10+ can't-miss virtual business and innovation events in Houston for July

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A Rice University course on fostering innovation at your company, investor Q&As, a summit for drone and robotics within the energy industry, and more online events not to miss this month. Getty Images

Virtual events at this point has become the new normal for Houston's innovation ecosystem. From interactive Q&As and virtual pitches to online courses and panels, here's what's in store for Houston entrepreneurs this month.

July 1 — The Ion Smart and Resilient Cities Accelerator Cohort 2 Demo Day

The Ion Smart and Resilient Cities Accelerator Cohort 2's Demo Day will be filled with sessions that speak to Cohort 2's themes of air quality, water purification, and cleantech efforts in Houston. These sessions will feature the work that is currently being done, and highlight the work that needs to be done.

Details: This event takes place Wednesday, July 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more.

July 8 — HXTV'S HouTech Talks ft. AvidXchange

Tyler Gill and Chris Elmore of AvidXchange join HXTV for a live Q&A that will tackle the big questions on everyone's mind, like how founders should adjust in the face of the pandemic and what fundraising will look like once the pandemic loosens its grip.

Details: This event takes place Wednesday, July 8, from 1 to 2 pm. Learn more.

July 9 — Intro to Investing & Ask Me Anything with Dumb Money and Joshua Baer

Join Capital Factory as they walk you through the ins and outs of investing in startups, stocks, and more with guest speakers from Dumb Money.


Details: This event takes place Thursday, July 9, from 2 to 3:30 pm. Learn more.

July 11 — Enventure Basecamp: Business Building Workshop

Enventure's community-driven business building basecamp series returns this June to support a local innovator construct their healthcare venture. This month, BioVentures team DiaPacer is featured.

Details: This event takes place Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to noon. Learn more.

July 14 — HXTV's VC Ask Me Anything Virtual Event featuring Plug and Play

In this virtual event, Neda Amidi, Milad Malek, and Payal Patel will share information about Plug and Play's investment activities and other plans in Houston.

Details: This event takes place Tuesday, July 14, from 5 to 6 p.m. Learn more.

July 14-16 — Energy Drone & Robotics Virtual Summer Summit

Ahead of its fall summit, Energy Drone & Robotics is bringing live industry keynotes, asset owner panels, moderated discussion groups, 1:1 meetings, demos and use cases with hardware, software and service solution providers virtually.

Details: This event takes place Tuesday, July 14, to Thursday, July 16. Learn more.

July 15 — Maintaining an Ecosystem in a Time of Uncertainty

At this event, General Assembly is hosting local leaders to discuss how they are coping with the COVID-19 devastation and what they're doing to maintain community and interaction within their groups.

Details: This event takes place Wednesday, July 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Learn more.

July 16 — HXTV's VC Ask Me Anything Virtual Event featuring Bowery Capital

Bowery Capital is an early-stage venture capital investor focused exclusively on founders looking to modernize business through technology. The live Q&A that will tackle the big questions on everyone's mind, like how founders should adjust in the face of the pandemic and what fundraising will look like once the pandemic loosens its grip.

Details: This event takes place Thursday, July 16, from 3 to 4 pm. Learn more.

July 16-17 — MassChallenge's Virtual Showcase

Hear from all 56 startups in the Houston cohort as well as the Boston, Austin, and Rhode Island cohorts. The showcase environment is a premier opportunity for hear directly from the founding teams and get a sneak peek at the future of business and technology. At the center of the event will be the startup demo booths where each company will actively pitch their mission and business to event guests.

Details: This event takes place Thursday, July 16, to Friday, July 17, from noon to 3 p.m. Learn more.

July 17 — Open Innovation and Problem-Solving in an Organization

Open innovation enables firms to leverage data, talent and expertise to rapidly generate new ideas, solve problems and find efficiencies. This Rice University course will help business leaders identify urgent and critical problems amenable to open innovation solutions and develop creative strategies and implementation through open innovation.

Details: This event takes place Friday, July 17, from 9 to 11 a.m. Learn more.

July 29 — Transition into Tech (For Oil and Gas Professionals)

What happens when you've realized it's time for a change? For many, it can be as simple as a new look, a new restaurant, or a trip out of town. But what about when it's your career and livelihood that needs to be revamped? This can happen for any number of reasons, but the challenges and questions remain the same - what's next and how do I get there?

Details: This event takes place Wednesday, July 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Learn more.

An innovative post office renovation, self-driving cars, and July business events were all among the trending stories for this week. Photo courtesy of Lovett Commercial

5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week

What's Trending

Closing up on a holiday week, laptops are probably closed and phones put away to enjoy a long weekend. However, before you check out from the world, scroll through the trending innovation news highlights from the past week.

