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40+ teams to pitch at annual CERAWeek clean energy competition

energy venture day

Houston-based HEXASpec took home the top TEX-E prize and $25,000 at last year's Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition. Photo courtesy TEX-E.

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), the Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange for Energy (TEX-E) and the Ion have named the 30-plus energy ventures and teams that will pitch at the 2026 Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek this month.

The selected ventures are "driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition," according to the Rice Alliance. Each will each present a 3.5-minute pitch before a network of investors and industry partners during CERAWeek's Agora program on Wednesday, March 25, from noon-5:30 p.m.

The competition is divided up into the TEX-E university track, in which Texas student-led energy startups compete for $50,000 in cash prizes, and the industry ventures track.

Teams competing in the TEX-E Prize track include:

  • GOES
  • Quantum Power System
  • Quas
  • Resonant Thermal Systems
  • Srijan

The industry track is subdivided into three additional tracks, spanning materials to clean energy and will feature 37 companies. A group of expert judges will name the top three companies from each industry track. The winner of the CERAWeek competition will also have the chance to advance and compete for the $1 million investment prize at the Startup World Cup in November 2026.

Teams come from around the world, including several Houston-based ventures, such as Agellus Tank Robotics, Capwell Services and Corrolytics.

The full list of companies pitching at CERAWeek includes:

  • Agellus Tank Robotics
  • Airovation Technologies
  • Anax Power
  • Armeta
  • ATS Energy
  • Capwell Services
  • CarbonLume
  • Cogniprise
  • Corrolytics
  • Daphne Technology
  • Gemini Energy
  • Grid8
  • H Quest Vanguard
  • intcom
  • Ionada Canada
  • Junipix
  • Kunin Technologies
  • LAVA Power
  • Licube
  • LNK Energies
  • Maverick X
  • Membravo
  • Mirico
  • Mocean Energy
  • Monitorai
  • OCOchem
  • Oleo
  • Pix Force
  • PolyJoule
  • Power to Hydrogen
  • Sotaog
  • Spotlight
  • Tierra Climate
  • Verdagy
  • Via Separations
  • Vycarb
  • ZettaJoule

Those not attending CERAWeek can catch these companies and more than a dozen others at a pitch preview at the Ion. The free Pitch Preview will be held Tuesday, March 24, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Click here to register.

Additional companies pitching during the free preview include:

  • Ammobia
  • Arolytics
  • Ayrton Energy
  • ChainWeave
  • Cybereum
  • Energytech
  • ENP Technologies
  • KP Labs
  • Mcatalysis
  • Mitico
  • Mote
  • Nanos
  • New Horizon Oil and Gas
  • Predyct
  • Salem Robotics
  • Toluai

Two Rice University student teams took home top prizes during last year's TEX-E competition, while ventures from New Jersey, Wyoming and Virgina won in their respective industry tracks. See the full list of last year's winners here.

From Your Site Articles
Hobby Airport's new solar canopy is operating at 100% capacity. Photo courtesy Houston Airports.

Houston airport debuts solar canopy and more energy news to know

Trending Topics

Editor's note: We're looking back at the biggest Houston energy transition stories for the second half of September. From Hobby's new solar canopy to the most promising clean tech startups, here's the top energy news to know from September 15-30, 2025:

1. Hobby debuts solar canopy as airport system reaches new sustainability milestone

Hobby Solar Panel

Hobby's solar canopy. Courtesy photo

Houston's William P. Hobby Airport is generating its own clean energy. Houston Airports announced that Hobby's red garage is now home to a "solar canopy" that is producing energy at 100 percent capacity to power daily operations. The photovoltaic (PV) solar system generated more than 1.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity in testing, and is expected to produce up to 1 megawatt-hour now that it's operating at full power.

“This project is proof that sustainability can be practical, visible and directly tied to the passenger experience,” Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, said. Continue reading.

2. Houston Methodist leader on the push for sustainable health care and new local event

Dr. Faisal N. Masud, medical director of critical care at Houston Methodist and a champion for sustainability efforts. Courtesy photo

Every industry can play a role in the energy transition, and Houston Methodist is leading the charge in the health care sector. Culminating at September's inaugural Green ICU Conference, part of Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, the health care system has spent the last three years taking a closer look at its environmental footprint—and showing other hospital systems and medical organizations how they too can make simple changes to reduce emissions.

The event brought together health care professionals, industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to explore solutions for building a more sustainable healthcare system. Continue reading.

3. Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum names most-promising startups

Ten climatetech startups were named most-promising at this annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum. Photo courtesy Rice Alliance.

Investors at the Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum have named the 10 most-promising startups among the group of 100 clean tech companies participating in the event.

The 22nd annual event was held September 18 at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and was part of the second Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week. The most-promising startups will receive $7,000 in in-kind legal services from Baker Botts. Continue reading.

