3 Houston innovators to know this week

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This week's innovators to know roundup includes Kirsten Siebach of Rice University, Mike Francis of NanoTech Inc., and Kim Raath of Topl. Photos courtesy

Editor's note: In today's Monday roundup of Houston innovators, I'm introducing you to three innovators across industries — from space exploration to materials science.

Kirsten Siebach, assistant professor at Rice University

It's Kirsten Siebach's second Mars rover mission to work on. Photo courtesy of Rice University

Kirsten Siebach is getting ready for her Mars mission — one that keeps her firmly planted on Earth, but will allow her to search for ancient microbial life on the Red Planet nonetheless. The Rice University professor has again been selected by NASA to join a research team overseeing a rover that is currently en route to Mars.

"Because there is only one rover, the whole team at NASA has to agree about what to look at, or analyze, or where to drive on any given day," Siebach says in the release. "None of the rovers' actions are unilateral decisions. But it is a privilege to be part of the discussion and to get to argue for observations of rocks that will be important to our understanding of Mars for decades." Read more.

Mike Francis, co-founder of NanoTech Inc.

Mike Francis, co-founder of NanoTech, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss his plans to fireproof California. Photo courtesy of NanoTech

Mike Francis wants to fireproof the state of California. It's a lofty goal, but he has the means. His company, NanoTech Inc., has an innovative product that can insulate and fireproof materials, and, buoyed by a $5 million seed round, he's well on his way to being able to slowly but surely fireproof existing infrastructure in the West Coast.

"We're working with all of the major players in the state of California to not only fireproof the utility infrastructure, but eventually homes and businesses," Francis says on last week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast. "Our goal, if we're looking into the future, is to fireproof that state — and we're working with the right people and companies to make it happen." Read more and listen to the podcast.

Kim Raath, CEO of Topl

More and more consumers are expecting transparency from companies, and this Houston startup is on a mission to use blockchain to make businesses more transparent. Courtesy of Topl

Nowadays, consumers care about where their products come from — and if they exist due to a humanitarian or sustainable supply chain — and the onus is on businesses to increase transparency. That's where Topl, a Houston-based blockchain company, and its new partner Trackz, a Denver-based supply chain software company, come in.

"Topl and TrackX's solution will be a great option for companies having to comply with new regulations and compliance mandates," says Kim Raath, CEO of Topl. "Further, our joint solution allows users to visualize their supply chain data, monitor suppliers, and easily report the progress of ESG initiatives to all stakeholders."

A Rice University scientist will be working on the team for NASA's latest Mars rover. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

Rice scientist tapped by NASA for Mars mission

robo-naut

A Rice University Martian geologist has been chosen by NASA as one of the 13 scientists who will be working on a new Mars rover.

Perseverance, the rover that launched in July and is expected to land on Mars in February. It will be scouting for samples to bring back to study for ancient microbial life, and Kirsten Siebach — an assistant professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences — will be among the researchers to work on the project. Her proposal was one of 119 submitted to NASA for funding, according to a Rice press release.

"Everybody selected to be on the team is expected to put some time into general operations as well as accomplishing their own research," she says in the release. "My co-investigators here at Rice and I will do research to understand the origin of the rocks Perseverance observes, and I will also participate in operating the rover."

It's Kirsten Siebach's second Mars rover mission to work on. Photo courtesy of Rice University

Perseverance is headed for Jezero Crater, a 28-mile-wide area that once hosted a lake and river delta where, according to scientists, microbial life may have existed over 3 billion years ago. Siebach is particularly excited hopefully find fossils existing in atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolved in water — which usually exists as limestone on Earth.

"There are huge packages of limestone all over Earth, but for some reason it's extremely rare on Mars," she says. "This particular landing site includes one of the few orbital detections of carbonate and it appears to have a couple of different units including carbonates within this lake deposit. The carbonates will be a highlight of we're looking for, but we're interested in basically all types of minerals."

Siebach is familiar with rovers — she was a member of the team for NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been exploring Mars since 2012. For this new rover, Siebach knows what to expect.

Siebach and her team — which includes Rice data scientist Yueyang Jiang and mineralogist Gelu Costin — are planning to tap into computational and machine-learning methods to map out minerals and discover evidence for former life on Mars. They will also be using a Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, or PIXL, to analyze the materials.

The return mission isn't expected to return until the early 2030s, so it's a long game for the scientists. However, the samples have the potential to revolutionize what we know about life on Mars with more context than before.

