Merichem Company has created a new business unit that's been acquired by a private equity firm. Photo via Getty Images

A New Orleans-based private equity firm has announced the acquisition of a Houston chemical company's technology business unit, the business announced today.

Black Bay Energy Capital acquired a portion of Merichem Company’s business — including its Merichem Process Technologies and Merichem Catalyst Products, which will collectively be renamed Merichem Technologies. Merichem's caustic services business, which handles spent caustic for beneficial reuse, will be maintained by the company.

Cyndie Fredrick has been promoted to CEO of Merichem Technologies. She previously served as Merichem's senior vice president and general manager of Merichem Process Technologies. She's joined by CFO Rene Campos, Senior Vice President of Technology Jeff Gomach, and Senior Vice President of Catalysts William Rouleau, who are all former managers within Merichem.

“The Merichem Technologies team has successfully deployed highly engineered and patented technologies, chemical catalysts, and mechanical solutions to various end markets including liquified natural gas, midstream oil and gas, refining of traditional crude and renewable feedstocks, biogas/landfill/RNG production, geothermal energy production, and chemical manufacturing," Fredrick says in a news release. "Merichem Company has been a fantastic steward of this business for decades, and the entire Merichem Technologies team is excited about our new partnership with Black Bay and the ability to pursue new avenues for growth.”

Additionally, Merichem Company's CEO Kendra Lee will join the Merichem Technologies board. Lee's grandfather founded the company in 1945, and she told EnergyCapital last year that she hopes to continue the legacy of the company, which designs and fabricates equipment for sulfur removal.

“Our reputation has always stood on the principles of proven performance, unsurpassed expertise, and an uncommon commitment to our customers," Lee says in the release. "This divesture is a major milestone for Merichem Company as we continue to execute on our strategic vision, further cementing our leadership position in caustic services.”

Black Bay focuses on the energy and specialty chemical sectors, but the Merichem Technologies acquisition brings a new sulfur-treating platform to the firm.

“Sulfur treatment is a critical path item across many industrial applications around the world. Hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, carbon dioxide, and other related impurities must be dealt with to ensure environmental compliance, sustainable operations, and a saleable end product," Tom Ambrose, partner of Black Bay, says in the release.

“When we were founded, we were a chemical company. Today, we have morphed into a technology company,” says Kendra Lee, CEO of Merichem. Photo via LinkedIn

How this 78-year-old Houston chemical company is evolving as an energy tech leader

at the helm

Kendra Lee had no designs on running the family business.

“In fact, I never planned on being a part of Merichem,” Lee recalls.

In 1945, Lee’s grandfather, John T. Files, and a pair of business partners founded the company in Houston. Their goal was to take a potential waste product and turn it into something that would benefit the oil and gas industry — an early attempt at sustainability.

What started as a soap and industrial cleaning company began procuring cresylate, which is a waste from the refineries treating gasoline, to recover spent cresylic acids, which are highly caustic, and refine them so they could be sold into the industrial chemicals market.

“When we were founded, we were a chemical company,” says Lee. “Today, we have morphed into a technology company.”

That transformation began in the 1970s. By 1997, when Merichem put the chemical end of their business into a joint venture with Sasol, the focus had transferred to Merichem Process Technology and Merichem Caustic Services, while Sasol took over the chemical branch.

Merichem Process Technology designs and fabricates equipment for sulfur removal, while Merichem Caustic Services works with companies to handle spent caustic for beneficial reuse rather than waste. The innovative company has more than 1,200 units licensed globally for operation in a myriad of applications. Those allow the 78-year-old company to further push sustainability as a priority.

Lee began her career with Merichem more than 20 years ago as an entry-level laboratory technician.

“I’ve never left, and I kept getting opportunities — now here I am,” she says.

Where she is is at the top of the ladder. Lee became chairman of the board in 2012 and CEO in 2014. But doesn’t think of Merichem as a family business. Lee is only the third member of the family to work at the company, including Files and the cousin who followed him as CEO.

Lee says that she seldom spoke to her grandfather about the business. He worked at Merichem until the day he died in 2002, but Lee recalls that, as a low-level employee, she didn’t have a single meeting with him before that time.

“Our interactions were very normal family dinners,” she explains.

Since her transition into leadership, Lee says, “My focus has really been on continuing the legacy my grandfather and cousin created. We’re very employee-focused and community-focused. Part of our role as part of our industry is to provide livelihoods and be good stewards in communities in which we operate.”

