2 Houston organizations team up to drive SaaS innovation within energy sector

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The two entities will combine resources and efforts to "drive innovation, accelerate growth and empower young companies." Photo via Pexels

Two entities looking to support software-as-a-service innovation have teamed up on a new resource to meet the energy sector corporate clients' growing technology demands.

MOIC Partners, an energy enterprise software sales support solution provider founded earlier this year, and Venture Builder VC, a consulting firm, investor, and accelerator program operator led by a group of Houston innovators, have announced a new partnership. The two entities will combine resources and efforts to "drive innovation, accelerate growth and empower young companies," per a news release from the organizations.

“Throughout our careers, we’ve encountered various approaches to achieving the broader innovation objectives of Venture Builder VC and, in our judgment, this program truly stands out as a model that has the potential to introduce significant innovation to the energy sector in an abbreviated timeframe,” Dave Levitt of MOIC Partners says in the release.

MOIC Partners provides go-to-market products and services, including MOIC Sales Engine, MOIC Pipeline Grader, MOIC Pricing Engine, Virtual Dave, and MOIC Exit Engine.

Venture Builder VC recently partnered with NOV on a custom accelerator for the energy leader.

“We deliver disruptive solutions to enterprise R&D and innovation leaders by targeting growth-stage startups solving their specific problems," Billy Grandy, founder and general partner of Venture Builder VC, says in the release. "While founder-led models excel in driving change, they often struggle with scalability and change management with corporate customers. Our partnership with MOIC Partners provides essential tools to help small and mid-sized SaaS companies overcome these challenges and achieve sustainable growth.”

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

The seven selected startups will have year-long curated curriculum, incubation at Greentown's two locations, a non-dilutive $25,000 grant, and access to mentors, corporates, and more from both Greentown and BGS's networks. Photo via browningthegreenspace.org

Greentown Labs names latest cohort of BIPOC-led climatetech startups

browning the green space

Two organizations have named the seven startup participants for their accelerator that works to advance BIPOC-led startups in the climatetech space.

Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space named the newest accelerator for the Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders Program, or ACCEL. The seven selected startups will have year-long curated curriculum, incubation at Greentown's two locations, a non-dilutive $25,000 grant, and access to mentors, corporates, and more from both Greentown and BGS's networks.

"Building on the momentum and success of our inaugural year, Greentown Labs is proud to welcome this incredible cohort of BIPOC-led startups to Year 2 of ACCEL," Greentown Labs CEO and President Kevin Knobloch says in a news release. "These founders and their teams are developing a dynamic array of much-needed climatetech solutions, and we're privileged to support them on their startup journeys as they advance their technologies and grow their teams."

The 2024 cohort includes:

AtmoSpark Technologies, based in Houston, is an atmospheric water generation company with a patented electro-condensation technology, which has a lower energy footprint than that of current water-generation methods.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Aquasaic is harnessing biology to clean water for planetary and human health.
Houston-based Axis Sky Renewablescreates innovative wind solutions, specializing in vertical-axis wind turbines that are less expensive to produce, deploy, and maintain than traditional wind turbines.
Carbon Negative Solutions, from Rock Hill, New York, is creating smart-city-ready, carbon-negative concrete products.
NYC-based Cellsense develops interactive bio-embellishments that create new possibilities for designers while eliminating microplastics and replacing fossil-fuel-based material at scale.
EcoForge, headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, is a building-material technology company developing affordable, high-performance building materials from local agricultural residues, replacing energy-intensive, fossil-based materials.
Boston-based Sankofa Dynamics creates low-cost, eco-friendly solutions for water, air, and energy problems.

The program is supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center,Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Equinor, Barr Foundation.

"These BIPOC-led startups are developing climate technologies that will lead us to a more equitable and sustainable future," MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert, the former CEO of Greentown, says in the release. "We want ALL climatetech innovators and entrepreneurs to thrive here in Massachusetts. We are proud to support the ACCEL accelerator, created and led by Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space. The ACCEL program is helping us build a more diverse innovation ecosystem by breaking down barriers and expanding opportunities."

ACCEL was announced in 2022, and the first cohort featured six climatetech startups — two based in Houston.

"Our second year of ACCEL brings together an inspirational and diverse cohort of seven BIPOC-led startups developing tech to accelerate the distribution of climate solutions that address community needs," Browning the Green Space President and Executive Director Kerry Bowie adds. "We are thrilled to continue to strengthen our partnership with Greentown Labs and VentureWell and build on the learnings from the pilot cohort to provide critical support infrastructure for entrepreneurs of color."

The ACCEL program kicks off at an event on March 6 at Greentown's Boston location.

