Houston software company taps new Norwegian partnership to advance energy transition

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A Houston company is hoping to make an impact on Norwegian companies navigating the energy transition. Photo by Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels

A Houston-based human resource tech platform has announced a new partnership that hopes to help Norwegian energy companies that are navigating the energy transition.

Kahuna Workforce Solutions has teamed up with Norwegian operating services provider PXO AS to provide operations readiness and assurance infrastructure to Norway’s energy sector. Both companies reportedly have Norwegian customers already, and Kahuna brings its software platform while PXO has technical and field experience.

“PXO represents everything we look for in a partner as we strive to ensure successful and rapid adoption of competency-based training and development programs,” Jai Shah, CEO of Kahuna Workforce Solutions, says in a news release. “As a company that works with many of the same customers as PXO, we’ve seen their expertise firsthand. It is clear they are the right partner to help us not only address the current needs of the energy industry but also pioneer innovative solutions that will shape the future of competency readiness and assurance in Norway.”

Both companies reportedly have Norwegian customers already, and Kahuna brings its software platform while PXO has technical and field experience.

“Just as we serve as a bridge between project and operation phases, Kahuna equips enterprises with validated competency data,” Leif Olav Moe, CEO of PXO, says in the release. “By uniting our technical and operational expertise with their cutting-edge competency management solutions, we are delivering a unique solution unlike anything the market has yet to provide—signifying our commitment to building a more skilled and competitive workforce to ascertain safer and more efficient operations.”

Reuters reports that in 2024, Norway is expected to see $22 billion in investments from oil and gas companies. The partnership between Kahuna and PXO hopes to capitalize on this opportunity and support "streamlining skills validation and aligning operational standards with expanding ESG initiatives and emerging technologies," per the release.

“When you combine our capabilities with PXO’s extensive experience in supporting operations with strategic training and competency services, there is no other competency management solution that comes close to building a skilled, safe, compliant, and competitive workforce," Shah adds.

Last year, Kahuna closed a $21 million series B funding round led by Baltimore-based Resolve Growth Partners. At the time, the software-as-a-service company reported that it would use the fresh funding to continue product development and hire across sales and marketing, product development, customer success, and engineering. The company also will grow to support global customers.

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Kanin Energy raises up to $100M for waste-heat-to-power projects

fresh funding

Kanin Energy, a member of the Greentown Labs climatech and energy incubator in Houston, recently raised as much as $100 million in capital to grow its energy-as-a-service platform.

S2G Investments led a round of up to $50 million, and the Canada Growth Fund chipped in an additional $50 million. The money will primarily support Kanin’s development and operation of waste-heat-to-power projects.

Kanin—founded in 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada—builds and runs onsite power assets for large-scale energy users. The startup says its energy-as-a-service offering lowers power costs, boosts power reliability and decreases emissions.

The company operates a waste-heat-to-power project at Ohio’s University of Dayton. The project supplies zero-emission electricity.

Kanin has a pipeline of projects totaling about 50 megawatts of capacity. This includes a waste-heat-to-power plant at the Phillips 66 Mewbourn gas-processing plant near Greeley, Colorado.

“Kanin was built on the belief that industrial facilities already hold the solution to their own energy challenges, they just need the right partner to execute,” Janice Tran, CEO of Kanin, who is based in Houston, said in a release. “At a time when power costs continue to rise, [our] solutions are an important tool for our industrial customers to manage their costs, operations, and emissions.”

Marisa Sweeney, principal at S2G, says waste heat is a largely underused resource for lowering power costs, alleviating grid congestion and improving power reliability.

The waste-heat-to-power process captures thermal energy from industrial activities and converts it to electricity. This happens without using extra fuel or generating more emissions.

Kanin says up to 58 percent of energy consumed by industrial processes is lost as waste heat. This heat winds up in the atmosphere at thousands of facilities in North America, including oil-and-gas operations, cement plants, and steel mills, the startup says.

Kanin was founded in 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It opened offices at Greentown Labs Houston in July 2022.

7 Houstonians from energy sector make Forbes list of richest Americans

Rich List

The richest billionaires in America have a collective worth of $8 trillion in 2026, a staggering $1.4 trillion increase since last year, says Forbes. American billionaires are so wealthy that it now takes an unprecedented $4.4 billion net worth to be considered one of the richest people in the country. And one local billionaire has regained the title as Houston's wealthiest resident.