New technology gives this Houston hospital a competitive edge

A new prostate cancer treatment at Houston Methodist is enhancing the system's patient care. Getty Images

As the top ranking hospital in Texas and one of the biggest employers in Houston, Houston Methodist Hospital is poised to treat the thousands of Texan men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.

Building on its legacy of delivering advanced cancer treatment, the healthcare giant is one of the first hospitals in the United States to offer men a benign approach to treating localized prostate cancer, using high intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU. HIFU is a minimally invasive procedure that allows patients to maintain their quality of life with potentially fewer side effects. Read more.

METRO launches self-driving shuttle, Data Gumbo hires new exec, and more Houston innovation news

METRO launches a driver-less route, Houston biotech company raises millions, and more quick innovation news. Courtesy of METRO

So much Houston innovation news — so little time. In order to help keep in touch with all the news happening among startups and technology in Houston, we're hitting the highlights in this innovation news roundup. Read more.

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

From enlightening talks to networking opportunities, here's where you need to be in July. Getty Images

If you were hoping that business events would slow down for the summer, keep hoping. While you're probably getting plenty of OOO emails during your daily communications, there's no shortage of face-to-face opportunities within Houston business and innovation. Read more.

Houston to be home to one of the world's largest rooftop gardens after downtown post office's renovations

Post Houston will be site of one of the world's largest rooftop gardens. Photo courtesy of Lovett Commercial

Downtown Houston will soon have one of the largest rooftop gardens and farms in the world, thanks to the innovative reimagining of a forgotten structure. The Barbara Jordan Post Office, the massive government building nestled in the Theater District, will be transformed into a bustling, dynamic, mixed-use complex that's meant to become the city's new urban ecosystem.

At an official groundbreaking, Lovett Commercial revealed the plans for the more than 550,000-square-foot building, which was formerly the epicenter of the city's mail system from 1936 to 2014. The post office will fittingly become Post Houston and will house a concert venue, retail and office concepts, restaurants, bars, an international market hall, and a flexible co-working space.

Hospitality startup adds a new luxe approach to Houston's apartment rental market

Lodgeur provides its guests with hotel luxury with room to breathe. Courtesy of Lodgeur

In 2018, Houston set a new tourism record with 22.3 million visitors to the city. That same year, Sébastien Long was finishing his Cambridge thesis on home-sharing companies like Airbnb and falling in love with a classmate. When the couple moved to Houston after graduation, Long brought his ideas with him, and that's how Lodgeur was born.

Lodgeur works as an upscale home-sharing startup that offers luxury apartments in midtown and downtown Houston for nightly rent. It doesn't replace Airbnb; customers can browse through and book the properties through the familiar website. Read more.

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6+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events in March

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Editor's note: March brings the return of some of Houston’s signature innovation events, plus insightful talks and celebrations in honor of Women's History Month. Here’s what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional event listings.

March 3-4 — Houston MedTech Rodeo

Head to Armadillo Palace for the annual Houston MedTech Rodeo. The casual, Texas-themed conference brings together 350 medtech professionals who come from over 10 countries and 15 states to highlight Houston's growing medtech ecosystem. The event will feature panel discussions, startup showcases, networking sessions—plus, armadillo races, mechanical bull riding and live country music.

The event begins March 3 at Armadillo Palace on Kirby Drive. Register here.

March 4 – Humans of Healthcare

Houston Methodist Center for Innovation will present its new quarterly speaker series, Humans of Healthcare. The series will feature a panel of experts who will share about their career paths and discuss the nuances of the health care industry. This month's session will focus on IT. The panel will be moderated by Houston Methodist's Director of Innovation Murat Uralkan.

The event is Wednesday, March 4, from 5-6 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

March 5 — The Future of Women in STEM

Celebrate Women's History Month at SUPERGirls SHINE Foundation's The Future of Women in STEM event, presented in partnership with the Ion. The event will feature speakers and panelists, including Kalila Winters Hines, senior public affairs advisor for Holland & Knight; Dr. Natacha Chough, NASA Johnson Space Center Flight Surgeon; and Andrea Course, rocket scientist and founder of Course Investments.

The event is Thursday, March 5, from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Ion. Register here.

March 10-12 — World Hydrogen & Carbon Americas

S&P Global Energy brings together two leading events—Carbon Management Americas and World Hydrogen North America—to form a new must-attend event for those in the hydrogen and carbon industries. More than 800 senior leaders from across the energy value chain will attend this event featuring immersive roundtable discussions, hands-on training, real-world case studies and unparalleled networking opportunities.

This event begins March 10 at the Marriott Marquis Houston. Register here.