She adds that she’s also focused on innovation.

“That was a big part of who my grandfather was. That’s how we transitioned from being a chemical company to a technology company” she says. That means looking for new methods not only in the research facility, but in every segment of the company.

That eye toward the next big discovery will likely see a significant payoff in one to three years, when a new product, designed to improve on hydrogen sulfide removal — with a new catalyst that is regnerable — will be commercially available. But right now, customers can take advantage of the company’s new Standard LO-CAT® system. The product is the result of continuous improvements from the previous system and boasts low operating costs, no liquid waste streams, and significant turndown capability.

And what will follow for the Houston born-and-based company? Merichem has plans to push further into the renewables field, says Lee, adding that there is a continued need for Merichem’s technology as we transition into other types of energy, including geothermal. More than three quarters of a century after its founding, Merichem is still a company on the forefront.

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Houston energy startups, leaders named finalists for 2025 Innovation Awards

Meet the Innovators

InnovationMap.com, EnergyCaptialHTX's sister website, has revealed the finalists for the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards, and the local energy sector — from startups to leaders and accelerators — is well-represented throughout the awards.

Taking place on November 13 at Greentown Labs, the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards will honor the best of Houston's innovation ecosystem, including startups, entrepreneurs, mentors, and more.

This year's finalists were determined by our esteemed panel of judges, comprised of past award winners and InnovationMap editorial leadership.

The panel reviewed nominee applications across 10 prestigious categories to determine the finalists. They will select the winner for each category, except for Startup of the Year, which will be chosen by the public via online voting launching later this month.

The Trailblazer Award recipient will be announced in the coming weeks, and the rest of this year's winners will be unveiled live at the annual awards ceremony and event on November 13 at Greentown Labs.

Tickets are on sale now — including a limited number of corporate 10-packs — secure yours today.

Without further ado, here are the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards finalists:

Minority-founded Business

Honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ representation:

  • Capwell Services
  • Deep Anchor Solutions
  • Mars Materials
  • Torres Orbital Mining (TOM)
  • Wellysis USA

Female-founded Business

Honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by a woman:

  • Anning Corporation
  • Bairitone Health
  • Brain Haven
  • FlowCare
  • March Biosciences
  • TrialClinIQ

Energy Transition Business

Honoring an innovative startup providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy and beyond:

  • Anning Corporation
  • Capwell Services
  • Deep Anchor Solutions
  • Eclipse Energy
  • Loop Bioproducts
  • Mars Materials
  • Solidec

Health Tech Business

Honoring an innovative startup within the health and medical technology sectors:

  • Bairitone Health
  • Corveus Medical
  • FibroBiologics
  • Koda Health
  • NanoEar
  • Wellysis USA

Deep Tech Business

Honoring an innovative startup providing technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges, including those in the AI, robotics and space sectors:

  • ARIX Technologies
  • Little Place Labs
  • Newfound Materials
  • Paladin Drones
  • Persona AI
  • Tempest Droneworx

Startup of the Year (People's Choice)

Honoring a startup celebrating a recent milestone or success. The winner will be selected by the community via an online voting experience:

  • Eclipse Energy
  • FlowCare
  • MyoStep
  • Persona AI
  • Rheom Materials
  • Solidec

Scaleup of the Year

Honoring an innovative later-stage startup that's recently reached a significant milestone in company growth:

  • Coya Therapeutics
  • Fervo Energy
  • Koda Health
  • Mati Carbon
  • Molecule
  • Utility Global

Incubator/Accelerator of the Year

Honoring a local incubator or accelerator that is championing and fueling the growth of Houston startups:

  • Activate
  • Energy Tech Nexus
  • Greentown Labs
  • Healthtech Accelerator (TMCi)
  • Impact Hub Houston

Mentor of the Year

Honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support budding entrepreneurs. Presented by Houston Community College:

  • Anil Shetty, Inform AI
  • Jason Ethier, EnergyTech Nexus
  • Jeremy Pitts, Activate
  • Joe Alapat, Liongard
  • Neal Dikeman, Energy Transition Ventures
  • Nisha Desai, Intention

Trailblazer Recipient

  • To be announced
---------

Interested in sponsoring the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards? Contact sales@innovationmap.com for details.