The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies. In all, 43 billionaires across Texas made it on the 2026 list, and 10 are based in Houston. Seven of them have ties to the energy industry.

Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand, 67, now reigns as the No. 1 richest Houstonian, the 9th richest Texan, and the 88th richest person in America for 2026. Hildebrand's net worth has surged $4.7 billion since last year, bringing his current net worth to $14.7 billion. He cofounded Hilcorp, one of the largest privately owned oil and natural gas producers in the U.S., in 1990 and served as its CEO until 2018. He still serves as the chairman of the company.

Kinder Morgan chairman Richard Kinder is the No. 2 richest in Houston. Kinder, 81, was dubbed Houston's richest billionaire in the 2025 Forbes 400 list. His net worth has increased from $11.1 billion to $12.9 billion in just one year. He is the 11th richest Texan and the 100th richest person in America.

Houston pipeline heir Randa Duncan Williams ranks 124th on the list with an estimated net worth of $11.7 billion. Fellow pipeline heirs Dannine Avara and Milane Frantz tie for 128th nationally. Each has an estimated net worth of $11.6 billion. Scott Duncan ties for No. 137 with an $11.3 billion estimated net worth.

Energy exploration chief executive George Bishop of GeoSothern Energy ranks No. 380 with an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion. Last year: $4.7 billion.

Here's how the rest of Houston's billionaires, outside of the energy industry, ranked on this year's list:

Toyota mega-dealer Dan Friedkin, 61, is the 102nd richest American with an estimated net worth of $12.9 billion, up from $9.7 billion last year. He most notably owns Gulf States Toyota, which sold $14.5 billion worth of Toyotas in 2025, per Forbes.
Hospitality honcho Tilman Fertitta, 69, has a net worth of $12.3 billion and is the 110th richest American. Fertitta owns hospitality corporation Fertitta Entertainment and the NBA team Houston Rockets. He most recently purchased the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and plans to relocate them to Houston under the Houston Comets name in 2027. He also keeps himself busy as President Trump's ambassador to Italy.
Texans owner and CEO Cal McNair, 64, ranks as the 218th richest person in America with an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion.

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A version of this article first appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston-based ENGIE wins national award for clean energy leadership

top honor

Houston-based ENGIE has been recognized for its work in the clean energy space.

The battery storage and energy infrastructure company recently won the 2026 Green Power Leadership Award in the Market Innovation category for its work advancing 24/7 renewable energy solutions. The awards honor individuals and companies advancing sustainability and renewables in the energy industry through innovation and leadership.

The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a San Francisco-based environmental nonprofit, grants the awards each year during the Renewable Energy Markets conference. Past recipients include companies like Microsoft, Salesforce and Google. Other award categories include Education & Awareness, Impactful Procurement and Leader of the Year.

"This recognition reflects ENGIE's commitment to developing innovative solutions that give customers greater transparency, accountability and confidence in their sustainability strategies," Anne-Laure Chassanite, interim CEO of ENGIE North America and CEO of ENGIE Resources, said in a news release.

Specifically, the honor recognizes ENGIE's Energy+ 24/7 solution, which helps customers better understand the impact of their energy consumption while also pushing sustainability efforts. ENGIE assists organizations and the public in gaining insight into renewable energy and hourly electricity consumption to see where clean energy is being utilized most effectively.

"As the market continues to evolve, we believe the future of renewable energy procurement lies in helping organizations better understand the impact of their electricity consumption and make more informed energy decisions,” Chassanite added in the release.” Our 24/7 offering is helping establish a new standard by combining innovation with practical, scalable solutions that support meaningful progress toward sustainability goals."

ENGIE's US Energy+ team was also recognized for its customer-focused renewable energy solutions.

"This achievement is the result of the dedication and innovation of teams across ENGIE who are continually challenging what's possible in the energy transition," Chassanite also said in the release.

In June, ENGIE’s 24/7 signed an agreement with Aker BioMarine to supply Texas-sourced clean energy to the Norwegian company's Houston manufacturing site.

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