March 20 — Ideas to Impact Accelerator Graduation and Showcase

Join Impact Hub Houston as it celebrates its inaugural Ideas to Impact Accelerator cohort. The 16-week accelerator is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs validate their business models, strengthen confidence and gain traction. Hear short pitches and network with founders and mentors.

The event is Friday, March 20, from noon-2 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

March 23-27 — CERAWeek 2026

CERAWeek 2026 will focus on "Convergence and Competition: Energy, Technology and Geopolitics." The industry's foremost thought leaders will convene in Houston to cultivate relationships and exchange transformative ideas during the annual event. CERAWeek 2026 will explore breakthroughs, cross-industry connections and powerful partnerships that are accelerating the transformation of the global energy system. 2026 highlights include an appearance by tech magnate Bill Gates.

This event begins March 23. Register here.

March 24-25 — 2026 Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition

The Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition, co-hosted by the Rice Alliance, Ion, HETI and TEX-E, offers two days of exciting pitches from more than 40 global energy ventures that are transforming the industry. On Tuesday, March 24, you can attend a fast-paced pitch preview event at the Ion, followed by the official Pitch Competition at 1 pm on Wednesday, March 25, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

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 begins Monday, March 30. Register here.

Intuitive Machines secures $175M equity investment to fuel growth

space funding

Houston-based space infrastructure and services company Intuitive Machines has secured a $175 million equity investment from unidentified institutional investors. The investors received shares of Class A stock in exchange for their funding.

Publicly held Intuitive Machines (Nasdaq: LUNR) says it plans to use the capital to help build revenue and invest in technology, including communications and data-processing networks.

“We are building a scalable infrastructure platform from low-Earth orbit to the moon and into deep space,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said in a news release. “With this investment, we can accelerate the integration of the combined company’s collective capabilities to deliver next-generation data, communications, and space-based infrastructure services.”

Intuitive Machines says the $175 million investment will improve its ability to secure deals for satellite systems, the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system and the proposed Mars telecommunications orbiter.

As the company pursues those deals, it’s seeking partners to develop space-based data centers.

The $175 million equity stake comes on the heels of Intuitive Machines completing its $800 million cash-and-stock purchase of Lanteris Space Systems. Intuitive Machines bought the satellite manufacturer from private equity firm Advent International.

In the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, Intuitive Machines posted a $10 million net loss on revenue of $52.4 million.

Rice to revolutionize lymphatic disease research and more news to know

Trending Topics

Editor's note: We're looking back at the five biggest innovation headlines from the second half of February 2026, which include exciting Rice research advancements and Apple doubling down on production in Houston. Below are the five most-read InnovationMap stories from Feb. 16-28, 2026.

1. Rice University lands $18M to revolutionize lymphatic disease detection

Rice University scientists are pioneering two technologies to better diagnose and treat complex lymphatic anomalies. Photo via Getty Images.

An arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $18 million to scientists at Rice University for research that has the potential to revolutionize how lymphatic diseases are detected and help increase survivability. Continue reading.

2. Tech giant Apple doubles down on Houston with new production facility

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

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. Continue reading.

3. Houston startup debuts new drone for first responders

Paladin Drones has revealed its next-gen emergency response drone, Knighthawk 2.0. Photo courtesy Paladin.

Houston-based Paladin Drones has debuted Knighthawk 2.0, its new autonomous, first-responder drone. The drone aims to strengthen emergency response and protect first responders, the company said in a news release. “We’re excited to launch Knighthawk 2.0 to help build safer cities and give any city across the world less than a 70-second response time for any emergency,” said Divyaditya Shrivastava, CEO of Paladin. Continue reading.

4. XSpace adds 3 Houston partners to fuel national expansion

XSpace, an innovative commercial real estate company, has partnered with three Houston firms to help grow its footprint. Rendering via xspacegroup.com

Texas-based XSpace Group has brought onboard three partners from the Houston area to ramp up the company’s national expansion. The new partners of XSpace, which sells high-end multi-use commercial condos, are KDW, Pyek Financial and Welcome Wilson Jr. Houston-based KDW is a design-build real estate developer, Katy-based Pyek offers fractional CFO services and Wilson is president and CEO of Welcome Group, a Houston real estate development firm. Continue reading.

5. Houston doctor wins NIH grant to test virtual reality for ICU delirium

Dr. Hina Faisal will test the effects of VR games on patients coming out the ICU, thanks to a recent NIH grant. Photo via Getty Images.

Think of it like a reverse version of The Matrix. A person wakes up in a hospital bed and gets plugged into a virtual reality game world in order to heal. While it may sound far-fetched, Dr. Hina Faisal, a Houston Methodist critical care specialist in the Department of Surgery, was recently awarded a $242,000 grant from the National Institute of Health to test the effects of VR games on patients coming out of major surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU). Continue reading.

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