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Greentown Labs, Evonik launch accelerator to boost sustainability in personal care products

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Greentown Labs and Evonik have launched the Greentown Go Make 2025 accelerator to support startups developing sustainable technologies for the personal care industry. Photo via Evonik.us

Greentown Labs and its corporate partner, Germany-based chemicals company Evonik, are calling for submissions to a new program geared at accelerating more sustainable personal care products.

The Greentown Go Make 2025 accelerator, which is based in both Greentown's Houston and Boston-area locations and open to companies from around the world, as launched applications now through January 23.

"Designed to accelerate startup-corporate partnerships to advance climatetech, this Greentown Go program is focused on increasing sustainability within the personal-care industry through the development, introduction, and commercialization of technologies that reduce products’ manufacturing-related emissions and end-of-life environmental impact," reads a news release from Greentown.

"More specifically, Go Make 2025 is interested in biodegradable polymers and sustainable specialty chemicals for personal care. Further details on the technology areas of interest can be found in the request for applications."

The selected companies will have access to Greentown's facilities and receive mentorship, networking opportunities, educational workshops, and structured programming. The startups will also have partnership opportunities with the program's corporate partner Evonik.

“The Greentown Go program represents an exciting opportunity for startups to showcase their groundbreaking solutions in sustainable chemistry,” Anil Saxena, vice president of RD&I at Evonik, says in the release. “At Evonik, innovation and sustainability are not just buzzwords; they are fundamental to our strategic growth. We are eager to identify and collaborate with companies that share our commitment to creating a more sustainable future.”

The global personal care market — which includes products across hygiene, cosmetics and beautification, cleaning, and grooming — represents 0.5 to 1.5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, per Greentown's release. Evonik announced its sustainability-focused game plan in September, focusing on bio-based solutions, the energy transition, and the circular economy.

“The building blocks of the personal-care industry are ripe for climatetech innovation, and there’s no better partner for harnessing this opportunity than Evonik, a global leader in specialty chemicals,” adds Aisling Carlson, senior vice president of partnerships at Greentown. “Greentown Go has a strong track record of fostering meaningful startup-corporate partnerships, and we look forward to working with Evonik and a set of groundbreaking entrepreneurs in this program.”

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Fervo Energy received $100 million loan for its Utah Cape Station project. Photo via fervoenergy.com

Houston company secures $100M for 'world’s largest geothermal energy plant'

loan guarenteed

Houston-based geothermal energy company Fervo Energy has secured a $100 million bridge loan for the first phase of its ongoing project in Utah.

The loan came from an affiliate of Irvington, New York-based X-Caliber Rural Capital. Proceeds will support construction of Fervo’s Cape Station project, which is being touted as the world’s largest geothermal energy plant.

The first phase of Cape Station, which is on track to generate 90 megawatts of renewable energy, is expected to be completed in June 2026. Ultimately, the plant is supposed to supply 400 megawatts of clean energy by 2028 for customers in California.

“Helping this significant project advance and grow in rural America is a true testament to how investing in communities and businesses not only has local influence, but can have a global, long-lasting impact by promoting sustainability and stimulating rural economies,” Jordan Blanchard, co-founder of X-Caliber Rural Capital, says in a news release.

X-Caliber Rural Capital is an affiliate of commercial real estate financing company X-Caliber Capital Holdings.

Fervo says its drilling operations Utah’s Cape Station show a 70 percent reduction in drilling times, paving the way for advancement of its geothermal energy system.

Tim Latimer, co-founder and CEO of Fervo, says his company’s drilling advancements, purchase deals, transmission rights, permit approvals, and equipment acquisitions make Fervo “an ideal candidate” for debt financing. In May, Latimer joined the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss the company's growth and latest project.

With a new office in downtown Houston, Fervo recently signed up one of the country’s largest utilities as a new customer and expanded its collaboration with Google.

To date, Fervo has raised $531 million in venture capital funding, per Crunchbase data.

Houston artists have created unique carbon-absorbing art. "Future's Past" by Emily Ding in partnership with UXD tells the story of the Mellie Esperson building. Photo courtesy of Dario DeLeon

Artist collective brings carbon-absorbing murals to Houston

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Anthony Rose, the CEO of creative agency United By Design, is on a mission to brighten Houston’s urban spaces and improve the city’s air quality one carbon-absorbing mural at a time.

Rose originally founded United By Design, or UXD, in 2019 to connect muralists like himself and commercial businesses seeking to beautify their spaces and form brand identities. After creating vibrant murals for Lockhart Elementary School, the Houston Astros, and Smoothie King, Rose expanded UXD’s vision to include environmental sustainability in their artistic collaborations in 2022.

