Houston startup's AI-driven networking and education platform to soft launch in TMC

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Flourishing Nexus recently won runner up in the innovation category of the city's Liftoff Houston competition. Photo courtesy of the City of Houston

Connecting medical professionals is about to get easier thanks to a new Houston company, Flourishing Nexus.

Next month, their digital platform, The Nexus, will debut to in a soft launch to a curated group of TMC employees.

“Think of it as a combination of existing platforms like LinkedIn, providing professional networking; Khan Academy, which provides excellent training and education; and a collaborative workspace like Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams, all enhanced by AI,” says Diane Nguyen.

Nguyen is a pharmacist by training, while her co-founder, Satid Thammasitboon, is an MD and master in health professions education.

The pair began working together in the health professions education space three years ago, but only established Flourishing Nexus in July of 2023. The company’s moniker refers to the concept of human flourishing.

“Our mission would be to promote human flourishing among health professionals,” says Thammasitboon.

The concept of human flourishing traces back at least to Aristotle, but The Nexus’ understanding of it is based on psychologist and educator Martin Seligman’s PERMA theory. The mnemonic stands for Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.

“We endeavor to bring these concepts of PERMA and human flourishing into the health professions space,” says Nguyen.

“Often our healthcare organizations or industries, when they hear health professionals are having issues with burnout, the response or reaction would be to increase incentive, financial support, or professional development to enhance resilience,” adds Thammasitboon. “We search for meaning we want to make a difference in the life of another rather than ‘everything is all about money.’”

Both professionals have globe-spanning careers. Thailand native Thammasitboon says that his endeavors have taken him across Europe, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, while Nguyen’s work has focused her attention on South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe.

“I realized that the key to providing better outcomes and health care for the patients was really dependent on the continuing education and training of the staff,” Nguyen says.

Those experiences proved to be the roots from which The Nexus grew.

But the team’s colleagues abroad won’t be among the first The Nexus users. That distinction will belong to Houston’s rich community of medical pros. And when the platform soft launches in January, it will be with two awards already under its belt.

The Liftoff Houston Startup Business Plan competition took place last month. Nine finalists, mostly entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds, were selected from among 100 applicants to compete in Liftoff’s Pitch Day. Not only was The Nexus among those competitors, it raked in a runner-up prize, as well as fan favorite in the innovation category.

Nguyen, who did the pitching, says that Liftoff helped Flourishing Nexus tremendously with both its preparation workshops and feedback from the judges.

“Sometimes you think you have a great idea but it’s not until you critically think about your own plan, analyze your plan, and prepare to pitch it that you really learn about it. This preparation helped us and strengthened our mission. Our business plan is much better,” says Thammasitboon.

Next up? Launching and growing The Nexus’ community. Nguyen also says they plan to participate in more competitions, including possibly Houston Community College’s Business Plan Competition. It’s one more way of bringing the abstract concept of human flourishing to a flesh and blood audience.

Liftoff Houston took place for the 11th year this past weekend. Here's who won prizes. Photo courtesy of the city of Houston

Houston entrepreneurs awarded over $30,000 at annual competition

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An annual pitch competition put on by the city of Houston named its big winners for this year.

The 11th annual Liftoff Houston Startup Business Plan Competition announced its three winners — and each will receive $10,000 in startup money. The winners are:

Teria Johnson's e-commerce sweet and savory pies company, Charleston Kitchen
Zoey Barker and Mohammadmehdi Mortazavi’s ExoBraced’s ExoBak, a light-weight exoskeleton to help with back pain and prevent injuries from manual workers
Giovanni Garza’s Classic Borrego Retail, which offers high-end cowboy boots.

There were nine finalists that were selected from over 100 applicants and competed in Liftoff’s Pitch Day on November 18, where they were ranked on service, product, and innovation after pitching their businesses to a panel of expert judges.

In the event’s 11 years, 33 winners started businesses in the fields of merchandise/retail, software,education, hardware, hospitality, health and wellness, finance, technology,consulting, and logistics. The yearly event is sponsored by Capital One Bank and administered by the Houston Public Library and the Office of Business Opportunity. Liftoff Houston’s results have reflected the diversity of the city.

“The program is especially significant as data collected from recent competitions shows Liftoff Houston made an impact on populations that have been historically marginalized,” says Mayor Sylvester Turner in a news release. “More than 90 percent of participants identified as people of color, more than 70 percent were female, 44 percent had no college degree, and 54 percent earned less than $50,000 a year.”

