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Investors name most-promising energy tech startups at annual Houston event

big winners

Over 500 people attended the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum hosted by the Rice Alliance. Photo courtesy of Rice

Investors from around the world again identified the most-promising energy tech startups at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship's annual event.

"The recognition that Houston is the epicenter of energy transition is growing. It's something we are championing as much as possible so that the world can know exactly what we're doing," Paul Cherukuri, chief innovation officer at Rice University says at the 21st annual Energy Tech Venture Forum.

The event took place during the inaugural Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, and nearly 100 startups from 23 states and seven countries pitched investors Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12. At the conclusion of the event, the investors decided on 10 companies deemed "most promising" from the presentations.

This year's selected companies are:

  • Revterra, a Houston-based company innovating within kinetic battery technology to enable faster and cleaner electric vehicle charging.
  • From Austin, 360 Mining is a modular data center provider for the oil and gas producers.
  • New York company Andium is a centralized and optimized operations platform for large energy companies.
  • Elementium Materials, a local Katy-based company, created its battery technology that originated out of MIT.
  • Splight is a San Mateo, California-based technology platform that provides real-time operational data based on inverter-based resources assets.
  • Los Angeles-based Mitico, one of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator's class 4 participants, provides services and equipment for carbon capture through its granulated metal carbonate sorption technology.
  • From Cambridge, Massachusetts, Osmoses is changing the way molecular gas separations are performed within the chemical, petrochemical, and energy industries.
  • Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator class 4 participant CORROLYTICS, based in Houston, has a corrosion detection and monitoring technology. The company also won over the crowd and secured the People's Choice win too.
  • Ardent, based in New Castle, Delaware, has developed a membrane technology for point-source carbon capture.
  • New Haven, Connecticut-based Oxylus Energy produces an alternative fuel from converting CO2 into green methanol.

Last year, investors named its selection of most-promising companies at Rice.

"We have a responsibility as a city to lead energy transition," Cherukuri continues. "A lot of the investments we're making at Rice are going to change the world."

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

From Your Site Articles
Four of the 13 teams that walked away with investment funding at RBPC this year are providing energy and sustainability advancements. Photo courtesy of Rice University

4 student-led sustainability-focused startups scored funding at annual Houston competition

big winners

Four student-founded energy and sustainability startups from around the world have something to celebrate — cleaning up at the 24th annual Rice Business Plan Competition.

This year, 42 startups competed this year, participating in the three-day event that culminated in a reception on Saturday, April 6. Over a dozen companies won prizes, and the full recap of those is reported on InnovationMap.

“We award the competitors $1 million in prizes, prizes that serve as foundational capital to launch their startup,” RBPC Director Catherine Santamaria says at the awards gala. “That’s a large number of prizes, but the biggest thing our startups leave with is a feeling of generosity and community from this room. This community is always ready and willing to help our founders and support our vision for the competition by investing time, money and resources in these student innovators.”

The companies were divided into five categories — one of which was Energy, Cleantech and Sustainability. Four companies from that track scored prizes at the reception.

Icorium Engineering Company from the University of Kansas walked away with $171,000. The company — a chemical engineering startup developing technologies to make sustainable, circular economies a reality for refrigerants and other complex chemical mixtures — won fifth place and a $5,000 prize sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright, EY, Chevron Technology Ventures and Shell Ventures, as well as:

  • $100,000 OWL Investment Prizes
  • $40,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize
  • $25,000 from Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce
  • $1,000 Anbarci Family Company Showcase Prize
  • Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best in Energy, Sustainability)
  • An invitation to Entrepreneur Magazine's elevator pitch show

From RWTH Aachen University in Germany, Power2Polymers secured $50,000. Tackling the challenge of forever chemicals, the company is creating safe alternatives free of forever chemicals. The German company took third place and the $50,000 investment sponsored by Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce. The company also won the Mercury Elevator Pitch Competition Prize (Best Overall).

Two climatetech companies that didn't make it to the finals still walked away with funding. From Yale University, Oxylus Energy, which has a technology that uses renewable electricity to turn CO2 and water into energy-dense liquid fuels, won the $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize.

LiQuidium, with its sustainable membrane technology for direct lithium extraction process, from the University of Houston also scored $25,000 — this one from NOV Energy Technology Innovation Cash Prize.

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A version of this article ran on InnovationMap.

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Nominations close Aug. 31 for Houston Innovation Awards — submit today

Awards Season

Calling all Houston energy innovators: The Houston Innovation Awards return this fall to celebrate the best and brightest in the Houston innovation ecosystem, and that includes those leading the energy transition.

Presented by InnovationMap, the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards will take place November 5 at TMC Helix Park.

The awards program will honor the top startups and innovators in Houston across 10 categories, and we're asking you to nominate the most deserving Houston innovators and innovative companies, including those in the energy transition sector.