"Occasionally, something hits Mars hard enough to knock a meteorite out, and it lands on Earth," she says in the release. "We have a few of those. But we've never been able to select where a sample came from and to understand its geologic context. So these samples will be revolutionary."

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7+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for November

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Editor's note: From life sciences to space and energy, Houston's most notable sectors will host signature conferences and opportunities to connect this month. Here’s what not to miss in November and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to add more events.

Nov. 4 — Startup Heat Simulation

Build a team and simulate fundraising, team building, resource allocation and go-to-market decisions that real founders face in their startup journey. This in-person simulation event helps prepare participants for when the stakes are real.

This event is Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Ion. Register here.

Nov. 9 — HAN Life Science Kick-off

Houston Angel Network will host this engaging event focused on AI in the clinical space. Expect panel discussions, networking and pitches from HAN portfolio companies. Dr. Peter Pisters, former president of M.D. Anderson, will deliver a keynote address.

This event is Monday, Nov. 9, from 4-8 p.m. at the Texas A&M School of Engineering and Medicine. Register here.

Nov. 10 — Texas Life Science Forum

Rice Alliance and BioHouston will host the 15th annual Texas Life Science Forum this month, bringing together industry, emerging life science companies, academics and investors. Nearly 50 companies will present their novel concepts during the event. Michael Tores, founder and former CEO of CrossBridge Bio, will be featured in a fireside chat. Dr. Arthur Sands, president and CEO of Nurix, will present the keynote address.

This event is Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 4-5:15 p.m. at Rice University's McNair Hall. Register here.

Nov. 11 — Envision 2026: Clinical Research, Reimagined

TMCi's annual Envision conference returns this month. This year, the event will take a look at what sets Houston apart as a hub for clinical research and how TMC is exploring strategies to address the roadblocks Houston and Texas face in clinical trial efficiency.

This event is Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 3:30-6 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Register here.

Nov. 11 — First Principles: Inside the Texas A&M Space Institute

Dr. Rob Ambrose, associate director of the Texas A&M Space Institute, will present on the Texas A&M Space Institute's planned 400,000-square-foot facility at NASA’s Exploration Park at the latest installment of this series. A moderated Q&A will follow.

This event is Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 3:30-6 p.m. at TMC Innovation Factory. Register here.

Nov. 12 — Technology Transfer Thursdays

Join for the third installment of Tech Transfer Thursdays, hosted by Rice University's Office of Technology Transfer. The event series focuses on how emerging university research can become commercial ventures. This month's event will focus on artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Stick around after for a community happy hour.

This event is Thursday, Nov. 12, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Nov. 12 — Transition on Tap

Greentown Labs’ signature networking event returns in November to foster conversations and connections within Houston's climate and energy transition ecosystem. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, philanthropists and more are invited to attend, meet colleagues, discuss solutions and engage with the growing community.

This event is Thursday, Nov. 12, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Greentown Labs. Register here.

Nov. 18-19 — American Data Centers & AI Conference and Exhibition 2026

Set to redefine the intersection of energy and digital infrastructure, the American Data Centers & AI Conference and Exhibition convenes in Houston for its second annual event. The event will address the increasing demand for high-performance computing and the sustainable development of AI infrastructure, which requires significant power. Participants can expect to learn about practical solutions in energy integration, modern data center design, and scalable approaches. The agenda includes presentations from leading experts, demonstrations of new technologies for thermal management and grid optimization, and detailed discussions on AI's environmental impact and how to reuse generated heat.

This event begins Nov. 18 at the DoubleTree Hotel at Greenway Plaza. Register here.

Houston tops best cities for small biz expansion and more innovation news

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Editor's note: The top innovation news in recent weeks finds Houston at the top of the pack for small business friendliness, as well as a new facility at Generation Park. Plus, an innovative air taxi network will land in Texas next year. Below are the most-read InnovationMap stories published Oct. 14-31, 2026.

Houston ranks high on best cities for small-business expansion report

For small businesses looking to expand, Houston might be the right place. Among 56 major U.S. metros, Houston grabbed the No. 6 spot on a new list of the metros boasting the strongest environments for small-business expansion. A 2025 report from the state comptroller’s office showed roughly 970,000 small businesses operate in the 13-county Gulf Coast region. The region includes the majority of the Houston metro area. Continue reading.

