Houston nonprofit introduces new startup incubator ahead of impact-focused innovation week

accelerate

Grace Rodriguez, CEO and executive director of Impact Hub Houston, has a few weeks ahead of her. Courtesy of Grace Rodriguez

Impact Hub Houston — the local chapter of a nonprofit focused on supporting startups in the social impact space — has a lot on its plate this month.

Not only is next week The Houston Innovation Summit — the fourth annual week of entrepreneurship programming — as well as the second annual Climathon, but the organization has also just launched a new business incubator program.

Accelerate is a program that Impact Hub has offered across 17 international markets. Houston's new chapter already has a few Houston startups involved — including Potentia Workforce and McMac CX. Structured as an ongoing accelerator with mentorship, education, and support, the program is currently accepting new members.

"We actually sit down with each new Accelerate member and then go through a diagnostic interview to help them understand what stage they're at," says Grace Rodriquez, CEO and executive director of Houston Impact Hub. "And then we create a development strategy with them."

Whether the Accelerate member needs one-on-one mentorship, specialized education, or more, the program match makes each member's needs. EY is a network partner and — since everything is virtual — member companies have access to international experts through Impact Hub and its partners' networks.

"The ideal entrepreneur for the Accelerate membership is somebody who has already developed a solution — at least an MVP — for their social venture, whether it's a product or a service," Rodriguez says.

She cites Potentia as an example. The startup helps find jobs for adults with special needs, as well as educate corporations on how to work with and collaborate with these individuals. The company already has data and momentum, and the Accelerate program is helping the company to get to it's next stage.

"The idea is that we help people ladder up — no matter what stage you're at," Rodriguez says.

While growing the new program's membership — Rodriguez says it's her goal to get to 10 member companies my early next year — she's also focused on The Houston Innovation Summit and Impact Hub's Climathon.

The second annual Climathon, which begins Friday, November 13, has evolved since last year in a number of ways. First of all, it's completely virtual — which poses its own set of challenges and opportunities. Additionally, the event has several new partners — most of which didn't even exist in Houston last year, like Greentown Houston and Evolve Houston.

One of the biggest, most exciting changes for Rodriguez is the structure. While last year's event functioned as a hackathon, this year attendees can expect thought-provoking programming and collaboration.

"Last year, [Climathon] was directed at people who were more tech savvy," Rodriguez says. "What we found is people who are interested in climate action are a lot of times policy oriented or community activists and they don't know how they can plug into the tech space. It's more of an idea-a-thon. You don't have to develop a tech solution, but we can think about how we can activate more people for climate change."

Last year's Climathon took place during October. WIth it moving to November this year, it coincides with THIS, adding even more events to the week-long, impact-focused summit. THIS, which was designed to run alongside Global Entrepreneurship Week, also considers that week's themes, which are: education, ecosystems, inclusion, and policy.

"The focus on education and policy is really interesting to me — it's not just about tech and business anymore," Rodriguez says. "It's really about how we are supporting businesses in the face of the pandemic, climate change crises — floods, fires, hurricanes — the entire world is being affected by these crises. ... [We need to focus on] how we are making sure that people are aware of everything that's happening and how we can innovate solutions."

This week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast highlights 11 different entrepreneurs at a live recording at The Cannon Houston's grand opening event. Courtesy of Quy Tran/The Cannon

Meet the innovators working out of The Cannon Houston's brand new space

Houston innovators podcast episode 5

Last week, The Cannon Houston premiered its new digs in West Houston with a grand opening event attended by an incredible group of innovators, entrepreneurs, friends, family, and even puppies.

InnovationMap and the Houston Innovators Podcast had a presence at the festivities as well, which has allowed us to put together a special edition of the podcast. Rather than recording an interview with one entrepreneur in studio, this week's episode features 11 interviews with over a dozen innovators.

Here's who all you'll hear from — in order — in this episode:

  • Werner Winterboer of SapMok, a South African sustainable shoe making company that's looking to expand in Houston.
  • Brad Greer of DrySee, a liquid bandage company that's created a wetness indicator that allows for a patient to know if their bandage has been compromised thus preventing infection risks.
  • Chris Bayardo of Bayardo Safety LLC, a small compliance company that uses tech to optimize the oil and gas industry's compliance issues.
  • Dirk Van Slyke of Statistical Vision, a marketing consultancy that taps into data and metrics to help organizations take their company to the next level.
  • Aaron Knape of sEATz, an app that has perfected the mobile food and drink ordering process in stadiums.
  • Matt and Adam Woods of Skippermyboat, a tourism startup that helps travelers easily connect with boating adventures all over the world.
  • Mike T. Brown of Win-Win, a sports tech company that gamifies the donation process for causes supported by professional athletes.
  • Alex Taghi, Aimee Robert, and Jeffery Abel of Co-Counsel, the coworking concept for lawyers and attorneys.
  • Jeff Miller of Potentia, an education and staffing platform that helps place autistic employees with their right employer.
  • Drew Wadley with MiTyket, which has created a software that can prevent price gouging in the live entertainment industry.
  • Bret Bloch with Four Tower LLC, which provides integrated solutions for projects and operations.