ACCEL has opened applications for next year. Photo via Getty Images

Applications open for inclusive cleantech accelerator

appy now

Calling all cleantech startups founded by innovators of color — an inclusive accelerator program is now accepting applications.

Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders Program, or ACCEL, has opened applications for it's second cohort. The program — from Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space — provides access to funding, networking connections, incubation space, mentorship, resources, and opportunities for energy tech founders of color for a year.

“ACCEL is one of the most impactful, meaningful programs we’ve run to date,” Greentown Labs CEO and President Kevin Knobloch says in a news release. “We are eager to expand upon the great success and momentum of year one, and to welcome another incredible cohort of BIPOC-led startups that are developing much-needed climatetech solutions. We’re equally committed to helping these companies accelerate and deploy their solutions, while also helping to build a more diverse, inclusive climatetech workforce—ACCEL sits at the nexus of those two critical efforts.”

The program, supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, accelerated six startups this year — Active Surfaces, DrinKicks, EarthBond, florrent, frakktal, and SpadXTech.

“The ACCEL Program directly aligns with our mission to ensure that climatetech jobs and wealth creation opportunities are available to all residents of the Commonwealth,” Emily Reichert, CEO at MassCEC and former CEO at Greentown, says in the release. “We are excited to see the second round of this important program, with our Equity Workforce Fund support fostering a partnership between Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space aimed at accelerating the growth of minority and women business enterprises in Massachusetts.”

ACCEL, which doles out $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding to each participant, is also supported by Boston-based Barr Foundation and provides programming from VentureWell, a nonprofit with expertise in climatetech.

“Through our partnership with Greentown and VentureWell, we are able to put our respective strengths together to create an ambitious program to bolster founders of color in climatetech and propel innovations that benefit communities most impacted by climate change,” Kerry Bowie, executive director and president of Browning the Green Space, says in the release. “Opening applications for Year 2 of ACCEL is an important milestone in strengthening critical support for traditionally excluded entrepreneurs in our communities.”

Applications for ACCEL are open until January 5, 2024. While entrepreneurs from anywhere can apply, preference will be given to applicants in Greater Boston and Greater Houston, where Greentown’s incubators are located.

SeisWave specializes in cost-effective, cloud-based seismic data processing. Photo via Getty Images

Texas climate accelerator names Houston company to latest cohort

ready to accelerate

An Austin-based climate accelerator announced its 2023 cohort, which includes a Houston cleantech startup.

StudioX named seven startups to its 2023 cohort, and SeisWave Corp., a seismic service company, will join the program that aims to help the world reach net-zero targets by 2050. The group comprises Studio X's third cohort since the company launched in 2020.

SeisWave specializes in cost-effective, cloud-based seismic data processing.

Other companies in the cohort include:

AI Technology & Systems: A NASA iTech company that provides compressed AI models and software
Austere Environmental: An environmental remediation solution that extracts chemical contaminants in soil, drill cuttings, and tailings
Economical Energy: A long-duration energy storage solution company
Flexergy: A developing highly efficient hydrogen gas compression, storage and distribution system
Onvol: An IoT power solutions tech company with applications in wind energy, transport, and mining
Project Geminae: A Midland, Texas-based AI-powered portfolio optimization platform advancing predictive modeling across industries

The companies will participate in a 16-week program and mentorship through the cohort, along with investment opportunities.

“Our accelerator program helps to close that gap through bringing together an engaged community that grows these companies at a faster rate, ultimately driving innovation, and helping to evolve global energy solutions,” Jeff Allyn, CEO of Studio X, says in a statement.

Studio X is fully-owned and incubated by Shell and aims to "break down the silos of traditional R&D," according to its website. Click here to view some of the accelerator's past participants.

The company will host an Accelerator Showcase Event Friday, Nov. 10, where companies will pitch their concepts and offer a Q&A session. Register here.

Another Shell-backed accelerator announced its cohort earlier this week. In partnership with Greentown Labs, the organizations announced the cohort for Greentown Go Make 2023, which aims to accelerate partnerships between startups and corporations to advance carbon utilization, storage, and traceability solutions. The cohort includes six companies from around the world, from the Netherlands and Canada to Massachusetts and Washington state.

Additionally, The Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator will launch in Houston next year to help advance clean tech jobs. According to Accenture and Goodwill, which are partners in the accelerator, said it plans to grow the program to 20 cities in the next seven years and train an estimated 7,000 job seekers.

This autonomous freight delivery provider has entered the Texas market. Photo via VAS

Companies in Transition: June 13

ENERGY FOR ALL, BY ALL

As explained at the launch event for EnergyCapitalHTX.com on 1 June by David Gow, CEO of Gow Media, “…we plan to provide informative, unbiased coverage of the Houston-based initiatives, spanning big corporations and startups. We hope that a site dedicated to the transition will bring visibility to the city’s substantive progress and to the path forward.”

