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 Houston startup apps launching and expanding, a roundup of Houston innovation news, and more.
Mobile ordering tech company expands to 5 Houston hospitals
More Houston-area hospital workers now have access to this Houston startup's mobile ordering platform. Image courtesy of Rivalry Tech
More Houston hospital workers now have access to on-demand mobile ordering thanks to a Houston startup.
Houston-based Rivalry Tech has rolled out its its mobile ordering platform, myEATz, into five of Houston Methodist's hospital cafes. The hospital employees can now order food and beverages from the myEATz app or web platform.
The platform is now available at: Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, Houston Methodist West Hospital, Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital, and Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.
"Employee wellness is especially important in healthcare as worker shortages, combined with fatigue, continue to be a concern," says Aaron Knape, CEO and co-founder of Rivalry Tech, in a news release. "MyEATz offers more than just access to onsite food and beverage options, it encourages employees to utilize their meal breaks to recharge and make the most of their break." Read more.
Houston innovator launches holistic health and cognitive care app
The myAvos app has been designed by behavioral health scientists to set users up for long, healthy lives. Photo via Canva
Meet Laura. She’s not human, but she could be the key to your aging healthfully. She’s the digital wellness coach on myAvos, a groundbreaking app that launched this week from OptiChroniX.
Now meet Le Dam, the woman behind the app. Dam is a medical doctor, as well as CEO and co-founder of OptiChroniX. While practicing medicine in her birthplace of Australia, Dam realized that her life of prescribing medications to patients who were already sick was not how she had envisioned helping people. She knew that prevention, using the five pillars of healthy aging — nutrition, activity, sleep, health, and stress — was the way to keep patients fit and happy into their golden years.
She returned to California, where she lived after leaving Houston as a youth, to work at a startup with the goal of one day heading a company of her own. She met Swiss-based COO and co-founder, Rene Gilvert, on LinkedIn.
“He was looking for a medical doctor to join his startup,” Dam recalls. “We were so well aligned that we decided to join forces.” Now, the team works remotely in locations ranging from Dam’s home in Houston to Portugal. Read more.
Houston startup scores on TV, medical entrepreneurs land new gigs, and more innovation news
Here's your latest roundup of innovation news you may have missed. Photo via Getty Images
It's been a busy month so far with plenty of Houston startup news, new hires, and more — and there might be some headlines you may have missed.
In this roundup of short stories within Houston startups and tech, a startup snags investment from two sharks, two medical professionals take on new roles, and more. Read more.
Aramco joins Houston climatetech incubator with major partnership
In its role as a “Terawatt Partner,” Aramco Americas will gain access to activities within Greentown’s industry and entrepreneurial network. Photo via greentownlabs.com
Houston-based Aramco Americas, an arm of the Saudi Arabian energy giant, has joined climatetech incubator Greentown Labs as a top-tier partner.
“Aramco is committed to advancing technology solutions to lower carbon emissions. This partnership with Greentown Labs will deepen our ongoing engagement with climatetech innovators and startups,” Nabeel AlAfaleg, president and CEO of Aramco Americas, says in a news release.
In its role as a “Terawatt Partner,” Aramco Americas will gain access to activities within Greentown’s industry and entrepreneurial network. In addition, Aramco Americas will participate in Greentown’s Industry Leadership Council, an advisory group. Jim Sledzik, managing director of Aramco Ventures North America, will serve on the council. Read more.
Fast-growing startup with carbon-free solution sets up pilot plant in Houston
The opening of the pilot plant marks the debut of Cemvita’s eCO2 business as a wholly owned subsidiary. Photo courtesy of Cemvita
Cleantech startup Cemvita has set up a pilot plant in its hometown of Houston to develop technology for converting carbon emissions as feedstock to make products like fertilizer, plastics, methane, and fuel.
The opening of the pilot plant marks the debut of Cemvita’s eCO2 business as a wholly owned subsidiary. The term eCO2 refers to equivalent carbon dioxide, or a way to measure a combination of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
With a capacity of more than 14,000 gallons, the plant is producing eCO2 oil, an alternative to soybean oil. The company already is shipping samples of eCO2 products to customers, including renewable-fuel companies and plastics manufacturers. Read more.
The Baylor campus is next to Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park, a 37-acre project. Rendering courtesy of BCM
The Cullen Foundation donated $30 million to the project. Rendering courtesy of BCM