Ownwell, which uses machine learning and local property tax expertise to help property owners fight hikes in tax assessments, is growing in Houston. Photo via Getty Images

A $5.75 million round of seed funding raised by an Austin-based proptech startup will help the company grow its presence in Houston.

Ownwell’s technology analyzes millions of properties to identify property owners who are overpaying, and the company then offers to protest tax assessments on the owners’ behalf for a 25 percent cut of any savings they realize. The company estimates that nearly nine out of 10 protests are successful, and customers save an average of $1,457.

Ownwell currently employs five people in Houston and expects that number to reach 10 by the end of this year. Overall, 14 of the company’s 29 employees live in the Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Waco areas.

First Round Capital led the $5.75 million round. Additional investors include Wonder Ventures, Founder Collective, Long Journey Ventures, and former PayPal board member Scott Banister. So far, Ownwell has raised $7.5 million in funding.

With the fresh round of funding, Ownwell plans to accelerate hiring in areas such as sales, marketing, technology, and operations.

Ownwell couples machine learning with local property tax expertise to help property owners fight hikes in tax assessments.

“Property owners have a lot to consider when deciding to protest: the costs in time and money, the complexity of the process, and the access to real estate expertise and advice,” Colton Pace, Ownwell’s CEO, says in a news release. “As part of our mission to reduce the inequities of property ownership, Ownwell handles the entire process of appealing on behalf of property owners and charges the lowest fees currently on the market.”

Joseph Noor, Ownwell’s chief technology officer, says each property tax appeal the company files isn’t considered complete “until it has been verified, analyzed, augmented, and finalized by a member of our property tax specialist team.” Ownwell doesn’t earn money unless an appeal succeeds.

“At Ownwell, we strive to provide our clients the benefits of modern technology with the thoughtful touch that can only be imparted by an expert in the field,” Noor tells InnovationMap.

Colton Pace is the CEO of Austin-based Ownwell. Image courtesy of Ownwell

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California company to launch Walmart drone delivery in Houston

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California-based Wing will soon touch down in Houston.

The drone delivery company has partnered with Walmart Supercenters in Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa. According to a news release, Wing’s drone delivery services will be available at 100 Walmart stores across the selected markets by this time next year.

Wing also plans to expand to additional Walmart stores in Dallas-Fort Worth, where Wing and Walmart already serve customers from 18 Walmart Supercenters. Wing reports that it has completed thousands of deliveries from DFW-area Walmarts with an average fulfillment time of under 19 minutes. Wing and Walmart launched their first location in the Dallas area in the fall of 2023.

"The popularity of drone delivery in DFW is a testament not just to its convenience, but to the way this technology quickly becomes a part of everyday life,” Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said in the news release. “Walmart has been a strong partner that shares our commitment to innovation and is equally eager to bring this new type of service to many more households.”

Customers in Houston and the other markets in the latest expansion can visit wing.com/walmart to be notified when drone delivery becomes available in their area.

The service works similarly to any other online shopping platform, and users can select the exact location for the drone to drop off their package. Items are packaged in a specialized box that a Wing drone retrieves from Walmart. The drones cruise up to 65 mph and drop off the package outside a shopper's home.

“This is real drone delivery at scale,” Woodworth said in the release. “People all around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex have made drone delivery part of their normal shopping habits over the past year. Now we’re excited to share this ultra-fast delivery experience with millions more people across many more U.S. cities.”

Houston team develops innovative soft skeleton for kids with cerebral palsy

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A team from the NSF University of Houston Building Reliable Advances and Innovation in Neurotechnology (UH BRAIN) Center and TIRR Memorial Hermann has introduced the MyoStep soft exoskeleton for children with cerebral palsy, according to a news release from UH.

The soft skeleton aims to address motor impairments caused by cerebral palsy that impact children’s ability to participate in physical activities, self-care and academics.

“The MyoStep project represents a significant advancement in the field of pediatric mobility aids, particularly for children with cerebral palsy,” Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, director of UH BRAIN and the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said in a news release.

The next-generation lightweight, soft exoskeleton was funded by the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) Award.

The MyoStep is made to be lightweight and discreetly fit under clothes. It includes a wireless sensor network embedded inside the smart and flexible fabrics that is the backbone of the suit and collects and sends real-time data about the user’s movements It also includes safety features with temperature monitoring and emergency shut-off mechanisms.

“By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial muscles, smart fabrics, and a comprehensive sensor network, MyoStep offers a promising solution to the challenges faced by existing exoskeletons,” Contreras-Vidal said in a news release.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that impacts motor skills. It occurs in one to four out of every 1,000 births worldwide.

“What makes the MyoStep project so compelling is that it’s not just about the technology: it’s about restoring confidence, function, and hope,” Dr. Gerard Francisco, a clinical partner on the technology, The Wulfe Family Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UTHealth Houston and medical officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann, said in a news release. “This kind of innovation has the potential to dramatically improve quality of life, helping children move through the world with greater ease and dignity.”