“This city’s vibrant art scene and growing focus on sustainability makes it an ideal location for our projects,” Rose says. “We’re not just creating eco-friendly murals, we’re reimagining how art can actively contribute to environmental solutions.”

In search of ecologically-conscious paints, Rose formed a partnership with Spain-based, natural paint company Graphenstone. Rose says he was drawn to the company’s eponymous Graphenstone coating because of its nontoxic ingredients and exclusively uses the product for UXD’s carbon-absorbing murals.

For 713 Day, UXD created carbon-absorbing mural "(HUE)STON HARMONY" in collaboration with Downtown Houston+ and local artist David Maldonado. Photo courtesy of Egidio Narvaez

The Graphenstone coating consists of a limestone base which goes through a process called photocatalysis, during which carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is absorbed into the surface, and is then sealed in with graphene, a thin layer of carbon atoms. The murals absorb carbon dioxide throughout the coat’s drying process which typically takes 30 days.

“Each of our murals absorbs about 1600 grams of CO2 during that curing process which is the equivalent daily absorption of about 33 growing trees,” Rose explains.

UXD’s largest carbon-absorbing mural to date is a floor-to-ceiling panorama in downtown Houston’s historic Mellie Esperson building, home to the company’s new creative hub. Painted by Houston-born artist Emily Ding, the mural is a tribute to the establishment’s namesake: an innovative, early 20th century entrepreneur who constructed the opulent building.

Rose says UXD plans to expand their carbon-absorbing murals project in collaboration with more local artists and establishments, while creating an artist-in-residency program themed around sustainability. Though Rose acknowledges in the grand scheme of carbon pollution these murals are not a silver bullet, he says the non-toxic paints are encouraging conversations about how artists can be conservation-minded.

“We’re trying to figure out how art as a messaging tool can help break down scientific data, a language not many people practice daily, can break down barriers and help bridge the gap to a more intuitive knowledge of sustainability,” Rose says. “We’re bringing the community together, helping them feel empowered, and giving them actionable information to help them live more sustainable lives.”

"Between Land and Sky" by artist David Maldonado was UXD's first carbon-absorbing painting. Photo courtesy of Dario DeLeon and Tommy Valdez

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

The first Alto EVs have hit the road in Houston. Photo via Alto

Texas ride-hailing app grows Houston fleet with EV additions

rolling out

Your next Alto ride might be electric. The Dallas-based car service has rolled out electric vehicles in Houston.

Alto, founded in Dallas in 2018 and launched in Houston in 2020, elevates ridesharing with its own fleet of company-owned, clearly branded SUVs driven by its staff of drivers. The company previously announced its plans to evolve its fleet into being completely electric, and the first EVs have hit the road, according to a company email.

"Our EV additions to the Houston fleet mark an important moment in our commitment to significantly reduce Alto's environmental impact," reads the email sent on September 5.

The new cars offer similar features to its existing fleet, including legroom, phone chargers, water bottles for riders, and more. Plus, the new cars — Kia EV9 — boast a quieter ride.

Alto has consistently grown in its Texas markets — which include Houston and Dallas — over the years, including expanding into Houston's suburbs.

Will Coleman, CEO of Alto, previously wrote in a guest column for InnovationMap that his priorities for starting the company included safety — but also sustainability. For years, Alto has been expressing interest in introducing EVs, with plans of having a completely electric fleet.

"This EV vision is one example of how a rideshare company can build a better and more accountable industry, and these steps also give Houstonians a more responsible and sustainable transportation solution," Coleman writes.

Two Houston communities have received funding for programming and workforce development within climate resilience. Photo via Getty Images

Houston Health Department scores $20M grant funding for climate, energy resilience

H-town strong

The city of Houston has secured a $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to be used to build climate and energy resilience in two local underserved communities.

The Houston Health Department's funding comes from the EPA's Community Change program and will benefit the Greater Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, regions that have faced contamination from the neighboring Union Pacific Railroad site. This grant follows two prior EPA grants from the Vulnerable to Vibrant series that were awarded in 2023.

"Through this grant, we will also aim to enhance a state-of-the-art flood alert system that provides advance warning," Loren Hopkins, HHD's chief environmental science officer, says in a news release. "We will promote and provide education regarding an air permit application warning system, plant fruit trees for flood, heat, and pollution mitigation, develop a hyper-local neighborhood resilience plan, and establish a Houston Environmental Justice Advisory Committee."

