Editor's note:Let's roundup the most-read Houston innovation news from the week. Trending Houston tech and startup articles from InnovationMap and its daily newsletter included a biotech startup raising $10 million in seed funding, Houston joining a new space-focused initiative, events not to miss, and more.
Houston biotech startup secures $10M seed round to propel cancer-fighting therapy from bench to bedside
CrossBridge Bio, formed during the TMC Innovation’s Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics program, closed a $10 million seed round led by TMC Venture Fund and CE-Ventures. Photo via Getty Images
A Houston biotech company based off research out of UTHealth Houston has raised seed funding to continue developing its cancer-fighting therapeutic.
CrossBridge Bio, formed during the TMC Innovation’s Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics program, closed a $10 million seed round led by TMC Venture Fund and Crescent Enterprises' VC arm, CE-Ventures. The round also included participation from Portal Innovations, Alexandria Venture Investments, Linden Lake Labs, and several pre-seed investors.
“We are thrilled to have the support of such experienced investors who share our vision of bringing transformative cancer therapies to patients in need,” Michael Torres, CEO of CrossBridge Bio, says in a news release. Torres served as an entrepreneur in residence of ACT. Continue reading.
Houston joins newly launched 4-city, space-focused network
The Space Cities Network launched last month with the Space City as a founding member. Photo via Houston First
Four cities from around the world have teamed up on a mission to grow aeronautics, space, and astronomy.
The Space Cities Network launched last month at the International Congress and Convention Association Congress in Abu Dhabi. The first four missions to join the initiative represent four continents and include Houston; Lausanne, Switzerland; Christchurch, New Zealand; and Seoul, South Korea.
“Space is the mirror of humanity and of our community – a quest for tomorrow. A world of exploration and innovation impacting a future that needs support and guidance. Our community, working collectively with Space experts can be one of the keystones of it, and the Space Cities Network is there to help facilitate that,” Space Cities Network Co-Chair Gerald Howard, who represents Switzerland, says in a news release. Continue reading.
10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for November
Houston innovators — put these November events on your radar. Photo via Getty Images
From networking meetups to pitch competitions, November is filled with opportunities for Houston innovators. Here's a roundup of events you won't want to miss out on so mark your calendars and register accordingly.
Featured event: November 14 — Houston Innovation Awards: Celebrate Houston innovation at InnovationMap's 2024 Houston Innovation Awards on November 14 at TMC Helix Park. Continue reading.
Overheard: Houston's top energy transition founders explain their biggest challenges
Clockwise from top left: Sean Kelly of Amperon, Dianna Liu of ARIXTechnologies, Matthew Dawson of Elementium Materials, Vibhu Sharma of InnoVent Renewables, Cindy Taff of Sage Geosystems, and Emma Konet of Tierra Climate. Photos courtesy
From finding funding to navigating the pace of traditional oil and gas company tech adoption, energy transition companies face their fair share of challenges.
This year's Houston Innovation Awards finalists in the Energy Transition category explained what their biggest challenge has been and how they've overcome it. See what they said below, and make sure to secure your tickets to the Nov. 14 event to see which of these finalists win the award. Continue reading.
Houston startup to transform hiring process with AI, video-optimized platform
Resumes do not tell the full story as it is and it’s almost impossible for applicants to put their potential, soft skills and work personality into a document to be reviewed, but this Houston startup has a solution. Photo via Getty Images
Confident job seekers have mostly been of the mindset that if they can just get in front of an employer, they can sell themselves into an offer for the open position. The obstacle then, is getting through the screening process to get an actual interview.
Until recently, the price of admission for starting or progressing in a desired career was a resume and cover letter stellar enough to catch the eye of the human resources and recruiting team. Outside of being buried in the immense pile of resumes recruiters do not have the bandwidth to get to, standing out in the sea of candidates can be daunting.
Resumes do not tell the full story as it is and it’s almost impossible for applicants to put their potential, soft skills and work personality into a document to be reviewed. So, what’s the solution?
It is a multi-layered problem, which requires a multi-layered solution, but one of the options gaining steam in the recruitment space is provided by SeekerPitch, a Houston-based HR technology platform utilizing generative AI to make hiring and interviewing more efficient.
“I've noticed that there's a ton of people that slip through the cracks,” says Ryan Reisner, president and founder of SeekerPitch and The Reisner Group. “And we spend all our time interviewing people to see if they have the soft skills. Resumes are hard skills. And now with AI, anybody can build the same exact resume. Everybody can say they have communication skills, leadership skills, and a lot of people say they have those." Continue reading.