eriksen and his team at Alzeca were ready for human trials and needed millions of dollars to do so.

"By this point, we were fortunate that we had an excellent team of founding members, consisting of myself, Dr. Annapragada, a founder with deep business experience and a CEO who did a lot of the actual fundraising for us. Together, the team was able to recruit investors with deep pockets, allowing us to move this technology forward," Eriksen said.

Basic Checklist for Starting a Company

Beyond understanding the larger concepts behind starting a company and that money is essential, here are a few things to remember, according to Eriksen:

Ask other entrepreneurs for advice
Identify your target audience/customers
Believe in your idea and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Work hard and see for yourself if the idea will work
Seek out what resources your university offers for entrepreneurs
Avoid taking investments too early in the company. Retain control of your business's money, and you will keep control of your business.
When it's time to expand, use non-dilutive types of funding
Have a strong team behind you that wants to see the company succeed

What's The Big Idea?

Any aspiring entrepreneur who is considering starting a new company, but has no previous experience, should ask other entrepreneurs for advice. UH offers a number of programs that support faculty entrepreneurs such as the regional iCorps program and a growing Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation at the UH Technology Bridge. Be sure to check out your technology transfer office at your university to see what programs are available to support you as you get started.

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This article originally appeared on the University of Houston's The Big Idea. Cory Thaxton is the communications coordinator for The Division of Research.

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8+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events in April

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Editor’s note: Houston's weeklong innovation festival kicks off April, followed by Rice University's globally recognized pitch competition returning for its 26th year. Plus, find coworking pop-ups, industry meetups, pitch battles and even a crawfish boil on the calendar. Here’s what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article might be updated to add more events.

March 30-April 4 — H-Town Roundup

Celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration at Houston Exponential's sixth-annual H-Town Roundup. During the free event series, previously known as Houston Tech Rodeo, attendees can expect insightful talks, workshops and networking events at venues across the city.

This event began March 30. Register here.

April 2 — Industrious Coworking Day

Enjoy a complimentary day of cowering at Industrious and network with professionals at the Ion. Breakfast, snacks, wifi and workspace tours are included. Following the cowering day, Industrious will host happy hour at Second Draught from 4-6 p.m.

This event is Thursday, April 2, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

April 2 — Technology Summit for Women

The fourth annual Women in Tech Cummil will feature speakers across three core tracks: Transformation + Digital strategy, Cyber + Risk + Resilience, and AI in Practice. Pearl Chu, director of technical domains and university relations at SLB, will give the opening remarks. Other panelists come from CenterPoint Energy, BP, Technip Energies and other leading companies.

This event is Thursday, April 2, from 2-5 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

April 8 — Veterans Business Battle

Hear pitches from veterans and entrepreneurs as they compete for more than $10 million in investments at Rice Businesses' 12th annual Veterans Business Battle. This year, the two-day event will also feature a Small Business Expo, which invites Houston-based, veteran-owned businesses to participate in education, networking and the opportunity to showcase their business. Moonshots Capital and Mercury Fund will also host a fireside chat.

This event begins Wednesday, April 8, at 11 a.m. at the Ion. Click here to register.

April 9-11 — Rice Business Plan Competition

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship will host the 26th annual Rice Business Plan Competition this month. Forty-two student-led teams from around the world, including one team from Rice, will present their plans before more than 300 angel, venture capital, and corporate investors to compete for more than $1 million in prizes.

This event begins Thursday, April 9. Find more information here.

April 10 — BioHouston Chili Cookoff

Connect with Houston's life sciences community at BioHouston's 21st annual chili cookout. This event is geared toward startup founders, researchers and industry veterans alike.

This event is Friday, April 10, from noon-4 p.m. at Bayou City Event Center. Register here.

April 14 — Mercury Fund Day at the Ion: Agentic Commerce

Don’t miss the latest installment of Mercury Fund Day at the Ion, previously known as Software Day. The recurring monthly event features office hours (by application), a keynote and networking opportunities. This month's topic focuses on agentic commerce.

This event is Tuesday, April 14, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

April 19 – UH Energy Industry Crawfish Boil

Head to the UH Cullen College of Engineering Green Space for the 35th annual UH Energy Industry Crawfish Boil. The event will include a student showcase, STEM activities, a kids zone, live music, networking and, of course, crawfish. Proceeds from the event will support the multidisciplinary capstone fund that aims to increase professional readiness for Cullen College engineering and technology students.