The initial $1 million grant will span three years and includes several local partners: HHD, Black United Fund of Texas, Houston Community College, My Brother's Keeper - Houston, City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department, and Environmental Defense Fund. It will fund the creation of free solar workforce development program with the hopes of installing and operating a community solar farm.

A second $500,000 grant will find paid internships to residents for solar deployment in the community and will be led by HHD in partnership with BUFTX, University of Houston Center for Sustainability and Resilience, Air Alliance, Houston Wilderness, and Rice University SSPEED Center/Fang Research Group.

The ultimate goal of these freshly funded initiatives, according to the city, is to strengthen HHD and its partners' efforts in establishing a solar energy system for the community in order to advance the neighborhood’s resilience.

It's the first time the company has used EVs in any of its upstream sites, including the Permian Basin. Photo via exxonmobil.com

ExxonMobil revs up EV pilot in Permian Basin

seeing green

ExxonMobil has upgraded its Permian Basin fleet of trucks with sustainability in mind.

The Houston-headquartered company announced a new pilot program last week, rolling out 10 new all-electric pickup trucks at its Cowboy Central Delivery Point in southeast New Mexico. It's the first time the company has used EVs in any of its upstream sites, including the Permian Basin.

“We expect these EV trucks will require less maintenance, which will help reduce cost, while also contributing to our plan to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions in our Permian operations by 2030," Kartik Garg, ExxonMobil's New Mexico production manager, says in a news release.

ExxonMobil has already deployed EV trucks at its facilities in Baytown, Beaumont, and Baton Rouge, but the Permian Basin, which accounts for about half of ExxonMobil's total U.S. oil production, is a larger site. The company reports that "a typical vehicle there can log 30,000 miles a year."

The EV rollout comes after the company announced last year that it plans to be a major supplier of lithium for EV battery technology.

At the end of last year, ExxonMobil increased its financial commitment to implementing more sustainable solutions. The company reported that it is pursuing more than $20 billion of lower-emissions opportunities through 2027.

Cowboys and the EVs of the Permian Basin | ExxonMobilyoutu.be

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Tesla sales tumble 13% as Musk backlash, competition and aging lineup turn off buyers

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Tesla sales fell 13% in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying electric car company is struggling to attract buyers.

The double-digit drop is likely due to a combination of factors, including its aging lineup, competition from rivals and a backlash from Musk’s embrace of right wing politics. It also is a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors.

Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 globally in the January to March quarter. The figure was down from sales of 387,000 in the same period a year ago. The decline came despite deep discounts, zero financing and other incentives.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected much higher deliveries of 408,000.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to clients that Tesla is seeing soft demand in the United States and China, as well as facing pressure in Europe.

“The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said.

Ives said that Wall Street financial analysts knew the first-quarter figures were likely to be bad, but that it was even worse than expected, calling them a “disaster on every metric.”

The sales drop came three weeks after President Donald Trump held an extraordinary press conference outside the White House in which he praised Tesla, blasted boycotts against the company and bought a Tesla himself while TV cameras rolled in an effort to help lift sales.

“I don’t like what’s happening to you,” said Trump, before slipping into a red Model S and exclaiming, “Wow. That’s beautiful.”

After falling as much as 6% in early Wednesday, Tesla stock shot up more than 5% in afternoon trading after a report from Politico, citing anonymous sources, that Musk may soon step down from leadership of his Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting group that has led to tens of thousands of federal workers losing their jobs.

Tesla investors have complained the DOGE work has diverted Musk's focus from Tesla, where he is the CEO. On Tuesday, New York City's comptroller overseeing pension funds down $300 million this year on Tesla holdings called for a lawsuit accusing a distracted Musk of "driving Tesla off a financial cliff.”

Tesla’s stock has plunged by roughly half since hitting a mid-December record as expectations of a lighter regulatory touch and big profits with Donald Trump as president were replaced by fear that the boycott of Musk's cars and other problems could hit the company hard.

Analysts are still not sure exactly how much the fall in sales is due to the protests or other factors. Electric car sales have been sluggish in general, and Tesla in particular is suffering as car buyers hold off from buying its bestselling Model Y while waiting for an updated version.

Still, even bullish financial analysts who earlier downplayed the backlash to Musk’s polarizing political stances are acknowledging that it is hurting the company, something that Musk also recently acknowledged.

“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said at a Wisconsin rally on Sunday, referring to his DOGE role. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half."

