Houston-based international law firm forms partnerships with local startup accelerators

dream team

Baker Botts is connecting the dots between its HQ, its startup-focused Silicon Valley outpost, and Texas accelerators. Nick Bee/Pexels

In order to keep up with the growing startup ecosystem in Houston, Baker Botts is connecting the dots between its Silicon Valley venture and entrepreneurial hub to strategic partnerships in its headquarters of Houston.

Houston-based Baker Botts L.L.P., an international technology and energy law firm, established its Emerging Companies and Venture Capital arm in Palo Alto, California, in 2009. Now, in order to tap into Texas startups, the firm has created strategic partnerships with three accelerator organizations: The Cannon, Station Houston, and Capital Factory.

"These three strategic partnerships provide an exciting opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of our technology sector experience in the startup, venture capital and entrepreneur community," says Baker Botts managing partner, John Martin, in a release. "We have a history of working with emerging and technology companies throughout their full life cycle, and we expect these partnerships will expand those opportunities more broadly. Some of our firm's largest clients are businesses with which we have worked since they were startups themselves."

This news comes on the heels of The Ion breaking ground on July 19, the release notes, which represents another major collaborative effort and advancement of innovation in Houston.

"It is exciting to see Baker Botts expand its involvement with the Houston startup ecosystem," says Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, in the release. "The firm has a long history of supporting entrepreneurs in the region and has been a partner and supporter of the Rice Alliance and the Rice Business Plan Competition since 2002. The firm's expertise and connections will be of great value to startups in the Houston region. With the launch of the Ion in midtown, the launch of new accelerators, and the support of firms like Baker Botts, Houston is poised to transform its entrepreneurial landscape."

The strategic partnerships will put each accelerator and innovation hub in direct communication with Baker Botts' Emerging Company and Venture Capital practice, led by Brian Lee, partner-in-charge of the firm's Palo Alto office. The ECVC provides advice for entrepreneurs and startups, as well as connects them with investors and various industry professionals.

"In forming these partnerships, Baker Botts will be working with a range of innovative, Texas-based companies from the ground up," says Samantha Crispin, Baker Botts' technology sector chair, in the release. "One of the most intriguing aspects of these partnerships is the expected cross-pollination of our Texas and California ECVC practices and that the most promising companies will gain exposure to potential investors, including those in Silicon Valley."

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Rice University lands $14M state grant to open Center for Space Technologies

on a mission

Rice University’s Space Institute soon will be home to the newly created Center for Space Technologies.

On Feb. 17, the Texas Space Commission approved a nearly $14.2 million grant for the Rice project. The Center for Space Technologies will target:

  • Research and development
  • Technology transfer and innovation
  • Statewide partnerships
  • Workforce development training
  • Space-focused education programs

The goal of the new center “is to fulfill an articulated need for research, workforce development, and industry collaboration,” said Kemah communications and marketing executive Gwen Griffin, chair of the commission.

State Rep. Greg Bonnen, a Friendswood Republican, authored the bill that set up the Texas Space Commission.

Since being authorized in 2023, the commission has funded 24 projects, with Rice and Houston-area companies accounting for nearly $75 million in grants to back space-related initiatives.

The grant to Rice brings the TSC's total investment to $150 million, fully committing the entire state appropriation from the Texas Legislature in 2023.

Other local companies that have received grants over the years include Aegis Aerospace, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Starlab Space and Venus Aerospace.

The commission also awarded $7 million to Blue Origin earlier this month. See a list of the 24 awards here.

Waymo self-driving robotaxis have officially launched in Houston

Waymo has arrived

Waymo will begin dispatching its robotaxis in four more cities in Texas and Florida, expanding the territory covered by its fleet of self-driving cars to 10 major U.S. metropolitan markets.

The move into Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida, announced Tuesday, February 24, widens Waymo's early lead in autonomous driving while rival services from Tesla and the Amazon-owned Zoox are still testing their vehicles in only a few U.S. cities.

In contrast, Waymo's robotaxis already provide more than 400,000 weekly trips in the six metropolitan areas where they have been transporting passengers: Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas.

Waymo operates its ride-hailing service through its own app in all the U.S. cities except Atlanta and Austin, where its robotaxis can only be summoned through Uber's ride-hailing service.

The expansion into four more markets marks a significant step toward Waymo's goal to surpass 1 million weekly paid trips by the end of 2026. Without identifying where its robotaxis will be available next, Waymo is targeting a list of eight other cities that include Las Vegas, Washington, Detroit and Boston while signaling its first overseas availability is likely to be London.

To help pay for more robotaxis, Waymo recently raised $16 billion as part of the financial infusion that puts the value of the company at $126 billion. The valuation fueled speculation that Waymo may eventually be spun off from its corporate parent Alphabet, where it began as a secret project within Google in 2009.

Although Waymo is opening up in four more cities, its robotaxis initially will only be made available to a limited number of people with its ride-hailing app in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando before the service will be available to all comers in those markets.

Tech giant Apple doubles down on Houston with new production facility

coming soon

Tech giant Apple announced that it will double the size of its Houston manufacturing footprint as it brings production of its Mac mini to the U.S. for the first time.

The company plans to begin production of its compact desktop computer at a new factory at Apple’s Houston manufacturing site later this year. The move is expected to create thousands of jobs in the Houston area, according to Apple.

Last year, the Cupertino, California-based company announced it would open a 250,000-square-foot factory to produce servers for its data centers in the Houston area. The facility was originally slated to open in 2026, but Apple reports it began production ahead of schedule in 2025.

The addition of the Mac mini operations at the site will bring the footprint to about 500,000 square feet, the Houston Chronicle reports. The New York Times previously reported that Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn would be involved in the Houston factory.

Apple also announced plans to open a 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston later this year. The project is currently under construction and will "provide hands-on training in advanced manufacturing techniques to students, supplier employees, and American businesses of all sizes," according to the announcement. Apple opened a similar Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit last year.

Apple doubles down on Houston with new production facility, training center Photo courtesy Apple.

“Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’re proud to significantly expand our footprint in Houston with the production of Mac mini starting later this year,” Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said in the news release. “We began shipping advanced AI servers from Houston ahead of schedule, and we’re excited to accelerate that work even further.”

Apple's Houston expansion is part of a $600 billion commitment the company made to the U.S. in 2025.

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