Houston tech co. makes acquisition, free coworking space contest launches, and more innovation news

Short stories

From a free workspace competition at The Cannon to a tech company's big acquisition, here are some Houston innovation short stories. Courtesy of The Cannon

It's easy to miss some of Houston's innovation news — there's quite a lot coming out across town. From contests launching out of The Cannon to a Houston tech company making a major acquisition, here are some quick news stories you need to know.

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Onit Inc.makes acquisition

Houston-based contract management software company, Onit Inc., announced the acquisition of SimpleLegal, another legal services software company. The terms of the deal were not made public.

"Onit and SimpleLegal share both a passion for both disrupting the legal technology space and valuing product innovation," says Eric M. Elfman, Onit CEO and co-founder, in a release. "Our shared commitment to elevate legal operations technology is an asset for all of our customers – from rapidly growing startups with their first in-house counsel all the way to the largest, most complex organizations. Together, our goal is to help all legal operations professionals achieve operational excellence on their legal technology journey."

According to the release, all product, support and services will go on without any interruption for customers of both companies. Elfman will serve as the CEO of the merged organization, and Nathan Wenzel, who was the CEO and co-founder of SimpleLegal, has been named the general manager of SimpleLegal.

"Today, corporations spend more than $160 billion on their in-house legal teams. The combination of Onit and SimpleLegal is a game-changer for the legal market and the future of legal operations," says Wenzel in the release. "Our teams are uniquely equipped to help shape the technology that is powering legal departments worldwide. Together, we're looking forward to combining efforts and talent to build and bring to market the next generation of legal operations technology."

The Cannon and Insperity launch startup competition

The Cannon's 120,000-square-foot space is on track to open this summer. Courtesy of The Cannon

The Insperity Innovation Scholarship is back — this time the prize of 6 months of free office space inside The Cannon means the new, 120,000-square-foot space that's set to open in West Houston very soon.

"We are so excited that Insperity has chosen to bring back this year's Innovation Scholarship and will be rewarding another lucky Houston area startup with space in our brand new building," says The Cannon's founder and CEO, Lawson Gow, in a release. "As one of our original partners, we are looking forward to another year of working with Insperity to fulfill a mission that we share — providing Houston area startups with all the resources they need to succeed and establish Houston as an exceptional place to start your business." (Gow is the son of InnovationMap's CEO.)

The applications are open from now until June 5. The finalists will be notified on June 7. All of the finalists will pitch their company to a panel of judges on June 13. Companies based in the Houston area with 3 to 8 employees are eligible. Startups can apply here.

New-to-Houston coworking concept in CITYCENTRE breaks ground

FUSE Dynamic Workspace just announced its new 26,000-square-foot project coming to CITYCENTRE. Photo via workfuse.com

The construction process has officially started this month for Texas-based FUSE Dynamic Workspace's second location in CITYCENTRE. The complex will consist of 26,000 square feet of coworking space in two buildings connected by a bridge, and include an additional 5,000 square feet across four outdoor terraces. The space will have 95 private offices, a coworking café and lounge, dedicated desks, and conference space for up to 100 people.

FUSE strives to provide business professional amenities while also giving back to its community. The first location was in Prosper, Texas.

re:3D wins over $700,000 grant

After just opening a new factory and community space, re:3D was awarded a large grant. Courtesy of re:3D

Houston-based re:3D, which just opened its new 7,000-square-foot community space and factory, recently won a six-figure grant from the National Science Foundation.

The SBIR Phase II grant is for $749,111 to further commercialize the company's Gigabot and increase maker manufacturing through 3D printing with reclaimed plastic and direct drive pellet extrusion, according to an email sent to re:3D's community.

Griddy grows with new partnership

Griddy Energy enables customer pricing transparency. Photo via gogriddy.com

Griddy Energy has signed a strategic partnership with EDF Trading Ltd — a subsidiary of low-carbon energy group EDF Group. Through this partnership, EDF will provide support to Griddy as it expands its services.

"We're thrilled to announce this deal because our focus has always been saving Texans money by connecting them directly to the grid for wholesale electricity rates. This partnership means we can bring the power of wholesale to far more people," Greg Craig, CEO of Griddy, says in a release, "In 2018, Texans paid a combined $20 billion to REPs. Had Texans paid wholesale last year, they would have paid just $14 billion. That means Texans overpaid by a staggering $6 billion last year. Our goal is to get as much of that money back into the hands of Texans in the form of savings — and this partnership with EDF will allow us to do just that."

Griddy, which has a huge presence in Texas, provides customers wholesale electricity prices and promises to be open, honest, and transparent. Rather than charging inflated rates, the company only makes a profit from the $9.99 monthly membership fees. Everything else is at cost — no margins, hidden fees, or break fees. Read more about Griddy here.

