power move
Austin energy startup Base Power opens Katy office & expands Houston service
An Austin startup that pairs electricity with backup power has started doing business in Houston.
Base Power announced this spring that it was entering the Houston market, with an initial focus on Cy-Fair, Spring, Cinco Ranch and Mission Bend. Now, Base Power is offering its service to households within the city of Houston.
To support its growth in the Houston area, Base Power has opened an office and warehouse in Katy. More than 30 people now work there. Plans to expand the Katy location are underway.
Base Power provides electricity that’s complemented by home backup power. Homes don’t need to be using solar power to sign up for Base Power’s service.
The startup said its service automatically supplies power to a home when the electric grid fails.
“Unlike traditional backup systems with high upfront costs, Base earns revenue by providing services to the grid — enabling Houstonians to get reliable backup and real savings,” Base Power said.
In addition to its standard service, Base Power has begun offering technology known as the Generator Recharge Port. This component allows a portable generator to plug into the Base battery system to recharge batteries during extended power outages.
“Houston has long been the energy capital of Texas, yet it has also endured some of the nation’s most painful lessons about unreliable power,” said Zach Dell, co-founder and CEO of Base Power. “We see Houston not just as a place to expand, but as a proving ground for how the future of energy should work — resilient, dependable, and built to serve homeowners when it matters most.”
Dell is the only son of Austin tech billionaire Michael Dell, a Houston native.
Base Power’s expansion in Houston adds to its Texas presence. The company now serves homeowners in the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas. A partnership with homebuilder Lennar and collaborations with two utilities, GVEC and the Bandera Electric Cooperative, are helping drive Base Power’s business.
Base Power has raised more than $270 million in funding since its founding in 2023. This includes a $200 million series B round that will help finance construction of the company’s first factory in Texas and help fuel Base Power’s national expansion.
The startup’s investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, Altimeter, Terrain and Trust.