and the winners are...

3 Houston energy startups score awards at annual innovation event

Three energy tech startups secured wins at the Houston Innovation Awards. Photos courtesy

Three energy tech startups scored wins this week at the annual Houston Innovation Awards.

The awards program — hosted by EnergyCapital's sister site, InnovationMap, and Houston Exponential — named its winners on November 8 at the Houston Innovation Awards. The program was established to honor the best and brightest companies and individuals from the city's innovation community.

Eighteen Houston energy startups were named finalists last month across categories, and three won awards.

Syzygy Plasmonics, a deep decarbonization company that builds chemical reactors designed to use light instead of combustion to produce valuable chemicals like hydrogen and sustainable fuels, won in the Hardtech Business category. The company was founded in 2018 based on technology out of Rice University by Trevor Best, co-founder and CEO, who accepted the award.

ALLY Energy, a tech platform that's helping energy companies and climate startups find, develop, and retain great talent, secured a win in the Social Impact Business category, a new category that's celebrating a business providing a solution that would enhance humanity or society in a significant way. Katie Mehnert, founder and CEO, accepted the award.

The big climatetech winner of the evening was Fervo Energy, a startup leveraging proven oil and gas drilling technology to deliver 24/7 carbon-free geothermal energy. Fervo, founded in 2017 by Tim Latimer before relocating to Houston, won in the Sustainability Business category.

Click here to view all of the awards winners from the evening.

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A View From HETI

Two investment firms have scooped up the majority stake in JET, a subsidiary of Phillips 66 with a rapidly growing EV charging network. Photo via Jet.de Facebook.

Energy Equation Partners, a London-based investment firm focused on clean energy companies, and New York-based Stonepeak have completed the acquisition of a 65 percent interest in JET Tankstellen Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of Houston oil and gas giant Phillips 66.

JET is one of the largest and most popular fuel retailers in Germany and Austria with a rapidly growing EV charging network, according to a news release. It also operates approximately 970 service stations, convenience stores and car washes.

“We are delighted to complete this acquisition and to partner with Stonepeak and Phillips 66 to take JET to the next level,” Javed Ahmed, managing partner of Energy Equation Partners, said in a news release. “This investment reflects EEP’s commitment to investing in established players in the energy sector who have the potential to make a meaningful impact on the energy transition, and we are excited to work alongside the entire JET team, including its dedicated service station operators, to realize this vision.”

The deal values JET at approximately $2.8 billion. Phillips 66 will retain a 35 percent non-operated interest in JET and received about $1.6 billion in pre-tax proceeds.

“Under Phillips 66’s ownership, JET has grown into one of the largest fuel retailers in Germany and Austria," Anthony Borreca, senior managing director and co-head of energy at Stonepeak, added in a news release. "We are excited to join forces with them, as well as Javed and the EEP team, who have long-standing experience investing in and operating retail fuel distribution and logistics globally, to support the next phase of JET’s growth.”

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