This series, Companies in Transition, highlights the latest energy transition activity happening here in the world’s Capital of Energy for companies of all sizes and stages. Natalie Harms, editor of our sister site, Innovation Map, caught up with a couple of such companies making strides last week.

Volvo Group announces new self-driving freight routes across Texas

A global car brand has expanded its autonomous transport-as-a-service company to Texas.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions, or VAS, announced it has established an office in Fort Worth to set up its first self-driving freight corridors between Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso, as well as from Dallas to Houston. Ahead of commercial launch, VAS has started hauling freight for key customers like DHL and Uber Freight for testing purposes.

"At Volvo Autonomous Solutions, we believe the path to autonomy at scale is through reducing the friction and complications around ownership and operations for customers," says Nils Jaeger, president of VAS, in a news release. "This is why we have taken the decision to be the single interface to our customers and take full ownership of the elements required for commercial autonomous transport. With the opening of our office in Texas and start of operational activities, we are building the foundations for a transport solution that will change the way we move goods on highways."

As a part of the Volvo Group, VAS provides its Autonomous Transport Solutions — a combination of hardware, software, and services — to its customers. The company has a partnership with Aurora, which includes the integration of the Aurora Driver with Volvo's on-highway truck offering.

To learn more about how Volvo is building efficiency for the entire supply chain, head on over to InnovationMap to read more.

Multinational manufacturer partners with Greentown for new startup accelerator

A climatetech incubator with locations in Houston and Somerville, Massachusetts, has announced an accelerator program with a corporate partner.

Greentown Labs and Saint-Gobain, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of high-performance materials, have opened applications for Greentown Go Build 2023. The program intends to support and accelerate startup-corporate partnerships to advance climatetech, specifically focused on circularity and decarbonizing the built environment per a news release from Greentown.

“The Greentown Go Build program is an opportunity for innovative startups to share how they are disrupting the construction market with innovative and sustainable solutions that address the need for circularity and sustainability and that align with our mission of making the world a better home,” says Minas Apelian, vice president of external and internal venturing at Saint-Gobain. “Through this program, we are eager to identify companies dedicated to reducing our reliance on raw materials and associated supply chain risk to ensure circular solutions result in profitable, sustainable growth for business and sustainable construction solutions for our industries.”

Find out if your company is a fit for this prestigious opportunity over at InnovationMap.

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Reliant, GM Energy team up on free renewable energy EV charging

plugging in

Reliant Energy and GM Energy are advancing a new renewable energy electricity plan that will “accelerate the clean energy journey for the two companies and their customers,” according to a news release.

Houston-based Reliant and GM Energy will be offering free nighttime charging for Chevrolet electric vehicle drivers that enroll in the new Reliant FreeCharge Nights.

The Reliant FreeCharge Nights plan will be available to existing and new Reliant electricity customers, and provides a monthly bill credit that offsets the energy charges incurred from charging the qualifying EV between 11 pm and 6 am. Customers must first designate one EV to receive the charging credit in their GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before signing up for the plan.

“As we continue to shape the future of EV charging and energy management for our customers, our work alongside Reliant in Texas is a sign of our commitment to working with industry leaders to facilitate more solutions that make EV adoption an easy decision,” Aseem Kapur, chief revenue officer, GM Energy, says in a news release. “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to build the ecosystem to support the all-electric future.”

Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships can now offer the plan to EV drivers upon vehicle purchase across Texas. The plan will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) equal to the customer’s electricity usage.

“We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan,” Rasesh Patel, president, NRG Consumer, said in a news release.

25 years of innovation: Repsol exec on Houston's role in the energy transition

the view from heti

Houston hosted the inaugural Energy + Climate Startup Week in September, which brought together leading energy and climate venture capital investors, industry leaders and startups from around the world to showcase the most innovative companies and technologies that are transforming the energy industry while driving a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.

Repsol was one of the inaugural sponsors for the weeks kick off event that hosted several leading startups. This year marked 25 years of energy innovation for Repsol in the United States. As the energy landscape evolves, Repsol has committed to significant growth in renewable capacity, with an impressive 720 MW of solar and storage capacity already operational and 1.5 GW under construction.

Caton Fenz, CEO for Repsol’s Renewables North America shares more about Repsol’s approach to expanding its renewable footprint, integrating green energy into its core business and leveraging Houston’s unique role as a leader in the energy transition. Here’s an inside look at Repsol’s milestones and future goals in the journey toward decarbonization and a sustainable energy future.

Can you tell us more about Repsol’s strategy for expanding its renewables business?

This year Repsol is celebrating 25 years of energy development in the United States. Across the US, we have a team of more than 800 employees, with more than 130 employees working in the renewables business specifically.

