Editor's note:Another week has come and gone, and it's time to round up the top headlines from the past few days. Trending Houston tech and startup news on InnovationMap included innovators to know, a guest column about the importance of data at startups, news from Google, and more.
3 Houston innovators to know this week
This week's roundup of Houston innovators includes Angela Holmes of Mercury Data Science, Ashok Gowda of BioTex, and Rachel Moncton of ClassPass. Courtesy photos
In the week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — data science, consumer tech, and medical device innovation — recently making headlines. Click here to continue reading.
Google to invest $50M in Texas and shares new details on its upcoming Houston office
Google has announced its Houston office is expected to deliver in May. Photo courtesy of Google
Mark it on your calendars: In May, Google is expected to complete the buildout of its first office in Houston.
Google will occupy one floor totaling 11,000 square feet in the One Buffalo Heights building at 3663 Washington Ave. The tech giant announced the Houston office last June.
It's unclear how many Google employees will work in the Houston office, which will be a regional hub for Google Cloud's sales team. But if Google adheres to industry standards for office space per person, the Houston office would house roughly 60 to 70 employees.
Google revealed the May timetable for completion of its Houston office on March 18 in conjunction with a broader announcement about investing $50 million in office space and data center space this year in Texas. Click here to continue reading.
Houston expert: How to use the power of data and analytics to inform small businesses
Startups and small businesses are accumulating data daily — here's how to use that to your advantage. Photo via Getty Images
Starting a business in a digital era brings entrepreneurs unprecedented advantages with technology and tools designed to optimize a business' operation. Whether it is a B2C or B2B, business owners can gather almost any data and metrics to improve their performance.
Being able to interpret data and making data-driven decisions becomes the key to the success of a business. It is not just a privilege for big companies anymore. Small businesses need it more than ever to make sustainable growth in the digital era.
The challenge? There are countless analytic tools and resources available that can generate data, but you need people who can extract insights from the massive amount of data. Click here to continue reading.
The Ion Houston names new partner, growing startup names new CTO, and more local innovation news
In the latest round up of Houston innovation news you may have missed, a Houston startup wins an international COVID-19 innovation competition, The Ion has a new founding partner, and more. Photo courtesy of The Ion
It's been a busy week with virtual SXSW, spring break, and more. For this reason, some of Houston's innovation news may have fallen through some of the cracks.
In this roundup of short stories within Houston innovation, a Houston startup grows its C-suite, a local accelerator application deadline looms, the latest news from The Ion, and more. Click here to continue reading.
Houston energy startup acquired by growing tech company
Trent Crow, founder and president (left), and Paul Paras, founder and vice president, and the rest of the Real Simple Energy team have moved over to Arcardia with the acquisition. Photo courtesy of Real Simple Energy
February's massive winter weather disaster underscored the fragile availability and volatile cost of electricity in the Houston area and throughout Texas. Just a month after the calamity, a Washington, D.C.-based company has scooped up Houston-based Real Simple Energy to help put power back in the hands of electricity consumers in Texas.
Arcadia, a tech company that connects U.S. homeowners and renters to renewable energy, said March 17 that it had purchased Real Simple Energy. Terms of the deal for the three-year-old startup weren't disclosed.
Real Simple Energy's automated platform matches power usage with the lowest rates in the Texas marketplace to reduce electric bills. The company manages all facets of a customer's monthly power bills.
Trent Crow, co-founder and CEO of Real Simply Energy, says all eight of the company's employees have moved over to Arcadia and more workers will be hired soon. The company has maintained a mix of office and remote workers. Arcadia will look for Houston office space later this year, Crow says. Click here to continue reading.