Houston data analytics firm acquired by Austin agency

m&a moves

Statistical Vision has been rebranded as Hahn Stats. Image via Getty Images

Statistical Vision, a Houston-based data and analytics firm, has been scooped up by Austin-based marketing and communications agency Hahn Public for an undisclosed amount.

The deal expands Hahn Public to a 48-person agency with combined annual revenue exceeding $10 million. Statistical Vision has been rebranded as Hahn Stats.

“Our clients come to us drowning in data — sales transactions, marketing information, commodity prices, import and export data, demographics, weather forecasts, etcetera,” Michael Griebe, co-founder and chief statistical officer of what now is Hahn Stats, says in a news release. “We build predictive analytic models to answer specific questions and to point our clients towards revenue growth.”

Griebe and Dirk Van Slyke founded Statistical Vision in 2014. The company's local office is at The Cannon West Houston. Hahn Stats LLC also has an office in Denver.

The data and analytics prowess developed by Statistical Vision will benefit Hahn Public clients like Houston-based ZTERS, Whataburger, the Texas Department of Agriculture, Beef-Loving Texans, H-E-B’s Central Market, Vital Farms, the Propane Education & Research Council, OneGas, GPA Midstream, the East Texas Electric Cooperative, and the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority.

Jeff Hahn, principal of Hahn Public, says the acquisition of Statistical Vision and its data and analytics capabilities will help Hahn Public’s array of food and energy clients, who “continue to face a rapidly changing and uncertain landscape.”

Other businesses under the Hahn umbrella are Apron Food & Beverage Communications, Predictive Media Network, and White Lion Interactive.

Statistical Vision shares key data points it's watching as companies return to work amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Getty Images

Houston data startup analyzes COVID-19 risks as companies return to work

Guest column

In an effort to better help our clients, and frankly all of us, maneuver these uncertain times and to better understand what the upcoming months are likely to bring, we have applied our data science expertise to create a structural model of the spread of COVID-19. The aim of the national model is to determine specifically how mobility and weather impact the local transmission rates while controlling for population density, population immunity rate and the fact that people are taking more precautions.

When I discuss COVID19 with other Houstonians, I'm often asked "We're going back to work — there's traffic! Why haven't cases spiked?"

First, it is worth noting that cases and deaths have increased again in Harris County. But, the question is still valid. Greg Abbott started allowing things to open six weeks ago and we are only starting to see a rise now.

Fortunately, our model (being quantitative and multivariate) can explain why cases may not have 'spiked' the way that was expected. There are four main reasons why cases are only starting to tick up now:

  1. There has not been a 'spike' in people leaving their homes. While Greg Abbott did allow restaurants, movie theaters and malls to begin re-opening on April 30, there was not a sudden spike in people leaving their homes. Indeed, the "people staying home" index, according to Google Mobility Data, peaked on April 1 at 22 percent above normal and has gradually decreased ever since. In Harris County, the extent people are staying at home stands at 14 percent above normal as of May 29 (unfortunately, Google Mobility Data reports 7 to 10 days after the fact.) So, from the peak 'stay at home' measure, we were only a third the way back to normal last week.
  2. Temperatures have increased. Our model indicates that warmer temperatures decrease the transmission rate of COVID19. Our model does not posit a mechanism, but we can rule out both geographic explanations and behavioral explanations, which leaves us with the compelling reason to believe that temperatures matter.
  3. People's behaviors when they do go out have changed. These changes — everything from masks, to skipping hand shakes, to readily available hand sanitizer, to keeping your distance, to staying home when you're feeling sick — have an important and measurable impact on the spread.
  4. Kids are not back in school yet. While our model does not directly measure the impact of kids being in school, the estimate our model produces measuring the importance of staying at home (2.6) is higher than they should be (2, mathematically speaking). We suspect that's because we are missing an important cohort that started staying at home at the same time mobile phone users started staying at home - kids that don't have cell phones. So, while it may seem like we are most of the way back to normal, with regards to going out, being summer time in Houston, kids are not at school, which is likely keeping the rate of spread down.
All of that said, the gradual increase in people leaving their homes has had an impact. And now, cases and deaths are starting to increase. Our model reminds us that there are a variety of factors impacting the transmission rate. Right now, temperatures, people's behaviors and schools being out work in our favor. Come September, two of those three will turn the other way.
------
Michael Griebe is the co-founder and chief statistical officer at Houston-based Statistical Vision. To read more about the company's initiative, click here.
Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

5+ must-know application deadlines for Houston innovators

apply now

Editor's note: As 2026 ramps up, the Houston innovation scene is looking for the latest groups of innovative startups that'll make an impact. A number of accelerators and competitions have opened applications. Read below to see which might be a good fit for you or your venture. And take careful note of the deadlines. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional information and programs.

Did we miss an accelerator or competition accepting applications? Email innoeditor@innovationmap.com for editorial consideration.

2026 HCC Business Plan Competition

Deadline: Jan. 26

Details: HCC’s annual Business Plan Competition (BPC) is an opportunity for proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs to develop focused plans to start or grow their businesses. Accepted teams will be announced and training will begin in late February and run through early June, with six free, three-hour training sessions. Advising will be provided to each accepted team. Applicants can apply as a team of up to five persons. Finalists will present to to gudges on May 27, 2026. Last year, $26,000 was awarded in seed money to the top five teams. In-kind prizes were also awarded to all graduating teams including free products, services and memberships, with an estimated in-kind value totaling $147,000. Find more information here.