Runners received $500 each. They are:

Francesca Bonaduc’e De Nigris: Intrecci by Francesca collaborates with artisans around the world, to deliver one-of-a-kind handmade rugs.
Diana Tudela and Hailee Trombley’s The Goodest Goodbye: a pet aftercare company that uses cutting-edge technology and environmentally conscious efforts.
Diane Nguyen’s Flourishing Nexus LLC: a virtual platform that unites health professionals worldwide.

“Liftoff Houston – and our finalists – have also made it this far because of our workshop partners, all who have given us the invaluable gift of their time,” says OBO Director Marsha Murray in a news release. “The business, financial, legal and marketing education they have provided has allowed our participants to plan a roadmap to their success, including the creation of viable business plans.”

Small businesses in Houston can apply for the annual Liftoff Houston competition. Photo via liftoffhouston.smapply.org

City of Houston opens applications for 2023 business competition

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The City of Houston opened applications for its annual Liftoff Houston Startup Business Plan Competition, which helps local founders bring their months-old companies to new heights.

Now in its 11th year, the competition and educational program awards $10,000 in seed money to three founders after completing a four-month-long workshop series that culminates in a Pitch Day. Winners are named in three categories: Innovation, Product and Service.

Applications must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 4. And Pitch Day will be held on November 18. To be eligible for the competition, applicants must live in Houston and operate their businesses here. Businesses must have only been in operation for less than a year and show verifiable revenue that does not exceed $10,000. Founders who do not meet these criteria are eligible for Liftoff's Educational Pathway track that does not include the competition portion of the program.

“For 11 years, Liftoff Houston has empowered participants to achieve financial mobility through entrepreneurship,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. “These participants have become key drivers to the success of Houston’s economy, and they have contributed to our communities by creating jobs and by providing much needed goods and services.”

Liftoff Houston is sponsored by Capital One Bank and administered by the Houston Public Library and the City's Office of Business Opportunity. According to a statement, the program has helped serve historically marginalized populations in Houston. In last year's cohort, 95 of participants identified as people of color, 77 percent were female, 44 percent had no college degree and 54 percent made less than $50,000.

Last year's winners in the Innovation, Product and Service were:

Innovation: Aditya Aggarwal, founder of Maritime XR, which aims to supplement conventional maritime training with virtual reality simulations.
Product: Hannah Le, founder of RE.STATEMENT, a marketplace for designers to upcycle old fashion into wearable art
Service: Natasha Roberts, founder of ActIVate Drip Spa, which provides medical-grade IV drips that help eliminate toxins and aid hydration and recovery

"I wanted to see how far I could go," Le told Innovation Map earlier this year. "I had pitched before, but this was the first time that I was onstage and I just felt like I belonged there."

Le shared more about the founding of RE.STATEMENT and how Liftoff Houston impacted her business in an episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast

Hannah Le founded RE.STATEMENT to provide a much-needed platform for sustainable fashion finds. Photo courtesy of RE.STATEMENT

This Houston entrepreneur is enabling fashion upcycling for more sustainable style

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When shopping online one day, Hannah Le saw a need for a platform that allowed transactions between upcycling fashion designers and shoppers looking for unique, sustainable pieces.

Le created RE.STATEMENT, an online shopping marketplace for upcycled clothing. Before RE.STATEMENT, designers were limited to Etsy, which is focused on handmade pieces, or Poshmark and Depop, which are dedicated to thrift finds. Upcycle fashion designers didn't have their own, unique platform to sell on — and, likewise, shoppers were scattered across sites too.

"These marketplaces are really good for what they do," Le says on this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast, "but, whenever I think of someone looking for something unique and sustainable, it's hard for me to imagine finding that on these marketplaces."

The platform soft launched in December with 25 upcycling designers and over 1,200 buyers that had been on the company's waitlist for almost nine months. Now that the site is live, Le hopes to give both buyers and sellers quick access to transactions.

"Most designers give up if they haven't sold an item within three months," Le explains. "That's something RE.STATEMENT has dedicated its business model to — making sure that items sell faster and at a higher value than any other marketplace."

Le says that she started with buyers to see what exactly they were looking for, then she searched and found the designers looking to sell their pieces, and the current platform is dynamic and flexible to the needs of users within her community.

"Even today, it changes every single day depending on how users are interacting with the website and what sellers are saying that they need — really communicating with buyers and sellers is how the marketplace is evolving," she says.

RE.STATEMENT's ability to quickly evolve has been due to its early stage, Le explains on the show. She's not yet taken on institutional funding or hired anyone else other than tech support. She says this allows her to quickly make changes or try out new things for users.

"For me, there are still so many things I want to prove to myself before I bring others involved," she says. "To start, it's coming up with new opportunities for buyers to interact with the website so that we can keep learning from them."

