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Rice Alliance names participants in 22th annual energy forum

where to be

Here are the 100 startups selected to participate in this year's Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum. Photo by Natalie Harms

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship has named the 100 energy technology ventures that will convene next month at the 22nd annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, as part of the second annual Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

Half of the startups, which hail from nine countries and 19 states, will pitch during the event, which culminates in the annual recognition of the “Most Promising Companies." The 12 companies that were named to Class 5 of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator will present during Demo Day to wrap up their 10-week program.

In addition to pitches, the event will also host keynotes from Arjun Murti, partner of energy macro and policy at Veriten, and Susan Schofer, partner at HAX and chief science officer at SOSV. Panels will focus on corporate innovation and institutional venture capital. Attendees can also participate in one-on-one office hours with founders and investors.

The forum will take place Sept. 18 at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.

The 2025 presenting companies include:

  • Aeromine Technologies
  • AlumaPower
  • Ammobia
  • Aqua-Cell Energy
  • Aquafortus
  • Aquora Biosystems
  • Arculus Solutions
  • Artemis Production Solutions
  • AtmoSpark Technologies
  • AtoMe
  • Badwater Alchemy
  • C+UP
  • Carbon Blade
  • Circul8 Energy & Environment
  • CO2 Lock
  • Direct C
  • DirectH2
  • Ekona Power
  • Exum Instruments
  • Fathom Storage
  • Flyscan Systems
  • Geokiln Energy Innovation
  • Glint Solar
  • Hive Autonomy
  • Horne Technologies
  • Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime
  • Innowind Energy Solutions
  • Iron IQ
  • Kewazo
  • LiNova Energy
  • Lukera Energy
  • Lydian
  • Mcatalysis
  • Metal Light
  • Mithril Minerals
  • Moment Energy
  • Moonshot Hydrogen
  • Muon Vision
  • PolyQor
  • Polystyvert dba UpSolv
  • Precision Additive
  • RapiCure Solutions
  • Resollant
  • SiriNor
  • Skyven Technologies
  • Sperra
  • SpiroPak
  • Sweetch Energy
  • Teverra
  • Utility Global
  • Xplorobot

Companies participating in office hours include:

  • Active Surfaces
  • Advanced Reactor Technologies
  • Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems
  • Ai Driller
  • Airbridge
  • Airworks Compressors
  • Austere Environmental
  • Brint Tech
  • CarbonX Solutions
  • Cavern Energy Storage
  • Celadyne Technologies
  • CERT Systems
  • CubeNexus
  • Deep Anchor Solutions
  • Ellexco
  • Emerald Battery Labs
  • Equipt.ai
  • FAST Metals
  • FieldMesh
  • FlowCellutions
  • Fluidsdata
  • GrapheneTX
  • GS VORTEX SYSTEMS
  • Installer
  • Kanin Energy
  • MacroCycle Technologies
  • Modular MOPU
  • NANOBORNE
  • NetForwards
  • Oxylus Energy
  • PetroBricks
  • PHNXX
  • RASMAG Energy
  • RedShift Energy
  • RENASYS
  • RenewCO2
  • Resonantia Diagnostics
  • Respire Energy
  • Safety Radar
  • SeaStock
  • Secant Fuel
  • SolGrapH
  • Stratos Perception
  • Terraflow Energy
  • Think Energy Holdings
  • Turnover Labs
  • Utiltyx
  • Zenthos Energy

Find information about the full day of events here, or click here to register.

From Your Site Articles
The Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator has named its fifth cohort. Photo via the Ion

Houston cleantech accelerator names 12 startups to 2025 cohort

early-stage accelerator

The Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator has named 12 early-stage startups to its latest cohort.

The hybrid program, which operates in a hybrid capacity based out of the Ion, runs for 10 weeks and provides energy transition startups with training focused on fundraising, pilots, partnerships and sale. It begins July 8 and will be led by executive director Kerri Smith and program director Matthew Peña with support from executives-in-residence Lynn Frostman, John Jeffers, David Horsup and Dev Motiram.

