Houston 3D printing co. moves forward to next phase of NSF accelerator

sustainability in mind

Re:3D has moved onto the next phase of a NSF program focused on circular economy innovation. Photo via re3d.org

An innovative project led by Houston-founded re:3D Inc. is one of six to move forward to the next phase of the National Science Foundation's Convergence Accelerator that aims to drive solutions with societal and economic impact.

The sustainable 3D printer company will receive up to $5 million over three years as it advances on to Phase 2 of the program for its ReCreateIt project, according to a statement from the NSF. Co-funded by Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, or CSIRO, ReCreateIt enables low-income homeowners to design sustainable home goods using recycled plastic waste through 3D-printing at its net-zero manufacturing lab.

The project is in partnership with Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStores and researchers from the University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University. CSIRO is funding the Australian researchers.

In Phase II the teams will receive training on product development, intellectual property, financial resources, sustainability planning and communications and outreach. The goal of the accelerator is to promote a "circular economy," in which resources are reused, repaired, recycled or refurbished for as long as possible.

"Progress toward a circular economy is vital for our planet's health, but it is a complex challenge to tackle," Douglas Maughan, head of the NSF Convergence Accelerator program, said in the statement. "The NSF Convergence Accelerator program is bringing together a wide range of expertise to develop critical, game-changing solutions to transition toward a regenerative growth model that reduces pressure on natural resources, creates sustainable growth and jobs, drastically reduces waste and ultimately has a positive impact on our environment and society. Phase 2 teams are expected to have strong partnerships to ensure their solutions are sustained beyond NSF support."

Other teams that are moving forward in the accelerator include:

  • FUTUR-IC: A global microchip sustainability alliance led by MIT
  • PFACTS: Led by IBM's Almaden Research Center and aiming to replace, redesign and remediate fluorine-containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
  • SOLAR: A team led by Battelle Memorial Institute using photovoltaic circularity to develop the technology needed to achieve sustainable solar recycling
  • SpheriCity: A cross-sector tool that examines how plastics, organics and construction and demolition materials flow through local communities developed by the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc.
  • Topological Electric: Another MIT-led team, this group aims to develop electronic and energy-harvesting device prototypes based on topological materials.

Re:3d and 15 other teams were first named to the Convergence Accelerator in 2022 with a total investment of $11.5 million. At the end of Phase 1, the teams participated in a formal Phase 2 proposal and pitch, according to the NSF. The Convergence Accelerator was launched in 2019 as part of the NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

This is the latest project from re:3D to land national attention and funding. Last year the company was one of 12 to receive up to $850,000 from NASA's SBIR Ignite pilot for its project that aimed to develop a recycling system that uses a 3D printer to turn thermoplastic waste generated in orbit into functional and useful objects, according to the project's proposal.

In 2022, it was also among the winners of an inaugural seed fund expo from the U.S. Small Business Administration. It also earned the prestigious Tibbetts Award from the SBA in 2021. The award honors small businesses that are at the forefront of technology.

Re:3D Inc. was founded in 2013 by NASA contractors Samantha Snabes and Matthew Fiedler and is based in Clear Lake. It's known for its GigaBot 3D printer, which uses recycled materials to create larger devices. The company announced its new Austin headquarters earlier this year.
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Houston’s 10 most valuable startups revealed in new report

by the numbers

The Greater Houston Partnership has released its list of the 10 most valuable startups that are fueling the city’s growth and entrepreneurial energy, including industry giants like Axiom Space and Fervo Energy.

Currently, Houston hosts more than 1,300 startups in industries such as energy, life sciences, manufacturing and aerospace, according to the GHP. The list ranks its top 10 startups by valuation based on the company’s last private funding round, reflected in Pitchbook data, as of Oct. 20 of this year.

The top 10 list includes:

10. NXTClean Fuels

Valuation: $530 million

NXTClean Fuels builds biofuel refineries that produce renewable fuel by using feedstocks like cooking oil and recycled organic materials.

9. Homebase

Valuation: $660 million

HR tech company Homebase provides employee management software that helps manage and optimize timesheets, payroll and more, with over over 100,000 small businesses and 2 million hourly workers using its product.

8. Zolve

Valuation: $800 million

Zolve is a banking platform that provides customers with access to financial products that aim to be accessible, flexible, and affordable than other financial platforms.

7. Stramsen Biotech

Valuation: $807 million

Stramsen Biotech develops plant-based drug therapies that target both infectious and noninfectious diseases, which include cancer, diabetes, HIV, kidney disease and neurological issues.

6. Octagos

Valuation: $843 million

Healthtech company Octagos has developed a remote cardiac monitoring software driven by AI that helps consolidate patient data in real-time, assisting healthcare professionals in providing quicker, easier and more accurate care.

