Rice University competition to link veterans with NextSeed investors

it's on

Rice University's annual Veterans Business Battle is calling for submissions. Courtesy of Rice University

Rice University's Business Veterans Association has helped military veteran raise more that $3.5 million in investments over the last seven years through it's annual pitch competition. And this year, the stakes are even higher.

The Veterans Business Battle — held April 23-24 — allows veterans to pitch their early-stage business or existing company to a panel of investors, as well as engage in educational opportunities and networking. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place pitches, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000

This year the VBB has also partnered with NextSeed Securities. The registered broker dealer and FINRA member will allow vetted startups invited to present at the event to raise capital from investments by the general public.

"Last year's online-only event gave us an opportunity to think of ways to engage new investors and expand our audience. We're excited to increase opportunities for our finalists and grow our network of investors," event co-chair Matt Wilson says in a statement.

Past competitors have run the gamut, including the likes of oil and gas drone operating company Trumbull Unmanned (which was named a Top 25 Veteran-Founded Startup by Forbes) as well as skin care lines, a body armor manufacturer, ready-to-wear boots, and a health-conscious sauces company. Several have gone on to represent small businesses at the White House.

Last year, YouMeMine, Capsulomics Inc, and Feildcraft were named finalists at the virtual event. In 2019, at a in-person competition, Amor Oral, Welcome Connect and FeedMe Fitness took the stage.

Other partners for the 2021 competition include the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bunker Labs, University of St. Thomas, Houston Community College, and Warrior Rising—a nonprofit for veterans and veteran families which will be hosting education, training, and one-on-one mentorships during the event.

To apply, applicants must submit a business plan on the competition website, vetbizbattle.org, by Feb. 5, according to a release. Businesses must have an honorably discharged veteran or active duty founder and equity holder who is running the venture. Finalists will be invited to make their business pitch at Rice University.

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New energy innovation and coworking spaces open at the Ion

moving in

Houston-based Occidental officially opened its new Oxy Innovation Center with a ribbon cutting at the Ion last week.

The opening reflects Oxy and the Ion's "shared commitment to advancing technology and accelerating a lower-carbon future," according to an announcement from the Ion.

Oxy, which was named a corporate partner of the Ion in 2023, now has nearly 6,500 square feet on the fourth floor of the Ion. Rice University and the Rice Real Estate Company announced the lease of the additional space last year, along with agreements with Fathom Fund and Activate.

At the time, the leases brought the Ion's occupancy up to 90 percent.

Additionally, New York-based Industrious plans to launch its coworking space at the Ion on May 8. The company was tapped as the new operator of the Ion’s 86,000-square-foot coworking space in Midtown in January.

Dallas-based Common Desk previously operated the space, which was expanded by 50 percent in 2023 to 86,000 square feet.

CBRE agreed to acquire Industrious in a deal valued at $400 million earlier this year. Industrious also operates another local coworking space is at 1301 McKinney St.

Industrious will host a launch party celebrating the new location Thursday, May 8. Find more information here.

Oxy Innovation Center. Photo via LinkedIn.

Houston improves ranking among best U.S. cities to start a business

Business News

Houston's reputation for being an entrepreneurial and business powerhouse was confirmed in WalletHub's new list of the "Best Large Cities to Start a Business" in 2025. The Energy Capital of the World moved up four spots this year and ranked No. 34 nationwide.

The annual report ranked 100 U.S. cities based on 19 metrics across three main categories: business environment, access to resources, and costs. Factors considered in the report include five-year business survival rates, job growth comparisons from 2019 and 2023, office space affordability, and more.

The sunny Florida city of Orlando (No. 1) topped the list as the best large city for starting a business this year.

Houston's business climate has improved slightly since 2024, when the city previously ranked No. 38.

Houston performed the best in the national business environment category, ranking No. 33 out of all 100 cities in the report. It fell behind in the categories for "business costs" and "access to resources" ranking No. 50 and No. 65, respectively.

"Starting a business can be very scary, considering one in every five startups doesn’t make it past the first year," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "That’s why it’s especially important to live in a city that provides an environment where new businesses can thrive, with enough capital, workers and customers to keep it going long-term."

Elsewhere in Texas
Austin was the only Texas city to rank among the top 10 best big cities to start a business in 2025, climbing up into the No. 3 spot.

"Businesses that are currently in Austin are thriving, as the city has a very high growth rate in the number of small businesses," the report said. "It also has the best employment growth in the country, which makes it more likely that new businesses will be able to find employees."

Dallas-Fort Worth had the greatest concentration of cities on the list, contributing six out of 13 total Texas cities, and all of them among the top 50: Fort Worth (No. 11), Arlington (No. 15), Dallas (No. 16), Irving (No. 22), Garland (No. 29), and Plano (No. 43).

Other large Texas cities that were named among the best places to start a business in 2025 include Lubbock (No. 33), Laredo (No. 44), San Antonio (No. 64), El Paso (No. 67), and Corpus Christi (No. 70).

The top 10 best large cities to start a business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Orlando, Florida
No. 2 – Tampa, Florida
No. 3 – Austin, Texas
No. 4 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 5 – Miami, Florida
No. 6 – St. Petersburg, Florida
No. 7 – Boise, Idaho
No. 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – Hialeah, Florida

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A version of this story originally appeared on our sister site, CultureMap.com.

Houston space tech leader lands up to $10 million for Earth re-entry vehicle and lab

space funding

Houston-based space technology, infrastructure, and services company Intuitive Machines has been awarded a state grant of up to $10 million to help develop an Earth re-entry vehicle and in-space biomanufacturing lab.

The Texas Space Commission approved the grant, which is coming from the state’s Space Exploration and Research Fund.

Intuitive Machines says the money will support its “critical risk-reduction platform” for returning lunar samples to Earth. The funding will go toward an early 12-month phase of the project.

“Returning samples from space is one of the most complex challenges in exploration,” says Tim Crain, chief growth officer at Intuitive Machines.

In 2022, Intuitive Machines began preliminary design work on an Earth re-entry vehicle for missions returning from low Earth orbit, the moon, or Mars. In tandem with development of the re-entry vehicle, the company has teamed up with Houston-based biotech company Rhodium Scientific on in-space biomanufacturing. This biomanufacturing will involve certain materials, processes and pharmaceuticals that can be handled more efficiently in space or that exhibit unique non-Earth properties.

Gámez Holzhaus, founder and CEO of Rhodium Scientific, says his company’s federally backed work “has enabled us to establish all hardware and protocols necessary for a pipeline to develop and scale biomanufacturing in space.”

Intuitive Machines and Rhodium Scientific say the state grant should pave the way for future grants and large-scale projects to bring the re-entry system closer to flight readiness.

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