LetsLaunch and The Cannon team up ahead of a live fundraising event

LetsLaunch, a Houston-based fundraising platform, has teamed up with The Cannon. Courtesy of LetsLaunch

Fundraising for your company could be stressful, but exciting. Now, imaging that process taking place at an event in a face-to-face capacity. LetsLaunch and The Cannon have teamed up to put on a live fundraising event — think of it like a online fundraising platform meets a cocktail party.

The event is set for June 15, and LetsLaunch is taking applications for potential participating startups until May 24. Apply here.

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Houston lab-test startup seeks $1M for nationwide expansion

Testing Access

Health care industry veteran Jim Gebhart knew there had to be a better way for patients to access lab services, especially those with high health insurance deductibles or no insurance at all.

“This challenge became deeply personal when a close family member developed a serious illness, and we struggled to secure prompt appointments,” Gebhart tells InnovationMap. “It’s incredibly frustrating when a loved one cannot receive timely care simply because of provider shortages or the limited capacity of traditional clinics.”

Driven by the desire to knock down lab-test barriers, Gebhart founded Houston-based TheLabCafe.com in 2024. The platform provides access to low-cost medical tests without requiring patients to carry health insurance. TheLabCafe serves patients in six states: Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Gebhart, the startup’s CEO, says that by the end of March, LabCafe will be offering services in 20 more states and the District of Columbia.

Gebhart has spent more than 30 years in the lab industry. His career includes stints at Austin-based Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic Laboratories and Secaucus, New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics.

“Since nearly 80 percent of disease diagnoses rely on laboratory testing, I decided to leverage my background to create a more accessible, self-directed process for individuals to order blood and urine tests on their own terms — when and where they need them,” says Gebhart.

So far, Gebhart is self-funding the startup. But he plans to seek $700,000 to $1 million in outside investments in late 2026 to support the nationwide expansion and the introduction of more services.

TheLabCafe contracts with labs for an array of tests, such as cholesterol, hepatitis, metabolic, testosterone, thyroid and sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests. A cholesterol test obtained through TheLabCafe might cost $29, compared with a typical cost of perhaps $39 to $59 without insurance.

A health care professional reviews every test, both when the test is ordered and when the results are delivered, often within 24 hours. After receiving test results, a patient can schedule a virtual visit with a health care professional to go over the findings and learn potential treatment options.

Gebhart says TheLabCafe particularly benefits uninsured patients, including those in Texas. Among the states, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents. U.S. Census Bureau data shows 21.6 percent of adults and 13.6 percent of children in Texas lacked health insurance in 2024.

“Uninsured patients often pay the highest prices in the health care system,” Gebhart explains. “We address this by offering straightforward pricing and convenient access to testing without requiring insurance.”

“Our rates are intentionally set to remain affordable, helping individuals take a proactive approach to their health,” he adds. “Regular testing enables people to identify potential health issues early and track their progress as they make lifestyle changes. Ultimately, you can’t measure improvement without data — and laboratory results provide that data.”

Houston geothermal startup secures $97M Series B for next-gen power

fresh funding

Houston-based geothermal energy startup Sage Geosystems has closed its Series B fundraising round and plans to use the money to launch its first commercial next-generation geothermal power generation facility.

Ormat Technologies and Carbon Direct Capital co-led the $97 million round, according to a press release from Sage. Existing investors Exa, Nabors, alfa8, Arch Meredith, Abilene Partners, Cubit Capital and Ignis H2 Energy also participated, as well as new investors SiteGround Capital and The UC Berkeley Foundation’s Climate Solutions Fund.

The new geothermal power generation facility will be located at one of Ormat Technologies' existing power plants. The Nevada-based company has geothermal power projects in the U.S. and numerous other countries around the world. The facility will use Sage’s proprietary pressure geothermal technology, which extracts geothermal heat energy from hot dry rock, an abundant geothermal resource.

“Pressure geothermal is designed to be commercial, scalable and deployable almost anywhere,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, said in the news release. “This Series B allows us to prove that at commercial scale, reflecting strong conviction from partners who understand both the urgency of energy demand and the criticality of firm power.”

Sage reports that partnering with the Ormat facility will allow it to market and scale up its pressure geothermal technology at a faster rate.

“This investment builds on the strong foundation we’ve established through our commercial agreement and reinforces Ormat’s commitment to accelerating geothermal development,” Doron Blachar, CEO of Ormat Technologies, added in the release. “Sage’s technical expertise and innovative approach are well aligned with Ormat’s strategy to move faster from concept to commercialization. We’re pleased to take this natural next step in a partnership we believe strongly in.”