Check out the episode below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.


The Cannon hosted a B2B pitch night, and all three companies have a mission to change the world. Courtesy of The Cannon

3 Houston entrepreneurs changing the world with their B2B startups

On purpose

I think it's safe to say that most B2B startups don't have sustainability or a mission-driven purpose at the core of their business model. In fact, it's probably safe to say that about any for-profit company of any size.

Three Houston entrepreneurs pitched their companies at The Cannon's recent B2B pitch night, and they all have something in common: They're not normal B2B startups. Each company has a mission to change the way we're doing something — from hiring to construction — in a way that's better for the world.

Natalie Goodman, founder and CEO IncentiFind

Courtesy of IncentiFind

Natalie Goodman realized there was a disconnect between builders and green incentives the government provides.

"The government is strapped — they have all this money that they want to give away, but not the (marketing) money to get the word out," Goodman told InnovationMap last month. "That's where IncentiFind stepped in."

IncentiFind is a portal for green incentives and works in three steps. First, you do a search for green incentives in your area — this part is completely free to the commercial developer or home owner. Next, the user might opt to pay IncentiFind to find the exact incentives for the project and submits the applications for the project. The final step is a promise of a 10 times return on investment.

A million green projects are completed in the United States each year, and IncentiFind is getting in front of that by forming partnerships with lenders, commercial developers, architects, etc., Goodman says to the crowd. Read more about IncentiFind here.

Jeff Miller, CEO of Potentia

Courtesy of The Cannon

The facts and figures are pretty startling. One-in-40 school-age children are on the autism spectrum and one-in-five college-educated autistic individuals don't have a job when they graduate, Jeff Miller says during his pitch at The Cannon. Miller, who has a long career in staffing around the world, founded his company Potentia to help correct this growing employment problem.

"We're seeking to help employers build their 21st century workforce at the intersection of technology, leadership, and, most specifically, the autism spectrum," he says.

Potentia is a technology-focused recruitment firm with resources and opportunities for applicants on the Autism spectrum. For Miller, it's personal. His 16-year-old son has autism, and Miller wants a world where his son can have access to employment opportunities around the world.

"I think we're in a position to improve this model here in Houston, and take it to other cities," Miller says. "The reality is this is a challenge that exists in every major city."

Kim Raath, co-founder of Topl

Courtesy of Topl

Sure, blockchain is a major buzzword nowadays, but for Topl co-founder Kim Raath it means having the ability to track the sustainability of a purchase. Topl's technology is able to tell you if your diamond ring came from a war-torn country or if your coffee's farmer was paid fairly.

Raath says she's seen an increased need for sustainable and transparent businesses that can prove their impact, but it's expensive to do that.

"These businesses are spending so much money on trying to prove this impact," Raath says in her pitch at The Cannon. "We have customers spending close to 15 percent in operational expenses just to be able to trace their growth."

The company, founded by three Rice University students, is growing. In May, Raath says they have four new ventures being developed, and by 2020, they want to have 24 live ventures with a monthly revenue of over $30,000.

"At Topl, we are really going to change the world," Raath tells the crowd. "But I can prove it to you." Read more about Topl here.

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Houston healthtech startup raises $30M to scale surgical healing gel

fresh funding

Houston-based healthtech startup TYBR Health has raised a $30 million Series A round to scale its B3 GEL System, which helps protect tendons from scarring after surgery.

The round was led by Minneapolis-based Vensana Capital and Cleveland-based Mutual Capital Partners, with participation from Denver-based Neovate Capital Partners and existing investors, according to a news release from the company.

TYBR Health said it plans to use the funding to broaden the B3 GEL System's clinical applications, expand commercialization and conduct studies to evaluate its ability to protect tissue and improve healing outcomes.

"Surgeons are exceptionally good at the structural repair, but the biology that follows is what determines how it heals. That part of the equation has gone largely unaddressed ... There's a shift underway across surgical specialties, from focusing almost entirely on the mechanical repair to also weighing the biological conditions that repair needs to succeed," Tim Keane, co-founder and CEO of TYBR Health, said in the news release. "This financing lets us reach more surgeons and generate the clinical evidence to move that shift forward."

As part of the financing round, Greg Banker of Vensana Capital and Liz Todia Zambory of Mutual Capital Partners will join the TYBR board, alongside independent director Aaron Smith.

"TYBR Health is addressing a gap surgeons have lived with for a long time, with a product that fits the way they already work," Zambory, principal at Mutual Capital Partners, added in the release. "We're excited to co-lead this round and support the company's growth."

TYBR was founded in 2020 and originated from the TMCi’s Biodesign fellowship and participated in the TMC's Accelerator for HealthTech. Its B3 GEL System is a flowable extracellular matrix hydrogel designed to protect tendons, ligaments, muscles, and the surrounding soft tissue while they heal from orthopedic surgery. It received FDA 510(k) clearance last June and launched an Australian clinical trial in the fall.