Generation Park lands new facility to scale xeno-organ production

Maryland-based United Therapeutics Corp. has opened a new 77,448-square-foot facility to manufacture xeno-organs in Northeast Houston’s growing biotech hub, Generation Park. The new Houston location is United Therapeutics’ third Designated Pathogen-Free (DPF) site, named for transplant pioneers Dr. Bartley P. Griffith and Dr. Robert A. Montgomery. The company says the new facility will enable it to scale commercial production of its xeno-organs once they receive regulatory approval. Continue reading.

Air taxi network to land in 'Texas triangle' of Houston, Austin, DFW next year

San Jose, California-based aerospace company Archer Aviation is bringing its air-taxi system to the “Texas triangle” of Houston, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. Currently, the planned zero-emission electric air taxi networks will use Archer’s Midnight air taxi to “turn 60- to 90-minute drives to major airports, business districts and major destinations into 10- to 20-minute flights,” the company said. Archer plans to begin flights in the Texas triangle next year. Continue reading.

Rice University launches AI initiative, plans to hire 75 faculty

Houston’s Rice University announced a university-wide artificial intelligence initiative this week that includes hiring 75 new AI-focused faculty. It also shared new details about its planned state-of-the-art facility, The Arc. Fresh off the announcement of Rice’s new Master of Artificial Intelligence (MAI) coming next fall, the university shared that it plans to expand its AI-related courses and be a “global leader in advanced computing and responsible AI.” Continue reading.

Houston's Rice University named the No. 1 best Texas college for 2027

Rice ranks No. 1 in Texas on new 2027 list. Rice University/Facebook

With early application season in full swing, a local university is racking up accolades on a new list of the 10 best Texas colleges for 2027. Rice University topped the list as the No. 1 best university in Texas in WalletHub's annual "College & University Rankings" report, showing Houston students don't have to travel out of state to earn a top-notch degree. Continue reading.

7 finalists compete to be crowned Houston's 2026 Startup of the Year

Cast Your Vote

Each year, the Houston Innovation Awards program recognizes the best and brightest in the local innovation community. And while most of the award winners are selected by our esteemed panel of judges, one winner is determined by you.

Voting is now open for our people's choice award: 2026 Startup of the Year. Seven exceptional finalists are in the running for the title, and your votes will determine who wins.

From innovative platforms benefiting the education, commerce, health, investment and IT sectors to next-gen memory technology and improvements for robotic supply chains, these startups are making an impact in Houston and beyond.

Read about our Startup of the Year finalists and their missions and achievements below, then cast your vote. You can vote once per day through Nov. 13, so make your voice heard.

The winner, along with the winners in all other categories, will be revealed in mid-November right here on InnovationMap.com. Stay tuned.

FluxWorks

Fluxworks is aiming to shape the future of the robotic supply chain with its flagship Celestial Gear. The magnetic gearbox offers a contactless design that leads to less wear, debris and maintenance. In 2026, Fluxworks closed a $5 million seed round to scale the product.

IronLattice

IronLattice is developing next-generation, ferroelectric memory technology for AI and high-performance computing workloads. In June 2026, the company closed a $3 million angel round. It began wafer production this fall, with its first working device targeted for completion in spring 2027.

Lumino

Lumino is a unified commerce ecosystem and payments platform designed to provide businesses with the technology, payments infrastructure, intelligence and tools they need to grow while creating impact in their communities. Lumino publicly launched its platform in 2026 in Houston and is rolling out its next stage of global expansion.

Progress Report

Progress Report is a K-12 learning-intelligence platform designed to go beyond identifying that a student is struggling. It traces performance to learning gaps and prerequisite skills, helping educators understand where a student is struggling and what may be causing it. Progress Report recently released a fully built production platform and launched pilots with 35 educators and 200 students across Texas and Arizona.

Rosarium Health

Rosarium Health is a platform that coordinates the full process for home accessibility upgrades and modifications for seniors and people living with disabilities. In 2026, the startup announced $6 million in seed funding and scaled to a national network of 800-plus clinicians and 3,000-plus contractors.

Thread

Thread is building an AI-powered service desk platform for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Its technology combines agentic AI, assistive AI, automation, and real-time communication to help MSPs resolve IT support requests faster and with less manual work.

TokenRoster

TokenRoster is an AI-powered assessment platform for early-stage startups, providing founders with an investor-grade evaluation of their company before the pitch and giving investors a curated roster of vetted companies. Since launch, TokenRoster has grown to 65 companies and 43 founder accounts, with 10 assessment frameworks available.

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