University of Houston Technology Bridge Innov8 Hub (Spring 2026)

Deadline: Jan . 30

Details: UHTB Innov8 Hub’s immersive, 12-week startup acceleration program designed to help early-stage founders launch and scale their technology startups. Selected participants will gain access to expert mentors and advisors, collaborate with a cohort of peers, and compete for cash prizes during our final pitch event. The cohort begins Feb. 16, 2026. The program culminates in Pitch Day, where participants present their ventures to an audience of investors and partners from across the UH innovation ecosystem. Find more information here.

Rice Business Plan Competition 2026

Deadline: Jan. 31

Details: The Rice Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company. Forty-two teams will compete for more than $1 million in cash, investments and prizes on April 9-11, 2026. Find more information here.

Rice Veterans Business Battle 2026

Deadline: Jan. 31

Details: The Rice Veterans Business Battle is one of the nation’s largest pitch competitions for veteran-led startups, providing founders with mentorship, exposure to investors and the opportunity to compete for non-dilutive cash prizes. The event has led to more than $10 million of investments since it began in 2015. Teams will compete April 8-9, 2026. Find more information here.

TEX-E Fellows Application 2026-2027

Deadline: Feb. 10

Details: The TEX‑E Fellowship is a hands-on program designed for students interested in energy, climate, and entrepreneurship across Texas. It connects participants with industry mentors, startup founders, investors and academic leaders while providing practical, "real-world" experience in customer discovery, business modeling, and energy-transition innovation. Fellows gain access to workshops, real-world projects, and a statewide network shaping the future of energy and climate solutions. Participants must be a student at PVAMU, UH, UT Austin, Rice University, MIT or Texas A&M. Find more information here.

Greentown Go Make 2026

Deadline: March 10

Details: Greentown Go Make 2026 is an open-innovation program with Shell and Technip Energies. The six-month program is advancing industrial decarbonization by accelerating catalytic innovations. Selected startups will gain access to a structured platform to engage leadership from Shell and Technip Energies and explore potential partnership outcomes, including pilots and demonstrations. They’ll also receive networking opportunities, partnership-focused programming, and marketing visibility throughout the program. The cohort will be selected in May. Find more information here.

Houston startups closed $1.75 billion in 2025 VC funding, says report

by the numbers

Going against national trends, Houston-area startups raised 7 percent less venture capital last year than they did in 2024, according to the new PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor report.

The report shows local startups collected $1.75 billion in venture capital in 2025, down from $1.89 billion the previous year.

Houston-based geothermal energy company Fervo Energy received a big chunk of the region’s VC funding last year. Altogether, the startup snagged $562 million in investments, as well as a $60 million extension of an existing loan and $45.6 million in debt financing. The bulk of the 2025 haul was a $462 million Series E round.

In the fourth quarter of last year, Houston-area VC funding totaled $627.68 million. That was a 22 percent drop from $765.03 million during the same period in 2024. Still, the Q4 total was the biggest quarterly total in 2025.

Across the country, startups picked up $339.4 trillion in VC funding last year, a 59 percent increase from $213.2 trillion in 2024, according to the report. Over the last 10 years, only the VC total in 2021 ($358.2 trillion) surpassed the total from 2025.

Nationwide, startups in the artificial intelligence and machine learning sector accounted for the biggest share of VC funding (65.4 percent) in 2025, followed by software-as-a-service (SaaS), big data, manufacturing, life sciences and healthtech, according to the report.

“Despite an overall lack of new fundraising and a liquidity market that did not shape up as hoped in 2025, deal activity has begun a phase of regrowth, with deal count estimates showing increases at each stage, and deal value, though concentrated in a small number of deals, falling just [8 percent] short of the 2021 figure,” the report reads.

Sandbox VR brings new gaming center to Houston's tech-savvy population

Get In The Game

Sandbox VR, a futuristic, full-body virtual reality gaming experience, has announced it will enter the Houston market this month, opening its first local gaming center on January 23.

"Houston's reputation as a hub for innovation and technology makes it a perfect fit for Sandbox VR," said Steve Zhao, CEO and founder of Sandbox VR, in a statement. "The city's diverse, tech-savvy population and strong entertainment culture create an ideal environment for our immersive VR experiences. LOL Entertainment continues to exceed our expectations as a partner, and we're excited to bring our cutting-edge virtual reality gaming to Texas's largest city."

The new gaming center opens Friday, January 23 at 797 Sorella Court in CityCentre.

One of the games that stands out is the Stranger Things: Catalyst game, based on the blockbuster Netflix television series. Groups of one to six players will be dropped into the sinister Hawkins Lab and the mysterious Upside Down to fight Demogorgons and other monsters. The game features Matthew Modine reprising his role as Dr. Martin "Papa" Brenner, who imbues players with psychic powers.

Other games include the supernatural pirate title The Curse of Davy Jones and other Netflix tie-ins based on Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon and Squid Game. Sandbox VR offers fully-immersive group play activities that range from combat to puzzle solving for a variety of age groups.

The opening of Sandbox VR is another part of the expansion of LOL Entertainment, who touts itself as one of the pre-eminent hosts of immersive and gaming experiences in the U.S. Sandbox VR will be their first entry into the Houston market, with another immersive group adventure game, Time Mission, set to open at the the Marq'E Entertainment District later this year.

“Bringing Sandbox VR to CityCentre Houston is a big milestone for LOL Entertainment, for Sandbox VR, and for this market,” said Rob Cooper, CEO of LOL Entertainment. “Houston is a fast-growing, experience-driven city, and we’re excited to give locals and visitors a truly immersive, social gaming destination that you can’t replicate anywhere.”

Presale tickets for the grand opening of Sandbox VR are available here. Standard pricing is $55-$65 per event, but Sandbox VR is running a special for 30 percent off with code OPEN30 for those who purchase before Thursday, January 22. Presale buyers are also entered into a drawing for free Sandbox VR for one year.

---

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

View All Listings