The B3 GEL System has been used in hand, wrist, shoulder, foot and ankle, and sports medicine procedures since it launched, according to the company, and was first used in the clinical setting earlier this year by Dr. Tammam Hanna with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Houston space companies win NASA funding to build Mars exploration robots

mission to mars

Two Houston-area spacetech companies have landed a portion of a $17 million award from NASA to develop robots for exploring the surface of Mars, the agency announced this month.

Houston-based Inuitive Machines and Webster, Texas-based MEI Technologies, which does business as Aegis Aerospace, were among the seven companies selected to receive the funding from NASA's Science Transport and Robotic Innovation for Deployment and Exploration (STRIDE) initiative.

According to the release from NASA, the companies are tasked with creating "innovative mobility systems" that would allow future Mars missions to access more challenging terrain and difficult-to-reach regions of the planet, and to travel farther distances. NASA estimated that the work will begin this fall.

NASA solicited proposals for participants in the STRIDE initiative in January. The seven named companies are the first selected to participate in the program.

The additional five companies to receive STRIDE funding include:

"STRIDE demonstrates NASA’s commitment to strong public-private partnerships, allowing the agency to explore new approaches for Mars surface exploration while identifying key capability gaps and development needs for commercial systems that could operate and traverse realistic Martian environments," NASA shared in the announcement.

Last month, Intuitive Machines was awarded $148.3 million to deliver its Nova-C lander to the moon. The funding was part of $600 million the space agency awarded to three companies as part of its Moon Base Program and was Intuitive Machines' sixth task order under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Astrobotic was also one of the companies to land funding for the Moon Base program, as well as Austin-based Firefly Aerospace.

Around the same time, Firefly Aerospace was awarded a $13 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop technology for NASA’s SkyFall mission to Mars. The mission aims to deploy three Mars helicopters to "perform science and demonstrate airborne subsurface mapping and resource prospecting on the planet." Read more here.

SpaceX launches Starship test flight with most advanced Starlinks to date

Out in Space

SpaceX’s mammoth Starship rocket blasted off Friday, July 24, on another test flight stretching halfway around the world, this time releasing 20 of the most advanced Starlinks.

Towering 407 feet, Starship soared from the company’s base at the southern tip of Texas. NASA monitored the space-skimming flight, a critical step toward using the Starship as a lunar lander for moon crews.

The hourlong journey ended with a splashdown so soft that the spacecraft remained afloat in the Indian Ocean as the SpaceX webcast drew to a close, drawing cheers from employees back at the launch site.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX had replaced six of the 33 engines on the first-stage booster after they failed to ignite earlier in July, resulting in a last-second launch abort. The previous Starship flight in May also experienced engine trouble, which prevented the booster from making a controlled return.

This time, all of the engines fired at liftoff, but not enough of them lit back up for the booster's return, causing it to descend too fast and slam into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft continued soaring eastward, popping out the Starlinks one by one 124 miles up before reentering.

It was the 13th flight of the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket, and the second this year of the new version dubbed V3. Like the previous demo, neither the booster nor spacecraft was meant to be saved, instead plunging into the sea.

The stainless steel, retro-looking spacecraft hovered upright over the Indian Ocean before lowering into the water, more than 10,000 miles from where the flight began.

It was the best reentry yet, according to SpaceX, with the intact booster floating amid just a few flames. Previous flights ended with the spacecraft engulfed in flames and exploding at splashdown — or rupturing in midair.

“We're really pumped about this,” said SpaceX engineer Kate Tice, calling it “lucky flight 13.”

The Starlinks accomplished all their jobs before reentering over the Indian Ocean.

After being ejected from the Starship’s Pez-like dispenser, the Starlinks managed to communicate via lasers with older Starlink models already in orbit. With more than 10,000 Starlinks currently providing internet, SpaceX boasts the world’s largest satellite constellation.

Six of the newly launched Starlinks carried cameras that photographed Starship’s heat shield at flight's end, beaming back amazingly crisp shots even as the spacecraft bobbed in the ocean. The heat shield was also equipped with sensors to measure the extreme pressure placed on the spacecraft during launch. Most of the heat shield’s thermal tiles were black, but some were deliberately painted white to simulate missing tiles, part of an experiment to test the shield’s robustness.

"We got all the heat shield data we needed and then some!" Musk said on X.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman offered congratulations. “Excited for what will be learned from this mission,” Isaacman noted on X.

SpaceX wants to make sure Starship’s heat shield can withstand the heat of entry before trying to return it to the Starbase launch pad near the Texas-Mexico border. The company already has used a pair of giant mechanical arms at the pad to capture a Starship booster. The company plans to do the same with the actual spacecraft, which is designed to be totally reusable.

NASA needs Starship to wrap up testing and reach orbit soon so the Artemis III astronauts — three Americans and one Italian — can practice docking their capsule with it next year.

Starship is also the vehicle with which Musk intends to build a city on Mars. He's already booking tourist trips to Mars, as well as the moon.

The latest test flight was delayed first by the July 16 launch abort, then again July 23 by thick clouds from Tropical Storm Bertha.

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