4. Daikin to run massive Houston-area campus on solar power through new Engie partnership

Daikin has tapped Engie North America to provide clean electricity for its Texas facilities, including the massive Daikin Texas Technology Park. Photo courtesy Daikin.

Japan-based HVAC manufacturer Daikin has struck a five-year deal with Houston-based Engie North America to fully power its Texas facilities with renewable energy.

The deal includes Daikin Texas Technology Park (DTTP), home to the company’s North American headquarters and its largest factory (and one of the largest factories in the world). The more than $500 million, 4.2 million-square-foot campus sits on nearly 500 acres in Waller. Continue reading.

5. Solar tracking manufacturer opens second Houston facility

PV Hardware USA has opened a new 95,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Houston. Photo via pvhardware.com.

PV Hardware USA, a provider of solar tracking and foundation solutions, has announced the opening of its second U.S. manufacturing facility in Houston, which is expected to create more than 100 jobs locally and strengthen domestic production capacity for solar energy facilities.

The 95,000-square-foot facility began operations in July and aims to increase production while reducing lead times for customers. The new state-of-the-art building joins the company’s first $30 million U.S. manufacturing facility, which opened in Houston in May 2024 as one of America’s largest solar tracker manufacturing facilities. Continue reading.

Ten climatetech startups were named most-promising at this annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum. Photo courtesy Rice Alliance.

Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum names most-promising startups

big winners

Investors at the Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum have named the 10 most-promising startups among the group of 100 clean tech companies participating in the event.

The 22nd annual event was held yesterday, Sept. 18, at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and was part of the second Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

The most-promising startups will receive $7,000 in in-kind legal services from Baker Botts.

The 10 most-promising companies included:

  • Houston-based Xplorobot, which has developed laser gas imaging technology for the first handheld methane detection device approved by the EPA as an alternative test method
  • Seattle-based Badwater Alchemy, a desalination company that uses nano materials to purify saline water at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods
  • San Francisco-based Ammobia, which is developing a clean ammonia production process
  • Illinois-based Celadyne Technologies, which is building hydrogen for industrial decarbonization with durable and efficient fuel cells and electrolyzers
  • Massachusetts-based MacroCycle Technologies, which converts plastic waste in the form of bottles, food trays and polyester textiles into virgin-grade mPET resin
  • Massachusetts-based AtoMe, which uses nano-ceramics to develop ultra-durable metals for 3D printing
  • Colorado-based Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (ATS) Energy, a renewable energy semiconductor manufacturing company
  • North Carolina-based Lukera Energy, which is converting waste methane into high-value fuel
  • Midland, Texas-based AI Driller, a company that uses AI and machine learning to enable remote operations and provide historical drilling data for survey management, anti-collision monitoring and iob reporting
  • New York-based Fast Metals Inc., which has developed a chemical process to extract valuable metals from complex toxic mine tailings that is capable of producing iron, aluminum, scandium, titanium and other rare earth elements using industrial waste and waste CO2 as inputs

Arculus Solutions won the People's Choice Award. The New Jersey-based company retrofits natural gas pipelines for safe hydrogen transportation. It also won Track A: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, Buildings, Water, & Other Energy Solutions at the Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek earlier this year.

The 100 energy technology ventures selected to participate in the forum were named earlier this year. See the full list here.

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

Rice Alliance names participants in 22th annual energy forum

where to be

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.

The deadline to apply for the ATCE Startup Village Energy Startup Competition in Houston is fast approaching. Photo via atce.org

Global energy startup competition returns to Houston this fall

apply now

The Society of Petroleum Engineers' Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) takes place in Houston this fall, and with it comes its ATCE Startup Village Energy Startup Competition.

Held this year at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Oct. 21, the fast-paced pitch competition invites early stage, upstream technology ventures from around the world to present on their companies and technologies in front of venture capitalists, angel investors and industry leaders.

The deadline to apply for the competition is Friday, July 18. Apply here.

The ATCE Startup Village is a partnership between SPE and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. Ten primary finalists and two alternates are selected to participate in the competition, where they have the opportunity to win cash prizes and gain mentorship from industry leaders.

Finalists will present a seven-minute pitch, followed by an additional seven minutes of Q&A.

They will also have the opportunity to meet with a panel of industry experts during a private coaching session the week of Sept. 22. Winners will be announced at ATCE in Houston, and finalists and alternates will be notified in late August.

Judging is based on four main criteria:

  • Innovative technology
  • Commercial strategy and business plan
  • Market potential
  • Management team and advisors

The competition has awarded nearly $460,000 in prize money to startups through the competition to date, according to the ATCE's website. Past winners have come from Canada, France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Several Houston teams pitched at the 2024 competition during the 100th annual ATCE in New Orleans. The local teams included:

Decimetrix, led by CEO Alejandro Zotti, went on to win the Best in Show and People's Choice awards. Revolink Technology Company earned the Rising Star, or runner up, award.

