Editor's note: It's been a busy August for Houston innovation news, from new accelerators, the announcement of the HTX TechList, and a new tenant for The Ion. Here's what hit headlines on InnovationMap this week.
3 Houston innovators to know this week
This week's Houston innovators to know include Yared Akalou of Alcove Group, Serafina Lalany,of Houston Exponential, and Patrick Lewis of Sustainability Ventures Group. Photos courtesy
This week's group of Houston innovators you need to know might be pretty familiar to you, however each of them have a new endeavor they are excited to launch — from an energy investment group with a new name to new virtual platforms to benefit entrepreneurs. Continue reading.
Rising innovation hub announces Chevron as first tenant and program partner
Chevron has signed on to have space in The Ion. The company will also be a program partner. Photo courtesy of The Ion
Chevron is the first tenant to sign a lease at The Ion, an innovation hub rising in Midtown Houston's former Sears building.
The Ion, a Rice Management Co. project expecting to premiere at 4201 Main St. in spring 2021, announced the new tenant and program partnership this week.
"Our first tenant at The Ion is one of the most recognizable brands in the world," says Ryan LeVasseur, managing director of Real Estate at Rice Management Co., in a news release. "We're thrilled to welcome Chevron into the Innovation District. They'll be the first of many companies, local startups, and business owners who make a home at and around The Ion as we continue to develop this groundbreaking, mixed-use space." Continue reading.
New startup accelerator emerges in Houston to promote collaboration between Black and Hispanic communities
BH Ventures is seeking Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs for its inaugural cohort. Photo via Getty Images
Two local business leaders have teamed up to create a Houston-based accelerator focused on Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
BH Ventures has applications open for its inaugural cohort until August 21, and co-founders Sharita M. Humphrey and Enrique Castro are looking for founders who have hit the revenue-generating phase with their business but are looking for mentors and support as they grow.
"Enrique and I know that there can sometimes be a barrier between Black and Hispanics doing business together," says Humphrey. "This is why I wanted, as an African American woman, and him, being a Hispanic male, to be able to show that we should be doing business together — especially in the city of Houston."
Humphrey and Castro met at an alumni event for the University of Houston's SURE program, which creates educational programming for entrepreneurs from under-resourced communities. The duo thought that they could create a program that built upon UH's. In February, after building out the curriculum, BH Ventures ran a successful pilot program in collaboration with UH. Continue reading.
Local investor shares how Houston SaaS companies can stay afloat amid the pandemic
In the golden age of software companies, here's what SaaS entrepreneurs need to focus on to thrive. Getty Images
The COVID pandemic has created a macro environment that is similar to that of the 1918 Spanish Flu and the 2008 downturn and B2B software-as-a-service companies, like Salesforce, found the 2008 downturn an advantageous environment for cheap revenue growth — I've discussed this in a previous column. Now, I'd like to explore how B2B SaaS founders can position their businesses to capture this opportunity and better prepare themselves for the $400 billion of private equity looking for IT investments.
A prolonged recession due to the global response to COVID-19 provides opportunities for smart founders. Talent and partnerships from non-tech industries are likely to be much easier to access in a recessionary environment. Widespread adoption of technology is likely to result in a much more open and fruitful sales environment. And robust exit opportunities mean that this over performance will be rewarded. Continue reading.
Houston startup — buoyed by Halliburton — plans to scale
Houston-based Nanotech was the first company to be selected for Halliburton Labs, a recently announced startup incubator. Photo via halliburtonlabs.com
A Houston-based material science startup that uses nanotechnology for thermal insulation and fireproofing has been chosen as the first participant of Halliburton Labs, an innovation incubator, announced late last month by the oil and gas giant.
Halliburton Company chose Nanotech Inc., among a round of contenders to be the first participant of their 12-month program located at their Houston headquarters. Halliburton will provide Nanotech with its own office space, access to Halliburton facilities, technical expertise, and an extensive network to accelerate their product to market.
"With Nanotech's shield material we can have fireproofing infrastructure, saving lives and helping save the planet," says Mike Francis, CEO of Nanotech. "But it's tremendously difficult to scale our small lab to take our product globally, so when we heard about this opportunity with Halliburton Labs, we jumped immediately on it." Continue reading.