An Austin-based energy software company just scored funding from Houston investors. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based investment firm Goose Capital led a $3.25 million round of seed funding revealed recently by Austin-based cleantech software company P6 Technologies .

Other participants in the round are Houston-based investment firms Artemis Energy Partners , Tupper Lake Partners , and Veritec Ventures . The seed round represents the first outside funding for P6, which maintains an office in Houston.

In conjunction with the seed funding:

  • Artemis founder and CEO Bobby Tudor has joined P6’s board of directors. He is an investor in Goose Capital.
  • Paal Kibsgaard, managing partner of Veritec, also has joined the P6 board. Kibsgaard is former chairman and CEO of Houston-based oilfield services company Schlumberger, which now does business as SLB.

Joe Berti, CEO of P6, says Kibsgaard’s “unparalleled experience” will benefit his company.

“Veritec’s strategic vision and active support of energy transition solutions align perfectly with our goals, and I am confident their contribution will be instrumental in shaping our future success,” Berti says in a news release .

Berti is former chief product officer of IBM’s sustainability software unit.

P6, founded in 2022, sells enterprise software to businesses in the energy, transportation fuel, and petrochemical sectors. The startup’s software for product lifecycle assessment enables measurement of the product-level intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as energy companies try to achieve sustainability goals.

Tudor applauds P6 for helping fossil fuel-anchored companies reduce GHG emissions.

“Energy is the sector that needs a solution like P6 the most,” says Tudor. “P6 has the right approach and is going to make a step-change improvement to how product-level carbon intensity and GHG emissions are tracked today.”

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital .

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Houston university lands $2.5M grant for STEM inclusivity

DEI in STEM

Rice University was recently granted $2.5 million to develop programs that make STEM degrees more accessible to students of all walks of life.

The five-year grant is part of The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Driving Change initiative, which focuses on breaking down barriers in STEM fields at research universities.

Rice is one of six universities to receive the grant this year. According to a statement from Rice, this year's winners were named for making "culture change efforts" within the universities.

“Rice has laid the groundwork for student success, and this funding will allow us to teach math courses in an accessible way that is inclusive to all students and promotes equity in STEM," Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, says in a statement . "Students who are underrepresented, first-generation college students, Pell grant recipients, women and athletes should have the same opportunities for success as everyone else.”

Other universities in the 2023 cohort include:

  • The University of California, Los Angeles
  • Illinois State University
  • The University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Rice University
  • Rutgers University – Camden
  • The University of Vermont

The first group of six universities awarded a Driving Change grant were named last year. Awardees are also part of the HHMI Driving Change Learning Community of 38 institutions that aim to create more inclusive environments.

“Each of this year’s grantee institutions has demonstrated their dedication to carrying out critical, intensive work for the betterment of the wider world of STEM and STEM education,” Sarah Simmons, HHMI program lead for Driving Change, says in a statement. “Part of this work includes a thorough self-study to ensure that each institution identifies its own unique needs. We are honored to be a part of a community with so many change-makers who are driven by the goal of making science and science education accessible to everyone.”

The grant was secured by Rice team members Janet Braam, Margaret Beier, Alex Byrd, Liz Eich, Dereth Phillips, Caroline Quenemoen, Renata Ramos, Matt Taylor and Tony Varilly Alvarado.

Earlier this fall, Rice also announced the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship , or Lilie, which recruited 11 entrepreneurs to the council with Houston ties to support “promising entrepreneurial programs for students, research staff and faculty.” Each has agreed to donate time and money to the university’s entrepreneurship programs.

That same month , Rice teamed up with Houston Methodist to open the new Center for Human Performance.

Prominent Houston energy business leader to retire, successor named

in transition

Amy Chronis, a Houston business leader within the energy industry and beyond, is retiring next summer. Her replacement has been named.

Melinda Yee will be the incoming Houston managing partner at Deloitte, replacing Chronis who held the role along with the title vice chair and US energy and chemicals leader. Chronis will retire in June 2024, and Yee's new role is effective January 2.

“Melinda has been an active and valued member of Deloitte’s Houston leadership team. She brings an impressive depth of both industry and marketplace knowledge to her new role as managing partner,” Chronis says in a news release. “I am confident that she will be a great leader for our Houston professionals and in the local community.”

Yee has worked at Deloitte for over 30 years and has served as both Deloitte’s central region risk and advisory leader as well as the Houston risk and advisory leader. She also held the title of energy and chemicals leader within Deloitte’s mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring services practice. She's worked on transactions across the energy value chain, as well as waste management, manufacturing, industrials, services, retail operations and investment management, per the release.

“I am honored to have been asked to serve as the managing partner for Deloitte’s Houston practice,” Yee says in the release. “I look forward to continuing the great work Deloitte has accomplished under Amy’s leadership, delivering results for our clients and making an impact in the Houston community.”

In addition to her role at Deloitte, she serves as a board member for Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, a member of the Energy Transition Committee for the Greater Houston Partnership, and is Audit Committee chair, director and trustee at the University of Colorado Foundation.

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.