This year's categories are:

  • Minority-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ representation.
  • Female-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by a woman.
  • Energy Transition Business, honoring an innovative startup providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond.
  • Health Tech Business, honoring an innovative startup within the health and medical technology sectors.
  • 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.
  • 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 interactive voting experience.
  • Scaleup of the Year, honoring an innovative later-stage startup that's recently reached a significant milestone in company growth.
  • Incubator/Accelerator of the Year, honoring a local incubator or accelerator that is championing and fueling the growth of Houston startups.
  • Mentor of the Year, presented by Houston Community College, honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support budding entrepreneurs.
  • Trailblazer, honoring an innovator who's made a lasting impact on the Houston innovation community.

Nominations may be made on behalf of yourself, your organization, and other leaders and institutions in the local innovation scene. The nomination period closes on August 31, so don't delay — nominate today at this link, or fill out the embedded form below.

A panel of esteemed judges will review the nominations, and determine the finalists and winners. Finalists will be unveiled on InnovationMap.com on September 30, and the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards winners will be announced live at an event on November 5.

Tickets will go on sale this fall. Stay tuned for that announcement.

Interested in Innovation Awards sponsorship opportunities? Please contact sales@innovationmap.com.

Greentown Labs names first head of philanthropy

new hire

Greentown Labs has named its first-ever head of philanthropy in an "all hands on deck" move to advance philanthropic support for climatetech ventures.

Stacey Harris will join the clean energy incubator and brings more than 15 years of experience to the role, having led major partnerships at organizations like Make-A-Wish International, Movember, Net Impact and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, according to a release from Greentown.

Harris will be based out of Greentown's Boston-area incubator but will support both its Texas and Massachusetts locations. Greentown maintains headquarters in Houston and Somerville, Massachusetts.

“Stacey brings national reach, local roots, and the entrepreneurial spirit we need,” Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown, said in the release. “She understands that philanthropy isn’t just about raising funds—it’s about building a movement, sustaining an ecosystem, and accelerating change together.”

In her new role, Harris will be tasked with designing and leading a philanthropic strategy that aligns with Greentown's corporate partnerships.

The incubator said in the release that Harris's hire is coming at a "pivotal moment," and the organization is "calling for all hands on deck" to support the clean energy space. "This includes inspiring states and local governments to lean in, individuals and family offices to step up, foundations to mobilize resources, and industry to invest boldly," the release states.

"Philanthropy has the unique power to accelerate innovation where it matters most—by backing the people and ideas that can change the world,” Harris added in the release. “At Greentown, I see an incredible opportunity to partner with local communities in Massachusetts and Texas, while also mobilizing catalytic funds that fuel entrepreneurs globally. I’m energized to work across donors, foundations, and industry to ensure these founders have what they need to go further, faster—together.”

Harris is the latest in a series of new hires for Greentown.

Lawson Gow, founder of The Cannon co-working space and former managing partner at Helium Capital, was named Greentown's Head of Houston in July. Flatter was also named as the organization's new CEO in February, after Naheed Malik was named its new CFO in January.

Houston companies team up on $700M floating solar projects in Texas

float on

Diamond Infrastructure Solutions has given Third Pillar Solar exclusive rights to access Diamond’s Texas reservoirs for the possible launch of utility-scale floating solar installations. Both companies are based in the Houston area.

The potential investment in the floating solar project exceeds $700 million, and the project is expected to generate up to 500 megawatts of solar energy.

“Our agreement with Third Pillar marks a bold step forward in how we think about infrastructure and sustainability. By transforming underutilized water surfaces into clean energy assets, Diamond is advancing its commitment to innovation while delivering long-term value,” Ed Noack, CEO of Diamond Infrastructure Solutions, said in the release.

Dow Chemical Co. and a fund directed by Macquarie Asset Management announced the formation of Diamond in 2024. Dow holds a majority stake in Diamond, which owns Gulf Coast infrastructure used by Dow and other industrial customers at five locations in Texas and Louisiana.

The solar installations are scheduled to be built and in operation by the end of the decade.

The agreement between Diamond and Three Pillar “demonstrates the growing appetite for utility-scale energy solutions and highlights how floating solar can enhance and transform the value of existing infrastructure, all while providing cost-competitive energy, preserving agricultural land, reducing evaporation losses, and existing out of public view,” Jaimeet Gulati, CEO of Third Pillar, added in the realease.

Founded in 2022 and majority-owned by renewable energy investor Glentra Capital, Third Pillar develops, owns and operates floating photovoltaic solar installations. The installations are designed to float in places such as wastewater lagoons, reclaimed sand and gravel pits and industrial reservoirs. Third Pillar’s development pipeline contains more than 60 projects.

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