The protests come as the Austin, Texas electric vehicle maker faces fierce competition from other EV makers offering vastly improved models, including those of BYD. The Chinese EV giant unveiled in March a technology that allows it cars to charge up in just five to eight minutes.

Tesla is expected to report earnings of 48 cents per share for the first quarter later this month, up 7% from a year earlier, according to a survey of financial analysts who the car company by research firm FactSet.

Nearly all of Tesla’s sales in the quarter came from the smaller and less-expensive Models 3 and Y, with the company selling less than 13,000 more expensive models, which include X and S as well as the Cybertruck.

Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week announces 2025 dates, key events

comeback tour

Six local organizations focused on the energy transition have teamed up to bring back Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

The second annual event will take place Sept. 15-19, according to an announcement. The Ion District will host many of the week's events.

Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week was founded in 2024 by Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Halliburton Labs, Greentown Labs, Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), Digital Wildcatters and Activate.

“Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week was created to answer a fundamental question: Can we achieve more by working together than we can alone?” Jane Stricker, senior vice president at the Greater Houston Partnership and executive director of HETI, said in the release.

So far, events for the 2025 Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week include an introduction to climatetech accelerator Activate's latest cohort, the Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, a showcase from Greentown Labs' ACCEL cohort, and Halliburton Labs Pitch Day.

Houston organizations New Climate Ventures and Digital Wildcatters, along with Global Corporate Venturing, are slated to offer programming again in 2025. And new partners, Avatar Innovations and Decarbonization Partners, are slated to introduce events. Find a full schedule here.

Other organizations can begin entering calendar submissions starting in May, according to the release.

Last year, Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week welcomed more than 2,000 attendees, investors and industry leaders to more than 30 events. It featured more than 100 speakers and showcased more than 125 startups.

"In 2024, we set out to build something with lasting impact—rooted in the ingenuity of Houston’s technologists and founders. Thanks to a collaborative effort across industry, academia, and startups, we’ve only just begun to showcase Houston’s strengths and invite others to be part of this movement," Stricker added in the release. "We can’t wait to see the city rise to the occasion again in 2025.”

Dow aims to power Texas manufacturing complex with next-gen nuclear reactors

Clean Energy

Dow, a major producer of chemicals and plastics, wants to use next-generation nuclear reactors for clean power and steam at a Texas manufacturing complex instead of natural gas.

Dow's subsidiary, Long Mott Energy, applied Monday to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit. It said the project with X-energy, an advanced nuclear reactor and fuel company, would nearly eliminate the emissions associated with power and steam generation at its plant in Seadrift, Texas, avoiding roughly 500,000 metric tons of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions annually.

If built and operated as planned, it would be the first U.S. commercial advanced nuclear power plant for an industrial site, according to the NRC.

For many, nuclear power is emerging as an answer to meet a soaring demand for electricity nationwide, driven by the expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence, manufacturing and electrification, and to stave off the worst effects of a warming planet. However, there are safety and security concerns, the Union of Concerned Scientists cautions. The question of how to store hazardous nuclear waste in the U.S. is unresolved, too.

Dow wants four of X-energy's advanced small modular reactors, the Xe-100. Combined, those could supply up to 320 megawatts of electricity or 800 megawatts of thermal power. X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell said the project would demonstrate how new nuclear technology can meet the massive growth in electricity demand.

The Seadrift manufacturing complex, at about 4,700 acres, has eight production plants owned by Dow and one owned by Braskem. There, Dow makes plastics for a variety of uses including food and beverage packaging and wire and cable insulation, as well as glycols for antifreeze, polyester fabrics and bottles, and oxide derivatives for health and beauty products.

Edward Stones, the business vice president of energy and climate at Dow, said submitting the permit application is an important next step in expanding access to safe, clean, reliable, cost-competitive nuclear energy in the United States. The project is supported by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

The NRC expects the review to take three years or less. If a permit is issued, construction could begin at the end of this decade, so the reactors would be ready early in the 2030s, as the natural gas-fired equipment is retired.

A total of four applicants have asked the NRC for construction permits for advanced nuclear reactors. The NRC issued a permit to Abilene Christian University for a research reactor and to Kairos Power for one reactor and two reactor test versions of that company's design. It's reviewing an application by Bill Gates and his energy company, TerraPower, to build an advanced reactor in Wyoming.

X-energy is also collaborating with Amazon to bring more than 5 gigawatts of new nuclear power projects online across the United States by 2039, beginning in Washington state. Amazon and other tech giants have committed to using renewable energy to meet the surging demand from data centers and artificial intelligence and address climate change.

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