These 10 companies using tech for a better night's sleep are competing in Houston this weekend

You snooze you don't lose

Ever thought about using tech for a better night's sleep? The Sleep Show might be for you. Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Tech has affected every aspect of our lives, from the way we get our groceries or order food to how we meet a mate. So, it only makes sense that there is developing technology focused on improving the way we sleep.

This weekend, the Sleep Show is taking over George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, and 28 sleep tech products are competing on Saturday, March 9, for the National Sleep Foundation's SleepTech Award. Here are 10 of the award's semi-finalists that aren't snoozing on innovation.

TimeShifter 

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Jetlag is a thing of the past if you use TimeShifter before, during, and after your trip. You program your plans in the app, and it offers you advice and recommendations for overcoming jetlag.

SleepScore

Photo via sleepscore.com

Another free app, SleepScore delivers advice and analytics for your regular night's sleep. the program is backed by science and doesn't require the user to wear anything or put anything in their bed. A bedside monitor us also used to detect light or sound in the bedroom for better analytics.

Embr

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Everybody has their own optimized sleeping temperature, and it's difficult to control it from a larger scale heating and cooling system. The Embr Wave, developed by MIT scientists, is a personal thermostat you wear on your wrist. There's no bright screen either, and users simply press and hold the device if they are too hot or too cold.

Biostrap

Photo via biostrap.com

Another wearable, Biostrap is a sleep and fitness tracker that can provide precise vitals — such as heartbeat — using a clinical-quality PPG sensor, which runs on light-based technology. The data can be used for sleep analysis, heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

Kryo Inc.'s ChiliPad

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

The ChiliPad is for sleepers who need to chill out. The blanket, which is the size of half of a queen bed — perfect for couples with different temperature needs — can regulate temperatures between 55 and 110 degrees.

Somnox

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

​Touted as the world's first sleep robot, the Somnox Sleep Robot is your high-tech cuddle buddy and little spoon. It syncs your breathing to that of the machine's and puts you straight into a relaxed state with soothing sounds. You can program your robot for a night's sleep, a quick nap, or just a relaxation period. You also tell the robot how long you want the sleep synchronization for, before it automatically shuts off.

BreatheSimple

Photo via breathesimple.com

Another breathing technology is BreatheSimple, a free app that helps train you to optimize your breathing. The app is currently available on iOS, and will soon be an option for Android users.

Nanit

Photo via nanit.com

Babies need sleep tech too, and Nanit as an over-the-crib monitor made to record, track, and offer guidance for parents on their baby's sleeping. The device was actually named by TIME Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of 2018".

URGONight

Photo via urgonight.com

You can train yourself to be a better sleeper with URGONight. The headpiece syncs with a mobile app and, in about three months, you'll be a professional sleeper.

SonicTonic

Photo via sonictonic.io

Sounds are so important to humans' ability to relax. SonicTonic aims to help users truly relax their minds for a good night's rest and treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and more.


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Texas tops ranking of best state for investors in new report

by the numbers

Texas ranks third on a new list of the best states for investors and startups.

Investment platform BrokerChooser weighed five factors to come up with its ranking:

  • 2024 Google search volume for terms related to investing
  • Number of investors
  • Number of businesses receiving investments in 2024
  • Total amount of capital invested in businesses in 2024
  • Percentage change in amount of investment from 2019 to 2024

Based on those figures, provided mostly by Crunchbase, Texas sits at No. 3 on the list, behind No. 1 California and No. 2 New York.

Especially noteworthy for Texas is its investment total for 2024: more than $164.5 billion. From 2019 to 2024, the state saw a 440 percent jump in business investments, according to BrokerChooser. The same percentages are 204 percent for California and 396 percent for New York.

“There is definitely development and diversification in the American investment landscape, with impressive growth in areas that used to fly under the radar,” says Adam Nasli, head analyst at BrokerChooser.

According to Crunchbase, funding for Texas startups is off to a strong start in 2025. In the first three months of this year, venture capital investors poured nearly $2.9 billion into Lone Star State companies, Crunchbase data shows. Crunchbase attributes that healthy dollar amount to “enthusiasm around cybersecurity, defense tech, robotics, and de-extincting mammoths.”

During the first quarter of this year, roughly two-thirds of VC funding in Texas went to just five companies, says Crunchbase. Those companies are Austin-based Apptronik, Austin-based Colossal Biosciences, Dallas-based Island, Austin-based NinjaOne, and Austin-based Saronic.