The accelerator will culminate with a demo day on Sept. 18 at the Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum during the Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

Members of this year's cohort come from the Houston area as well as across the U.S. and Canada.

Class 5 for the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator includes:

  • Aqua-Cell Energy, which builds industrial-scale overnight batteries to provide affordable solar power
  • Arculus, a company that provides multilayer internal coating for pipelines that lowers friction, extends pipeline life and enables carbon dioxide transport and hydrogen blending
  • AtmoSpark, a Houston-based sustainable cooling and freshwater company that provides an electric field-driven air separation system that reduces dehumidification energy costs for data centers and industrial facilities
  • AtoMe, which delivers durable metallic composites to energy and aerospace companies using an eco-friendly dry blade method that eliminates harmful chemicals
  • ConceptLoop, a company that converts plastic waste into eco-friendly, low-carbon aggregate
  • Fathom Storage, which provides a more solidly embedded and steel-efficient anchoring solution for offshore service providers, wind energy developers and research institutes
  • GeoKiln, a Houston-based company that addresses issues of subsurface hydrogen extraction by applying proven oil and gas techniques to accelerate natural hydrogen reactions, enabling hydrogen production
  • Innowind Energy Solutions, a company that provides nonintrusive, active flow control devices to boost energy production and extend turbine lifespan
  • Lukera Energy, which transforms waste methane into high-value methanol using a breakthrough nanobubble technology
  • Metal Light Inc., which has developed a scalable, cost-effective Metal-Air generator to replace diesel generators
  • Moonshot Hydrogen, a company that converts food and agricultural waste into clean hydrogen and bioethanol
  • Resollant, a Woodlands-based company that delivers compact, zero-emission hydrogen and carbon reactors to refineries, petrochemical plants, steel and cement manufacturers and fuel producers

The Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator has supported 55 ventures since it was founded in 2021, collectively raising over $250 million in funding, according to the university. See last year's cohort here.

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Houston geothermal startup adds former bp, Calpine execs to C-suite

new leaders

XGS Energy, a Houston-based developer of geothermal power systems, has added several energy industry veterans to its C-suite this summer.

The company named Al Vickers as its new chief operating officer earlier this month. Vickers will replace Ghazal Izadi in the role, as she moves into the chief growth officer position.

Vickers previously served as CEO of bp's U.S. Low Carbon Energy business and most recently was COO of Houston-based Grid United, which develops next-generation transmission infrastructure.

“I have spent my career developing, building, and operating large, complex energy infrastructure, and I am excited to work with XGS’s proven technology, which is ready to deliver clean, round-the-clock power at the scale the grid and customers need,” Vickers said in a news release. “XGS sits at the intersection of innovation, affordability, demand growth, responsible infrastructure development, and long-term energy resilience. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and apply best practices from both oil and gas and infrastructure development to deliver gigawatt-scale geothermal projects.”

Kurt Fricker, who most recently held leadership roles at Hess Corporation, was also announced as XGS's new chief procurement officer.

The hires come shortly after XGS announced Richard Chong as its new chief financial officer in May.

Chong joins XGS from Houston-based power producer Calpine, where he most recently was vice president of finance. His work there included leading $2.25 billion in financing for Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal power complex.

Chong says XGS’ proven technology and the rising demand for clean power will help the company execute on its multi-gigawatt pipeline.

“I look forward to applying the experience I’ve built over two decades in energy finance to help XGS deliver clean, reliable power to customers and unlock the massive development opportunity ahead for next-generation geothermal,” Chong said in the release.

XGS’ first project is a 150-megawatt geothermal facility in New Mexico. It will supply around-the-clock electricity to the grid operated by Public Service Co. of New Mexico in support of Meta data centers.

XGS recently tapped Houston-based energy technology company Baker Hughes to provide engineering services for the New Mexico project.