Le has already proven some success to herself. Last year, she took home one of three prizes offered at the city's Liftoff Houston competition. The contest, which gives Houston entrepreneurs pitch practice and mentorship, awarded RE.STATEMENT $10,000 for winning in the product category.

"I wanted to see how far I could go," Le says of the competition where she got to introduce her business to Mayor Sylvester Turner and a whole new audience of people. "I had pitched before, but this was the first time that I was onstage and I just felt like I belonged there."

Le shares more about her vision for RE.STATEMENT and the integral role Houston plays in her success on the show.

Three Houston entrepreneurs walked away from this year's Liftoff Houston with $10,000 in prize money. Photo courtesy of the city of Houston

City of Houston names 3 companies ready for liftoff

ready to grow

Three local entrepreneurs have received a big lift from the City of Houston’s 2022 edition of the Liftoff Houston startup business plan competition. Each entrepreneur received a $10,000 cash prize.

Natasha Roberts won in the service category. She is the founder of ActIVate Drip Spa, which provides medical-grade IV drips that help eliminate toxins and aid hydration and recovery.

Hannah Le prevailed in the product category. Her startup, RE.STATEMENT, runs a marketplace for designers to upcycle old fashion into wearable art.

Aditya Aggarwal claimed victory in the innovation category. Her business, Maritime XR, aims to supplement conventional maritime training with virtual reality simulations.

“Liftoff Houston goes beyond the $10,000 grand prize that is awarded in each category. This program is also about business education, mentorship and networking — all of which are foundations of creating a successful business,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says in a news release.

All of the entrepreneurs who competed in Liftoff Houston attended nearly four months of workshops and met with business and financial mentors. Representatives of Capital One Bank and SCORE Houston their business plans. To devise their business plans, the entrepreneurs relied on free resources from the Houston Public Library and the city’s Office of Business Opportunity.

The winners were announced November 5. This year’s nine finalists were chosen from more than 160 applicants.

The other finalists in the service category were:

Charmeyce Buck and Frerika Varlack of Ignite Diagnostic Solutions, a professional analytical laboratory.
Kimberly Evans of the Coterie Wine Bar & Social Club, whose customers come from underserved communities.

The other finalists in the product category were:

Suzanne Knobel of Bennie’s Old-Fashioned Ketchup, which produces small-batch ketchup made with fresh tomatoes.
Stefanie Jones of Yvonne Beauty, a beauty retailer whose clients are Black women.

The other finalists in the innovation category were:

Sean Carroll of Buffalo Seaweed, the first algae farm in Texas.
Terri Nguyen of SHI Educational Properties, which builds affordable modular homes.

Here's your latest roundup of Houston startup and innovation news you may have missed. Photo via Getty Images

Houston startup raises $25M, biz plan competition opens apps, and more local innovation news

Short stories

We're on the other side of the hill that is Houston's summer, but the Bayou City's still hot in terms of innovation news, and there might be some headlines you may have missed.

In this roundup of short stories within Houston startups and tech, a Houston venture capital fund has made its latest investment, a hydrogen startup has raised fresh funding, accelerators open apps, and more.

Houston hydrogen startup closes $25M series B

This hydrogen company has fresh funding. Photo via utility.global

Utility Global, a Houston-based sustainable hydrogen company, has closed its series B round of funding to the tune of $25 million, Axios reports.

Houston-based private equity firm Ara Partners led the round. Other participating investors included: Samsung Ventures, NOVA, and Aramco.

Utility Global, founded in 2018, has developed a clean hydrogen solution. The proprietary tech — called the eXERO Technology Platform — includes a zero electricity process that converts sustainable waste streams into high-purity hydrogen. Additionally, the company developed its H2Gen Product Line that delivers customers reliable, low carbon, and high purity hydrogen, which offers unparalleled feedstock flexibility and highly competitive economics.

"Leveraging our industry-first eXERO™ Process, Utility Global is expanding into numerous industrial sectors," reads the company's website. "Whether it's next-gen fueling, green chemicals, or sustainable steel, Utility Global's products can meet your needs. Our ultra-high-purity hydrogen is also ideal for the electronics, food, and glass industries. In the steel industry, our waste-to-hydrogen offering converts waste-gases into pure hydrogen, enabling decarbonization of the steel making process.

Houston female-focused VC fund leads round of fintech company

The Artemis Fund — led by Diana Murakhovskaya, Leslie Goldman, and Stephanie Campbell — has announced its latest investment. Courtesy photos

Houston-based Artemis Fund — a women-led, female-focused venture capital fund, has released information on its latest investment. The firm announced it has led the seed funding round for Los Angeles-based Payverse, a payment processor focusing on enabling global commerce via emerging technologies.