5. Fervo Energy

Valuation: $1.4 billion

Pioneering geothermal company Fervo Energy combines horizontal drilling and fiber-optic sensing to produce electricity. The company is developing its flagship Cape Station geothermal power project in Utah. The first phase of the project will supply 100 megawatts of power beginning in 2026

4.Cart.com

Valuation: $1.7 billion

Cart.com is an e-commerce giant and logistics solutions provider that was founded in 2020 and obtained unicorn status within just three years.

3. Axiom Space

Valuation: $2.1 billion

Axiom Space is one of the anchor tenants at the Houston Spaceport, and has completed four missions of sending commercial astronauts to the ISS since 2022. In 2027, the company expects to see the first section of its private space station, Axiom Station, launched into low-earth orbit.

2. Solugen

Valuation: $2.175 billion

Solugen replaces petroleum-based products with plant-derived substitutes through its Bioforge manufacturing platform.

1. HighRadius

Valuation: $3.2 billion

HighRadius uses advanced technology to automate and manage accounts receivable processes for businesses worldwide.

The GHP also released its State of Houston’s Tech and Innovation Landscape, which mapped Houston’s digital and innovation sectors. Read the full report here.

Photos: Highlights from the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards

Innovation Awards Recap

The 2025 Houston Innovation Awards season came to a close on Nov. 13 at InnovationMap's annual awards program and networking event.

The fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards celebrated more than 40 innovative finalists and crowned 10 winners across prestigious categories. In the weeks leading up to the event, finalists were profiled in our editorial series spotlights. Read all about this year's winners here.

Finalists, judges, and special guests connected during an exclusive VIP reception before the doors officially opened for the evening. A full house of attendees then gathered to celebrate the best and brightest in Houston innovation right now. The night culminated in an awards program, emceed this year by Lawson Gow, Greentown Labs Head of Houston.

Scroll through the photos below for scenes from the event, including the winners, the guests, and more highlights from the program.

Special thanks to this year's sponsors for an unforgettable evening honoring Houston innovation: Houston City College Northwest, Houston Powder Coaters, FLIGHT by Yuengling, William Price Distilling, and Citizens Catering.

2025 Houston Innovation Awards Winners:

Energy Transition Business of the Year: Eclipse Energy. Photo by Emily Jaschke
2025 Houston Innovation Awards Winners:

2025 Houston Innovation Awards Winners, Continued

Minority-founded Business of the Year: Mars Materials. Photo by Emily Jaschke

2025 Houston Innovation Awards Guests 

Photo by Emily Jaschke

More 2025 Houston Innovation Awards Highlights

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Texas ranks among 10 best states to find a job, says new report

jobs report

If you’re hunting for a job in Texas amid a tough employment market, you stand a better chance of landing it here than you might in other states.

A new ranking by personal finance website WalletHub of the best states for jobs puts Texas at No. 7. The Lone Star State lands at No. 2 in the economic environment category and No. 18 in the job market category.

Massachusetts tops the list, and West Virginia appears at the bottom.

To determine the most attractive states for employment, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 34 key indicators of economic health and job market strength. Ranking factors included employment growth, median annual income, and average commute time.

“Living in one of the best states for jobs can provide stable conditions for the long term, helping you ride out the fluctuations that the economy will experience in the future,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says.

In September, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas led the U.S. in job creation with the addition of 195,600 jobs over the past 12 months.

“Texas is America’s jobs leader,” Abbott says. “With the best business climate in the nation and a skilled and growing labor force, Texas is where businesses invest, jobs grow, and families thrive. Texas will continue to cut red tape and invest in businesses large and small to spur the economic growth of communities across our great state.”

While Abbott proclaims Texas is “America’s jobs leader,” the state’s level of job creation has recently slowed. In June, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas noted that the state’s year-to-date job growth rate had dipped to 1.8 percent, and that even slower job growth was expected in the second half of this year.

The August unemployment rate in Texas stood at 4.1 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Throughout 2025, the monthly rate in Texas has been either four percent or 4.1 percent.

By comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate in August was 4.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2025, the monthly rate for the U.S. has ranged from 4 percent to 4.3 percent.

Here’s a rundown of the August unemployment rates in Texas’ four biggest metro areas:

  • Austin — 3.9 percent
  • Dallas-Fort Worth — 4.4 percent
  • Houston — 5 percent
  • San Antonio — 4.4 percent

Unemployment rates have remained steady this year despite layoffs and hiring freezes driven by economic uncertainty. However, the number of U.S. workers who’ve been without a job for at least 27 weeks has risen by 385,000 this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in August. That month, long-term unemployed workers accounted for about one-fourth of all unemployed workers.

An August survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed a record-low 44.9 percent of Americans were confident about finding a job if they lost their current one.
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