XGS’ geothermal system uses thermally conductive materials to deliver affordable energy anywhere hot rock exists — without the need for water resources or specific geological conditions. This results in lower-risk projects, more site options, easier permitting and faster deployment.

Since 2023, XGS has raised nearly $57 million in venture capital.

XGS launched in 2008 in Palo Alto, California, as Geothermic Solution. In conjunction with its Series A round in 2023, the company rebranded to its current name. The company recently moved its headquarters to Houston, according to the Houston Business Journal.

Woodlands-based Lancium teams up on West Texas data center campus

coming soon

The Woodlands-based Lancium Technologies, which designs, develops, and manages gigawatt-scale data center campuses, has teamed up with Denver-based data center builder and operator Crusoe Energy Systems on a new grid-connected campus more than 100 miles east of Wichita Falls.

Construction on the 1-gigawatt Childress County campus, being built for an unidentified tech company, is expected to start in Q3 of this year.

Lancium owns the 270-acre site where the data center campus will be located and will set up and manage the campus’ energy infrastructure. Crusoe will design, build, and operate the campus.

The two companies already are working together on data centers in Abilene. Their first data center has already expanded to a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts, and a 900-megawatt data center is planned for adjacent land owned by Lancium.

The Abilene project is the first site of the Stargate initiative, an AI infrastructure program backed by MGX, OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank to create a U.S. network of hyperscale AI data centers. The four-year initiative has earmarked $500 billion to build the network.

“Childress is a natural next step in our partnership with Crusoe,” Lancium CEO Michael McNamara said in a news release. “Crusoe has been a great partner to build alongside in Abilene, and we’re glad to bring that same model — and the jobs and investment that come with it — to the community of Childress. We are deeply committed to working with local stakeholders to advance a model of development that addresses the broader needs of the community we will share for a very long time.”

Last year, Lancium appeared at No. 43 on Time and Statista’s list of America’s top greentech companies.

Lancium has raised $1.25 billion in funding since its founding in 2017, according to PitchBook and CB Insights.

In 2021, Lancium closed $150 million in funding led by Hanwha Solutions, with participation from SBI Holdings, Novawulf and other investors. Four years later, the company arranged $600 million in debt financing to advance development of “clean” data center campuses.

New York energy firm scoops up Houston’s Infinity Power Partners

m&a activity

Houston-based energy management and consulting firm Infinity Power Partners has been acquired by New York City-based Environ Energy, which also offers energy management and consulting services.

The deal creates a new “anchor segment” for Environ in the multifamily market. With the addition of Infinity Power’s roughly 2,000 clients in the multifamily sector, representing more than 1 million multifamily units under contract, Environ now has more than 8,000 U.S. clients in the commercial real estate, healthcare, manufacturing, education and government sectors.

“This acquisition continues to solidify our presence in key energy markets while aligning with founders who share our deep commitment to client success,” Environ CEO Chris Sternberg said in a news release.

Infinity Power co-founders and managing partners Nick Altman and Peter Selber have joined Environ, a portfolio company of investment firm 424 Capital. Altman and Selber founded Infinity Power in 2011.

“We built our business one relationship at a time,” Selber said, “with a strong commitment to the communities we serve. That same dedication is reflected in Environ’s approach — now delivered at scale.”

Altman says the acquisition is part of the “next chapter” in energy management. Energy management services help commercial customers reduce utility bills, improve equipment life, achieve green energy goals, and decrease risk tied to fluctuating energy prices.

“Energy management is a culture for continual improvement of energy performance and efficiency that’s integrated within an organization’s normal business practice,” according to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

In all, Environ has made six acquisitions in the past 17 months.

Last year, Environ acquired another Houston-based energy management and consulting firm, CSD Energy Advisors. In that deal, Environ gained nearly 1,000 clients, including several Fortune 500 companies and three large industrial energy users in Texas. As part of the deal, CSD co-founders Andrew Barth and JB Sowyrda joined Environ.

Also last year, Environ purchased Carrollton-based energy advisory firm Rapid Power Management (RPM).

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