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 climatech startup raises $29M funding round​

fresh funding

Houston-based NanoTech Materials has closed a $29.4 million Series A.

The round was led by Austin-based HPI Real Estate & Investments. Houston-based Goose Capital and Austin-based Milliken & Company also participated.

Nanotech has developed its patented Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP) technology, which reduces heat transfer in buildings and outdoor infrastructure, improving efficiency and safety. It's known for its Cool Roof Coat, Wildfire Shield and Insulative Coat: Cool Touch product lines.

With the new funding, Nanotech plans to scale operations and expand its market reach for its products.

“We’re addressing one of the pressing and urgent challenges facing infrastructure owners today: controlling energy costs and extending asset life,” Mike Francis, CEO and co-founder of NanoTech Materials, said in a news release. “This financing marks a transformative moment for us. It allows us to rapidly scale production and bring our high-performance materials to market faster, while delivering measurable cost savings and redefining what resilience looks like in today’s built environment.”

Nanotech launched in 2020 and was the first company selected for Halliburton Labs. It moved into a 43,000-square-foot space in Katy in 2023. It brought on new partners that expanded the company's reach in the Middle East and Singapore the following year. Its technology was recognized as one of Time magazine's 200 Best Inventions of 2024.

“We were early investors in Nanotech Materials and are pleased to continue supporting the company as it becomes a leader in breakthrough materials science and technology,” John Chaney, investor at Goose Capital and board member at NanoTech, added in the release. “NanoTech’s ability to elevate fire resilience and energy efficiency in the built environment is critical for strengthening and hardening infrastructure. Its pioneered approach is transforming current building standards and making our lives safer.”

The company has secured $34.4 million in total to date, according to the release. It raised an oversubscribed funding round in 2023 and a $5 million seed round in 2020.

Houston clean energy startup acquired by battery storage company FlexGen

m&a activity

A North Carolina company has acquired Houston-based Clean Energy Services, a provider of services for battery energy storage systems and utility-scale solar, for an undisclosed amount.

The buyer is Durham, North Carolina-based FlexGen Power Systems, a provider of battery energy storage software and services.

Clean Energy Services (CES), whose offices are at the Ion, will operate as a subsidiary of FlexGen. Existing CES customers will continue to receive services from CES without disruption or change, FlexGen says.

“Demand for reliable, high-performance power is accelerating, and customers need partners who can deliver at scale,” Kelcy Pegler, CEO of FlexGen, said in a news release. “The addition of CES strengthens our service platform and reinforces our leadership in energy storage technology.”

Ahmad Atwan and Constantine Triantafyllides co-founded CES in 2022. As a startup, CES had raised $8 million in venture capital, according to PitchBook.

“CES has achieved a market leadership position in battery storage services by focusing on reliable speed of service delivery and optimizing asset performance,” Atwan, the company’s CEO, added the release. “FlexGen and CES have been strong partners for years, and this transaction enables us to deliver more robust solutions across a complementary set of customers and markets.”

CES will continue to operate its remote operations center in Houston for over 1 gigawatt of solar assets and 4.5 gigawatt-hours of battery assets, while FlexGen will maintain its remote operations center in Durham.

Halliburton Labs names 4 new clean energy startups to incubator

green team

Four new companies have joined Halliburton Labs, the incubator for early-stage energy and climate startups run by Houston energy giant Halliburton.

Halliburton Labs provides the emerging companies with mentorship, industry connections, laboratory access and other resources as they work toward commercialization, according to a news release.

The four new members include:

  • Nandina REM, a Singapore-based company that delivers carbon fiber thermoplastics. It turns end-of-life assets into new, reliable, high-performance materials for the aviation, aerospace and defense industries in a fraction of the time of standard supply chains.
  • Noon Energy, a California-based company that delivers clean, reliable electricity with ultra-long duration energy storage. Its system uses solid oxide electrochemical cells and stores energy as abundant, flexible industrial gases.
  • Proof Energy, a Silicon Valley-based company developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is commercializing next-generation metallic solid oxide fuel cell (M-SOFC) technology. Its system uses widely available fuels such as ethanol, methanol, ammonia, and natural gas as hydrogen carriers to enable lower-cost, low-emission commercial transportation, and also offers a zero-emission heating solution to preserve battery range in electric vehicles.
  • Tidal Metals, a New Jersey-based company that has developed technology to economically make decarbonized magnesium metal from seawater and electricity.

"Halliburton Labs exemplifies our commitment to advance a secure and pragmatic energy future," Jeff Miller, chairman, president and CEO of Halliburton, said in the news release. "We welcome these companies into our ecosystem, where they will gain access to the tools, expertise, and connections needed to scale their technologies."

Auckland-based Aquafortus Technologies and California-based Sunchem joined Halliburton Labs in September. With the addition of the four new members, the incubator currently supports six early-stage companies.

Read more about the incubator's 2025 cohort here.

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