Austin energy startup Base Power opens Katy office & expands Houston service

power move

An Austin startup that pairs electricity with backup power has started doing business in Houston.

Base Power announced this spring that it was entering the Houston market, with an initial focus on Cy-Fair, Spring, Cinco Ranch and Mission Bend. Now, Base Power is offering its service to households within the city of Houston.

To support its growth in the Houston area, Base Power has opened an office and warehouse in Katy. More than 30 people now work there. Plans to expand the Katy location are underway.

Base Power provides electricity that’s complemented by home backup power. Homes don’t need to be using solar power to sign up for Base Power’s service.

The startup said its service automatically supplies power to a home when the electric grid fails.

“Unlike traditional backup systems with high upfront costs, Base earns revenue by providing services to the grid — enabling Houstonians to get reliable backup and real savings,” Base Power said.

In addition to its standard service, Base Power has begun offering technology known as the Generator Recharge Port. This component allows a portable generator to plug into the Base battery system to recharge batteries during extended power outages.

“Houston has long been the energy capital of Texas, yet it has also endured some of the nation’s most painful lessons about unreliable power,” said Zach Dell, co-founder and CEO of Base Power. “We see Houston not just as a place to expand, but as a proving ground for how the future of energy should work — resilient, dependable, and built to serve homeowners when it matters most.”

Dell is the only son of Austin tech billionaire Michael Dell, a Houston native.

Base Power’s expansion in Houston adds to its Texas presence. The company now serves homeowners in the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas. A partnership with homebuilder Lennar and collaborations with two utilities, GVEC and the Bandera Electric Cooperative, are helping drive Base Power’s business.

Base Power has raised more than $270 million in funding since its founding in 2023. This includes a $200 million series B round that will help finance construction of the company’s first factory in Texas and help fuel Base Power’s national expansion.

The startup’s investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, Altimeter, Terrain and Trust.

Houston hub for clean energy startups names global founding partners

green team

EnergyTech Nexus, a Houston-based hub for clean energy startups, announced its coalition of Global Founding Partners last month at its Pilotathon event during Houston Energy and Climate Week.

The group of international companies will contribute financial and technical resources, as well as share their expertise with startup founders, according to a news release from EnergyTech Nexus.

“Our Global Founding Partners represent the highest standards of industrial leadership, technical expertise and commitment to innovation,” Juliana Garaizar, co-founding partner of EnergyTech Nexus, added in the release. “Their collaboration enables us to connect groundbreaking technologies with the resources, infrastructure, and markets needed to achieve global scale.”

Houston-based partners include:

  • Cemvita Inc.
  • Chevron Technology Ventures
  • Collide
  • Greentown Labs
  • Kauel
  • Oxy Technology Ventures
  • Revterra
  • Sunipro

“At Collide, we believe progress happens when the right people, data, and ideas come together. Partnering with EnergyTech Nexus allows us to support innovators with the insights and community they need to accelerate deployment at scale,” Collin McLelland, co-founder and CEO of Collide, a provider of generative artificial intelligence for the energy sector, said in the release.

"Revterra is thrilled to be a founding member of the EnergyTech Nexus community," Ben Jawdat, founder and CEO of kinetic battery technology company Revterra, added. "Building a strong network of collaborators, customers, and investors is critical for any startup — particularly when you're building novel hardware. The Energytech Nexus community has been incredible at bringing all of the right stakeholders together."

Other partners, many of which have a strong presence in Houston, include:

  • BBVA
  • EarthX
  • Endress+Hauser
  • Goodwin
  • Greenbackers Investment Capital
  • ISR Energy
  • Latham & Watkins LLP
  • Ormazabal
  • Repsol
  • STX Next
  • XGS Energy

Jason Ethier, co-founding partner of EnergyTech Nexus, said that partnerships with these companies will be "pivotal" in supporting the organization's community of founders and Houston's broader energy transition sector.

“The Energy and Climate industry deploys over $1.5 trillion in capital every year to meet our growing energy demands. Our global founding partners recognize that this energy must be delivered reliably, cost effectively, and sustainably, and have committed to ensuring that technology developed without our ecosystem can find a path to market through testing and piloting in real-world conditions," Ethier said. "The ecosystem they support here solidifies Houston as the global nexus for the energy transition.”

EnergyTech Nexus also recently announced a "strategic ecosystem partnership" with Greentown Labs, aimed at accelerating growth for clean energy startups. Read more here.