The round also saw participation from Alpha Ascent Ventures, Frank Mastrangelo, Mary Wieler, and Jonathan Palmer. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP represented Artemis in the deal.

“The Artemis Fund invests in phenomenal female talent modernizing and diversifying wealth. Payverse is poised to transform the payments industry by making it easier and more cost-effective for businesses and consumers to transact globally," says Stephanie Campbell, general partner at The Artemis Fund, in a news release. "We are proud to lead the company’s seed round which includes other top FinTech experts and industry leaders."

Houston public service professional accelerator opens applications for its second cohort

HTXelerator is gearing up for its second cohort. Photo via HoustonTX.gov

With its mission to identify and prepare future-focused leaders for public service, specifically boards, commissions, and city council, HTXelerator, a nonprofit that launched last fall, has opened applications for the second cohort. The three-month program trains class members on the nuts and bolts of city government and ends with a competition known as The Pitch, which enables each participant to put forward a policy platform for a hypothetical race.

“The Houston region continues to grow and subsequently so does the need for public leadership to reflect the city’s dynamic diversity," says Renee Cross, senior director at the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs, in a news release. "HTXelerator will allow people with an interest in public service to learn from experts in government, non-profit organizations, academia and the private sector. Whether pursuing a leadership position or running for office, HTXelerator graduates will be ahead of the game.”

Applications are due by August 22, and the cohort members will be announced by August 29. There is no fee to apply, but the program costs $250 per participant. Scholarships are available for those that need assistance. The program kicks off with a weekend retreat September 10 and 11 and ends with The Pitch competition on December 7.

Houston startup partners with pet tech giant

Wag, Robinhood, and DonateStock have teamed up on a new initiative. Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

Houston-based DonateStock, a fintech platform that easily enables stock-based donations, has been adopted by Wag, a mobile-first marketplace for pet services. The company, which also struck a deal with Robinhood. Through these partnerships, the company has launched its Wag! Community Shares Program, a new method of charitable giving for the community of pet caregivers and for domestic pet nonprofit organizations, according to a news release.

Through its SPAC, CHW Acquisition Corp., Wag! will reserve up to 300,000 shares of common stock for the program, to be arranged through and administered by Robinhood. The company goes into more details — including information on how to participate — in the release.

“We are excited to play a key role in this ground-breaking initiative to use common stock to support domestic pet nonprofits at scale,” says Steve Latham, CEO and co-founder of DonateStock, in the release. “Our mission is to democratize charitable stock gifting. By allocating stock to more than 500 pet nonprofits, Wag! is expanding the definition of what that means.”

Annual business competition lifts off

Houston business competition opens applications

Small businesses in Houston can apply for the annual Liftoff Houston competition. Photo via liftoffhouston.smapply.org

The city of Houston's annual business plan competition has kicked off. Liftoff Houston is an entrepreneurial initiative aimed at empowering Houston entrepreneurs mentorship and business support and education.The program's sponsor, Capital One Bank, provides cash prizes totaling $30,000.

To be eligible for the startup program, the applicant:

Must be in the start-up phase of your business, which means you either must have a business idea or have a business in operation for less than one year
Must have revenue of less than $10,000
Must live within the city of Houston limits. Also, if you have a business location, it must be within the city of Houston limits.

Participants can also apply for the 2022 Liftoff Houston Educational Pathway. There are no eligibility requirements for that program, which will support small businesses and provide access to workshops and the final competition event.

There will be three award categories: product, service, and innovation.

$10,000 – Awarded for top “Product” Based Business Plan (Retail, resale, merchandise, etc.)
$10,000 – Awarded for top “Service” Based Business Plan (Food, labor, consulting, etc.)
$10,000 – Awarded for top “Innovation” Based Business Plan (Software, Hardware, inventions, new market businesses, etc.)

The competition will open applications online on July 27 and close August 19. The full schedule is online.

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New report shows surge in startup activity in Houston and across Texas

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Houston and the rest of Texas are experiencing a boom in the creation of startups.

One barometer of growth in startup activity: The Houston metro area saw a 92 percent rise from 2024 to 2025 in the number of account applications submitted to Bluevine, a banking platform for small businesses.

New data from Bluevine also shows healthy year-over-year growth in account applications submitted by entrepreneurs in Texas’ three other major metros:

242 percent growth in the San Antonio area
153 percent growth in the Austin area
28 percent growth in Dallas-Fort Worth

Further evidence of Texas’ uptick in business creation comes from a new state-by-state analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by digital mailbox provider iPostal1.

