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 Rice professor securing funding for his research, an energy company growing its footprint downtown, and more.
Houston makes top 10 list for best US cities to start a business
Three Texas cities made the new ranking. Photo via Getty Images
Houston plays a historic role in launching spacecraft. But it’s also a great place to launch a business.
A new list from USA Today Blueprint puts Houston in ninth place among the best U.S. cities to start a business in 2024. Austin grabs the No. 1 spot, and Dallas sits at No. 4. Continue reading.
Growing Houston energy startup scales local office presence
Fervo Energy went from a 5,158-square-foot space to a 23,782-square-foot office in downtown Houston. Photo via Hines
On the heels of landing more than $240 million in venture capital, Houston-based geothermal power provider Fervo Energy has more than quadrupled the size of its headquarters.
Fervo previously occupied 5,158 square feet at 114 Main St. in downtown Houston. The company recently left the Main Street space and leased 23,782 square feet at downtown Houston’s 910 Louisiana office tower. Houston-based commercial real estate company Hines owns and manages the 50-story former One Shell Plaza. Continue reading.
Houston chemist earns $12M grant to support innovative soil pollutant removal process
The four-year agreement will support the team’s ongoing work on removing PFAS from soil. Photo via Rice University
A Rice University chemist James Tour has secured a new $12 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center on the team’s work to efficiently remove pollutants from soil.
The four-year agreement will support the team’s ongoing work on removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated soil through its rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process. Continue reading.
Future-focused Houston nonprofit names new leader
David Gow has been named president and CEO of the Center for Houston's Future. His role is effective September 3.Photo via CultureMap
A nonprofit organization dedicated to leading Houston into the future has named its next leader.
The Center for Houston’s Future named David Gow as president and CEO, succeeding Brett Perlman, who was announced in April to be remaining at the Center with a focus on the Center’s hydrogen initiative. Gow is the founder and chairman of Gow Media, InnovationMap's parent company. His role is effective September 3.
“I am excited to step into this opportunity with the Center and work with the team, the board and many other stakeholders to help shape Houston’s future,” Gow says in a news release. “The Center presents an exciting opportunity to cast a vision for our region and identify initiatives that will make an impact.” Continue reading.
Houston entrepreneur brings natural, sustainable cleaning products to US for farm to table application
What started as a way to bring natural cleaning products in from overseas has turned into a promising application for more sustainable agriculture solutions. Photo via Pexels
When something is declared clean, one question invariably springs to mind: just how clean is clean?
Then it is, “What metrics decide what’s clean and what’s not?”
To answer those questions, one must abandon the subjective and delve into the scientific — and that’s where Clean Habits come in. The company has science on its side with Synbio, a patented cleaning formula that combines a unique blend of prebiotics and probiotics for their signature five-day clean.
“Actually, we are a synbiotic, which is a prebiotic and a probiotic fused together,” says Kristy Phillips, founder and CEO of Clean Habits. “And that's what gives us the five-day clean, and we also have the longest shelf life — three years — of any probiotic on the market.” Continue reading.