This event is Sunday, April 19, from 1-5 p.m. at the Cullen College of Engineering Green Space. Find more information here.

April 24 — Rice Business Healthcare Conference

Leading experts, innovators and the next generation of healthcare leaders will converge at the Rice Business Healthcare Conference. Hosted by the Rice Business Healthcare Association, the conference will explore AI's potential impact on the sector.

This event is Friday, April 24, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at McNair Hall on Rice University's campus. Find more information here.

Houston unicorn closes $421M to fuel first phase of flagship energy project

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Houston geothermal unicorn Fervo Energy has closed $421 million in non-recourse debt financing for the first phase of its flagship Cape Station project in Beaver County, Utah.

Fervo believes Cape Station can meet the needs of surging power demand from data centers, domestic manufacturing and an energy market aiming to use clean and reliable power. According to the company, Cape Station will begin delivering its first power to the grid this year and is expected to reach approximately 100 megwatts of operating capacity by early 2027. Fervo added that it plans to scale to 500 megawatts.

The $421 million financing package includes a $309 million construction-to-term loan, a $61 million tax credit bridge loan, and a $51 million letter of credit facility. The facilities will fund the remaining construction costs for the first phase of Cape Station, and will also support the project’s counterparty credit support requirements.

Coordinating lead arrangers include Barclays, BBVA, HSBC, MUFG, RBC and Société Générale, with additional participation from Bank of America, J.P. Morgan and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, New York Branch.

“As demand for firm, clean, affordable power accelerates, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is set to become a core energy asset class for infrastructure lenders,” Sean Pollock, managing director, project Finance at RBC Capital Markets, said in a news release. “Fervo is pioneering this step change with Cape Station, a vital contribution to American energy security that RBC is proud to support.”

The oversubscribed financing marks Cape Station’s shift from early-stage and bridge funding to a long-term, non-recourse capital structure, according to the news release.

“Non-recourse financing has historically been considered out of reach for first-of-a-kind projects,” David Ulrey, CFO of Fervo Energy, said in a news release. “Cape Station disrupts that narrative. With proven oil and gas technology paired with AI-enabled drilling and exploration, robust commercial offtake, operational consistency, and an unrelenting focus on health and safety, we have shown that EGS is a highly bankable asset class.”

Fervo continues to be one of the top-funded startups in the Houston area. The company has raised about $1.5 billion prior to the latest $421 million. It also closed a $462 million Series E in December.

According to Axios Pro, Fervo filed for an IPO that would value the company between $2 billion and $3 billion in January.

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This article first appeared on EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

Houston food giant Sysco to acquire competitor in $29 billion deal

Mergers & Acquisitions

Sysco, the nation's largest food distributor, will acquire supplier Restaurant Depot in a deal worth more than $29 billion.

The acquisition would create a closer link between Sysco and its customers that right now turn to Restaurant Depot for supplies needed quickly in an industry segment known as “cash-and-carry wholesale.”

Sysco, based in Houston, serves more than 700,000 restaurants, hospitals, schools, and hotels, supplying them with everything from butter and eggs to napkins. Those goods are typically acquired ahead of time based on how much traffic that restaurants typically see.

Restaurant Depot offers memberships to mom-and-pop restaurants and other businesses, giving them access to warehouses stocked with supplies for when they run short of what they've purchased from suppliers like Sysco.

It is a fast growing and high-margin segment that will likely mean thousands of restaurants will rely increasingly on Sysco for day-to-day needs.

Restaurant Depot shareholders will receive $21.6 billion in cash and 91.5 million Sysco shares. Based on Sysco’s closing share price of $81.80 as of March 27, 2026, the deal has an enterprise value of about $29.1 billion.

Restaurant Depot was founded in Brooklyn in 1976. The family-run business then known as Jetro Restaurant Depot, has become the nation's largest cash-and-carry wholesaler.

The boards of both companies have approved the acquisition, but it would still need regulatory approval.

Shares of Sysco Corp. tumbled 13% Monday to $71.26, an initial decline some industry analysts expected given the cost of the deal.

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