From 2019 to 2024, the number of new business applications jumped 60 percent in Texas, according to the iPostal1 analysis. Wyoming tops the list, with a five-year growth rate of 216 percent.

“The U.S. has no shortage of ambition, but opportunity isn’t spread evenly,” says Jeff Milgram, founder and CEO of iPostal1. “In states like New York, Florida, and Texas, entrepreneurship is booming — people are starting businesses, taking risks, and finding opportunity.”

“Other states are still catching up,” Milgram adds. “Sometimes it’s access to funding, sometimes local policy, or just the confidence that new ventures will be supported.”

Women own many of the new businesses sprouting in Texas, according to a new analysis of 2024-25 data from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The analysis, done by SimpleTiger, a marketing agency for software-as-a-service (SaaS), shows Texas ranks eighth for the highest concentration of women entrepreneurs (109 per 1,000 female residents) among all states. That rate is three percent higher than the national average.

“Women entrepreneurs are no longer a side story in small business growth; they’re a leading indicator of where local economies are expanding next,” SimplyTiger says. “When women-owned business density is high, it usually signals stronger access to customers, networks, and startup pathways that make it easier to launch and keep going.”

In a December news release, Gov. Greg Abbott highlights Texas’ nation-leading job gains over the past 12 months, driven by employers small and large.

“From innovative startups to Fortune 500 corporations, job-creating businesses invest with confidence in Texas,” Abbott says. “With our strong and growing workforce, we will continue to expand career and technical training programs for better jobs and bigger paycheck opportunities for more Texans.”

Houston poised to add 30,900 new jobs in 2026, forecast says

jobs forecast

Buoyed by the growing health care sector, the Houston metro area will add 30,900 jobs in 2026, according to a new forecast from the Greater Houston Partnership.

The report predicts the Houston area’s health care sector will tack on 14,000 jobs next year, which would make it the No. 1 industry for local job growth. The 14,000 health care jobs would represent 45 percent of the projected 30,900 new jobs. In the job-creation column, the health care industry is followed by:

Construction: addition of 6,100 jobs in 2026
Public education: Addition of 5,800 jobs
Public administration: Addition of 5,000 jobs

At the opposite end of the regional workforce, the administrative support services sector is expected to lose 7,500 jobs in 2026, preceded by:

Manufacturing: Loss of 3,400 jobs
Oil-and-gas extraction: Loss of 3,200 jobs
Retail: Loss of 1,800 jobs

“While current employment growth has moderated, the outlook remains robust and Houston’s broader economic foundation remains strong,” GHP president and CEO Steve Kean said in the report.

“Global companies are choosing to invest in Houston — Eli Lilly, Foxconn, Inventec, and others — because they believe in our workforce and our long-term trajectory,” Kean added. “These commitments reinforce that Houston is a place where companies can scale and where our economy continues to demonstrate its resilience as a major engine for growth and opportunity. These commitments and current prospects we are working on give us confidence in the future growth of our economy.”

The Greater Houston Partnership says that while the 30,900-job forecast falls short of the region’s recent average of roughly 50,000 new jobs per year, it’s “broadly in line with the muted national outlook” for employment gains anticipated in 2026.

“Even so, Houston’s young, skilled workforce and strong pipeline of major new projects should help offset energy sector pressures and keep regional growth on pace with the nation,” the report adds.

The report says that even though the health care sector faces rising insurance costs, which might cause some people to delay or skip medical appointments, and federal changes in Medicare and Medicaid, strong demographic trends in the region will ensure health care remains “a key pillar of Houston’s economy.”

As for the local oil-and-gas extraction industry, the report says fluctuations and uncertainty in the global oil-and-gas market will weigh on the Houston sector in 2026. Furthermore, oil-and-gas layoffs partly “reflect a longer-term trend as companies in the sector move toward greater efficiency using fewer workers to produce similar volumes,” according to the report.

Construction underway on first-of-its-kind 3D-printed community in Houston

Building a Sustainable Future

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 homeowners in an innovative scalable housing community. Developer Cole Klein Builders has partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3D printing technology — merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet, situated in a park-like setting that includes walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer says will provide a cost savings of $25,000-$40,000 per home. Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The "Zuri" in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3D-printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three-acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area is classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops.

zuri gardens 3d-printed housing community First large-scale affordable housing project of 3D-printed homes rises in Houston Zuri Gardens is getting closer to completion. Courtesy rendering

Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority-owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and homes must be owner-occupied at all times. Zuri Gardens already has an 800-person waitlist.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole says. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners, as claim risks for one of the 3D homes are extremely low.

Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood-proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

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