Repsol’s growth ambition in the US renewable energy market is significant. Since launching our renewables activity in the US three years ago, we have installed more than 720 MW of solar generation and energy storage capacity. Today we have more than 1.5 GW of additional solar and energy storage capacity under construction, and more than 20 GW of solar, wind and energy storage in development across 13 states.

How does Repsol plan to integrate renewable energy sources into its broader business model?

Repsol Renewables operates in accordance with Repsol’s values and strategies. Renewable energy generation is one of the pillars of Repsol’s decarbonization strategy. Repsol will invest between €3 and 4 billion to organically develop its global project portfolio and aims to reach between 9,000 MW and 10,000 MW of installed capacity by 2027. Of this, 30% will be in the United States.

With these objectives in mind, we have been able to accelerate the development of wind, solar, and energy storage across the US market and the globe. By expanding our renewable energy business, we can further meet record demand growth for renewable energy.

What are the key projects or milestones that have been achieved within Repsol’s renewables portfolio so far?

Earlier this year, we announced the commercial operation of Frye Solar, our largest solar project worldwide. This project, located in Swisher County, Texas, has a total capacity of 637 MW. And as noted above, we have an additional 1.4 GW of projects under construction currently. These major energy infrastructure projects are indicative of the scale of our operations in the US.

Why does Repsol believe being located in Houston is critical for its business, particularly in the energy transition?

Repsol is proudly committed to Houston’s role in developing and delivering energy and value for the world. Houston is known as the Energy Capital of the World and over the next 10 years, we’ll see it be known as the Energy Transition Capital of the World. With Repsol’s Renewables North America business located in downtown Houston, we have access to talent and partnerships in a booming city filled with energy experts.

Why does Repsol see value in participating in Houston Energy + Climate Startup Week?

At Houston Energy + Climate Startup Week, Repsol Renewables is honored to support and learn from leaders and investors in the energy and climate industry. We believe it is important to continuously invest in talent, ideas, and collaboration across the energy value chain as we pursue our net zero by 2050 goal.

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

University of Houston secures $3.6M from DOE program to fund sustainable fuel production

freshly granted

A University of Houston-associated project was selected to receive $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy that aims to transform sustainable fuel production.

Nonprofit research institute SRI is leading the project “Printed Microreactor for Renewable Energy Enabled Fuel Production” or PRIME-Fuel, which will try to develop a modular microreactor technology that converts carbon dioxide into methanol using renewable energy sources with UH contributing research.

“Renewables-to-liquids fuel production has the potential to boost the utility of renewable energy all while helping to lay the groundwork for the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of creating a clean energy economy,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm says in an ARPA-E news release.

The project is part of ARPA-E’s $41 million Grid-free Renewable Energy Enabling New Ways to Economical Liquids and Long-term Storage program (or GREENWELLS, for short) that also includes 14 projects to develop technologies that use renewable energy sources to produce sustainable liquid fuels and chemicals, which can be transported and stored similarly to gasoline or oil, according to a news release.

Vemuri Balakotaiah and Praveen Bollini, faculty members of the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, are co-investigators on the project. Rahul Pandey, is a UH alum, and the senior scientist with SRI and principal investigator on the project.

Teams working on the project will develop systems that use electricity, carbon dioxide and water at renewable energy sites to produce renewable liquid renewable fuels that offer a clean alternative for sectors like transportation. Using cheaper electricity from sources like wind and solar can lower production costs, and create affordable and cleaner long-term energy storage solutions.

“As a proud UH graduate, I have always been aware of the strength of the chemical and biomolecular engineering program at UH and kept myself updated on its cutting-edge research,” Pandey says in a news release. “This project had very specific requirements, including expertise in modeling transients in microreactors and the development of high-performance catalysts. The department excelled in both areas. When I reached out to Dr. Bollini and Dr. Bala, they were eager to collaborate, and everything naturally progressed from there.”

The PRIME-Fuel project will use cutting-edge mathematical modeling and SRI’s proprietary Co-Extrusion printing technology to design and manufacture the microreactor with the ability to continue producing methanol even when the renewable energy supply dips as low as 5 percent capacity. Researchers will develop a microreactor prototype capable of producing 30 MJe/day of methanol while meeting energy efficiency and process yield targets over a three-year span. When scaled up to a 100 megawatts electricity capacity plant, it can be capable of producing 225 tons of methanol per day at a lower cost. The researchers predict five years as a “reasonable” timeline of when this can hit the market.

“What we are building here is a prototype or proof of concept for a platform technology, which has diverse applications in the entire energy and chemicals industry,” Pandey continues. “Right now, we are aiming to produce methanol, but this technology can actually be applied to a much broader set of energy carriers and chemicals.”

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