Changing the Future

Major energy conference returns to Rice University with invaluable networking opportunities

Photo by Natalie Harms

The 20th Annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, which unites energy ventures with industry investors, is returning Thursday, September 21, at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.

For two decades, the Energy Tech Venture Forum — hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship — has served as the premier conference, bringing together energy industry leaders, venture capital investors, and promising energy and cleantech ventures to propel the future of energy.

Across interactive panels, keynotes speeches, and venture pitches, attendees can explore emerging energy sources, enhancements and efficiencies within existing energy resources, and advances in clean or renewable technologies — and, perhaps most importantly, learn where investors are contributing to the acceleration of these advancements.

More than 90 startup technology ventures commercializing energy transition innovations will participate and meet investors looking for disruptive energy technologies that can accelerate clean and renewable energy.

The full list of both presenting companies and pitching startup can be found here.

Keynote speakers include:

  • Christina Karapataki, partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the venture capital fund cofounded by Bill Gates
  • Scott Nyquist, vice chairman at Houston Energy Transition Initiative, founded by the Greater Houston Partnership
  • Jeff Tillery, chief operating officer at Veriten, founded by Rice alumus Maynard Holt, formerly with Tudor Pickering Holt

The event also includes pitches from Rice Alliance’s Clean Energy Accelerator Class 3 Demo Day, plus the announcement of “Most Promising Company” chosen by the energy tech industry experts and participating investors.

You'll want to register now for this invaluable conference, but if you still need some convincing then check out the forum's agenda here.

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A View From HETI

Lummus Technology has broken ground on a new plant in Texas that will support Advanced Ionics' hydrogen electrolyzer technology. Photo via lummustechnology.com

Houston’s Lummus Technology and Advanced Ionics have broken ground on their hydrogen pilot plant at Lummus’ R&D facility in Pasadena.

The plant will support Advanced Ionics’ cutting-edge electrolyzer technology, which aims to deliver high-efficiency hydrogen production with reduced energy requirements.

“By demonstrating Advanced Ionics’ technology at our state-of-the-art R&D facility, we are leveraging the expertise of our scientists and R&D team, plus our proven track record of developing breakthrough technologies,” Leon de Bruyn, president and CEO of Lummus, said in a news release. “This will help us accelerate commercialization of the technology and deliver scalable, cost-effective and sustainable green hydrogen solutions to our customers.”

Advanced Ionics is a Milwaukee-based low-cost green hydrogen technology provider. Its electrolyzer converts process and waste heat into green hydrogen for less than a dollar per kilogram, according to the company. The platform's users include industrial hydrogen producers looking to optimize sustainability at an affordable cost.

Lummus, a global energy technology company, will operate the Advanced Ionics electrolyzer and manage the balance of plant systems.

In 2024, Lummus and Advanced Ionics established their partnership to help advance the production of cost-effective and sustainable hydrogen technology. Lummus Venture Capital also invested an undisclosed amount into Advanced Ionics at the time.

“Our collaboration with Lummus demonstrates the power of partnerships in driving the energy transition forward,” Ignacio Bincaz, CEO of Advanced Ionics, added in the news release. “Lummus serves as a launchpad for technologies like ours, enabling us to validate performance and integration under real-world conditions. This milestone proves that green hydrogen can be practical and economically viable, and it marks another key step toward commercial deployment.”

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