In 2024, Sage agreed to deliver up to 150 megawatts of new geothermal baseload power to Meta, the parent company of Facebook. At the time, the companies reported that the project's first phase would aim to be operating in 2027.

The company also raised a $17 million Series A, led by Chesapeake Energy Corp., in 2024.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events in February

where to be

Editor's note: February may be short, but its event calendar isn’t. From recurring monthly favorites to the return of annual celebrations and summits, here's what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional event listings.

Feb. 2 — Entrepreneurship Roundtable with OPEN

Join founders, builders and innovators as they explore what it takes to create, scale and sustain meaningful ventures. This event, hosted by Open Houston, will be moderated by Faisal Bhutto, president and CEO of Houston-based end-to-end IT and cybersecurity company Alykas.

This event is Monday, Feb. 2, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Feb. 3 — Tech+Tequila Talk: Tax Equity: Aligning Incentives for Founders, Investors & Philanthropy

Hear from guest speaker Cesar de la Cerda, founder and CIO of EnvisionVest, at the latest installment of Tech and Tequila Talk. The event will focus on using the tax code as a powerful fundraising tool.

This event takes place Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 5-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Feb. 5 — Ion Block Party Mardi Gras

Let the good times roll while networking with potential collaborators, mentors and investors at the Ion. Food and drink will be available, and the Ion will provide drink tickets for one free drink at Second Draught upon check-in.

This event is Thursday, Feb. 5, from 4-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Feb. 10 — Mercury Fund Day at the Ion

The Ion and Houston's Mercury Fund will host this special event, previously known as Software Day. The event will feature a panel that dives into how Mercury is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with agentic AI and blockchain. A select group of early-stage software startups will also participate in office hours before the panel. Afterwards, all attendees can network during happy hour at Second Draught.

This event is Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Register here.

Feb. 11-12 – In-Space Physical AI Workshop

Rice Nexus is bringing together industry leaders, government agencies and academia to explore the cutting edge of AI in space exploration. Matt Ondler, president of Aegis Aerospace, will present the keynote address. Other industry leaders from NASA Johnson Space Center, Intuitive Machines, Microsoft and Rice University and other organizations will participate. The event will close with the Inaugural Space Galette Reception hosted by the Consulate General of France in Houston and the Rice Space Institute.

This event begins Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Ion. Register here.

Feb. 12 — State of the City

Houston First Corporation and the Greater Houston Partnership will host Mayor John Whitmire’s State of the City luncheon. Whitmire will share an update on his administration’s progress since taking office and highlight his top priorities that will continue to elevate Houston and its economy.

This event is Thursday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Register here.

Feb. 12 — Positioning Houston as the Brain Capital of the World

David Gow, CEO of the Center for Houston's Future, will present "Positioning Houston as the Brain Capital of the World" at the University of Houston Honors College Leadership Forum. Gow will share how Project Metis aims to establish Houston as a global hub for brain health research, innovation and economic development.

This event is Thursday, Feb. 12, from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at The Junior League of Houston. Register here.

Feb. 13 — From Research to Enterprise: Immigration & Innovation

Innov8 Hub will host an in-person seminar as part of its Startup Resources Series, focused on the intersection of immigration law, entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. The session will feature guest speakers Mario Cantu, Shilpa Ghurye and Vikesh Patel of KM&D PLLC, who will share insights for founders and innovators navigating legal pathways while building and scaling technology-driven ventures.

The event is Friday, Feb. 13, from 1-2 p.m. at the Innovation Center at UH Technology Bridge, Building 4. Register here.

Feb. 18-20 — TMC AI Summit

UTHealth Houston and Texas Children’s Hospital are bringing back the TMC AI Summit for its third year. This event is focused on translating advanced AI innovations into practical, real-world solutions for the biomedical and healthcare industries. It will be broken up into three tracks and will feature poster and oral presentations, workshops and tutorials, industry talks and student research showcases.

The event begins Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Duncan Neurological Research Institute. Register here.

Feb. 26 — Transition on Tap

Greentown Labs’ signature networking event returns in February to foster conversations and connections within Houston's climate and energy transition ecosystem. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, philanthropists and more are invited to attend, meet colleagues, discuss solutions and engage with the growing community.

The event begins Monday, Feb. 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Greentown Labs. Register here.

Feb. 26 — NASA Tech Talk

Every fourth Thursday of the month, NASA experts, including longtime engineer Montgomery Goforth, present on technology development challenges NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the larger aerospace community are facing, and how they can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. Stick around after for drinks and networking at Second Draught.

This event is Thursday, Feb. 26, from 6-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

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