Autonomous truck company rolls out driverless Houston-Dallas route

up and running

Houston is helping drive the evolution of self-driving freight trucks.

In October, Aurora opened a more than 90,000-square-foot terminal at a Fallbrook Drive logistics hub in northwest Houston to support the launch of its first “lane” for driverless trucks—a Houston-to-Dallas route on the Interstate 45 corridor. Aurora opened its Dallas-area terminal in April and the company began regular driverless customer deliveries between the two Texas cities on April 27.

Close to half of all truck freight in Texas moves along I-45 between Houston and Dallas.

“Now, we are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads. Riding in the back seat for our inaugural trip was an honor of a lifetime – the Aurora Driver performed perfectly and it’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Pittsburgh-based Aurora, said in a news release.

Aurora produces software that controls autonomous vehicles and is known for its flagship product, the Aurora Driver. The software is installed in Volvo and Paccar trucks, the latter of which includes brands like Kenworth and Peterbilt.

Aurora previously hauled more than 75 loads per week under the supervision of vehicle operators from Houston to Dallas and Fort Worth to El Paso for customers in its pilot project, including FedEx, Uber Freight and Werner. To date, it has completed over 1,200 miles without a driver.

The company launched its new Houston to Dallas route with customers Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, which ran supervised commercial pilots with Aurora.

“Transforming an old school industry like trucking is never easy, but we can’t ignore the safety and efficiency benefits this technology can deliver. Autonomous trucks aren’t just going to help grow our business – they’re also going to give our drivers better lives by handling the lengthier and less desirable routes,” Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach Motor Lines, added in the statement.

The company plans to expand its service to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025.

“These new, autonomous semis on the I-45 corridor will efficiently move products, create jobs, and help make our roadways safer,” Gov. Greg Abbott added in the release. “Texas offers businesses the freedom to succeed, and the Aurora Driver will further spur economic growth and job creation in Texas. Together through innovation, we will build a stronger, more prosperous Texas for generations.”

In July, Aurora said it raised $820 million in capital to fuel its growth—growth that’s being accompanied by scrutiny.

In light of recent controversies surrounding self-driving vehicles, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, whose union members include over-the-road truckers, recently sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calling for a ban on autonomous vehicles in Texas.

“The Teamsters believe that a human operator is needed in every vehicle—and that goes beyond partisan politics,” the letter states. “State legislators have a solemn duty in this matter to keep dangerous autonomous vehicles off our streets and keep Texans safe. Autonomous vehicles are not ready for prime time, and we urge you to act before someone in our community gets killed.”

Houston cell therapy company launches second-phase clinical trial

fighting cancer

A Houston cell therapy company has dosed its first patient in a Phase 2 clinical trial. March Biosciences is testing the efficacy of MB-105, a CD5-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory CD5-positive T-cell lymphoma.

Last year, InnovationMap reported that March Biosciences had closed its series A with a $28.4 million raise. Now, the company, co-founded by Sarah Hein, Max Mamonkin and Malcolm Brenner, is ready to enroll a total of 46 patients in its study of people with difficult-to-treat cancer.

The trial will be conducted at cancer centers around the United States, but the first dose took place locally, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Swaminathan P. Iyer, a professor in the department of lymphoma/myeloma at MD Anderson, is leading the trial.

“This represents a significant milestone in advancing MB-105 as a potential treatment option for patients with T-cell lymphoma who currently face extremely limited therapeutic choices,” Hein, who serves as CEO, says. “CAR-T therapies have revolutionized the treatment of B-cell lymphomas and leukemias but have not successfully addressed the rarer T-cell lymphomas and leukemias. We are optimistic that this larger trial will further validate MB-105's potential to address the critical unmet needs of these patients and look forward to reporting our first clinical readouts.”

The Phase 1 trial showed promise for MB-105 in terms of both safety and efficacy. That means that potentially concerning side effects, including neurological events and cytokine release above grade 3, were not observed. Those results were published last year, noting lasting remissions.

In January 2025, MB-105 won an orphan drug designation from the FDA. That results in seven years of market exclusivity if the drug is approved, as well as development incentives along the way.

The trial is enrolling its single-arm, two-stage study on ClinicalTrials.gov. For patients with stubborn blood cancers, the drug is providing new hope.

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