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

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. Read more.

Big deal: Houston company's $2B carbon-negative fuel project to rise in Southeast Texas

Houston developer of ultra carbon-negative fuels projects Pathway Energy announced a series of commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facilities with the first being based in Port Arthur, Texas.

The project, estimated to be valued at $2 billion, will be one of the largest decarbonization projects in the world.

Pathway plans to bring commercial SAF to market with its years of experience in waste and biomass conversion processes and technologies that include biomass gasification, Fischer-Tropsch, biomass power generation, and complex biorefinery and industrial processes. Pathway will be working with companies like Sumitomo SHI FW, who will supply the project with gasification process technology packages and power production. Pathway Energy also announced a strategic partnership with Drax Global, which is a biomass feedstock provider.

"We are happy to debut with the best technology and industrial partners in the industry on a market opportunity with global significance," Steve Roberts, CEO of Pathway Energy, says in a news release. "With the ultra negative carbon intensity achieved through our process, Pathway Energy is poised to lead a global market for ultra negative fuels, driving large scale emission reductions across the aviation sector." Read more.

Listen in: This Houston innovator's innovative corrosion detection tech is vital to the future of energy

Houston-based Corrolytics approach is to help revolutionize and digitize microbial corrosion detection — both to improves efficiency and operational cost for industrial companies, but also to move the needle on a cleaner future for the energy industry.

"We are having an energy transition — that is a given. As we are bringing new energy, there will be growth of infrastructure to them. Every single path for the energy transition, corrosion will play a primary role as well," Anwar Sadek, co-founder and CEO of Corrolytics, says on the Houston Innovators Podcast.

The technology Sadek and his team have created is a tool to detect microbial corrosion — a major problem for industrial businesses, especially within the energy sector. Sadek describes the product as being similar to a testing hit a patient would use at home or in a clinic setting to decipher their current ailments. Read more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

• On December 9, a uniquely Houston event — Pumps & Pipes — will pull together experts across Houston's core industries, including energy, health care, and aerospace, for a one-day symposium.
• Energy Tech Nexus and its partners are putting on its Jingle Mingle and the Houston Tech & Energytech Extravaganza on Dec. 11. Tickets are available online.

Big deal: Aramco bets on carbon capture technology for gas turbines

Integrated energy and chemicals company Aramco has signed a collaboration agreement with Carbon Clean and SAMSUNG E&A in an effort to showcase new carbon capture technology.

The technology demonstration will be used to deploy Carbon Clean’s novel CycloneCC technology to capture CO2 from natural gas turbine exhaust streams containing approximately 4 percent CO2, according to Aramco.

Carbon Clean, which U.S. headquarters are located in Houston at the Ion, boasts technology that has captured nearly two million tons of carbon dioxide at almost 50 sites around the world. Aramco’s U.S. headquarters is also in Houston. Continue reading.

Now streaming: Houston founder on driving the future of geothermal energy, storage

Cindy Taff, co-founder and CEO of Sage GeoSystems, has emerged as a visionary leader in the energy transition, recently named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business for 2024. Under her leadership, Sage is not only advancing geothermal energy innovation but also redefining how energy storage can support a renewable-powered grid.

In a recent Energy Tech Startups Podcast episode, Taff discussed the evolution of Sage GeoSystems, the challenges of scaling hard tech solutions, and the opportunities presented by geothermal and pumped hydro energy storage. Her insights reflect the unique perspective of a founder bridging oil and gas expertise with renewable energy innovation. Continue reading and listen to the podcast episode.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

• Pitch your cleantech solution to members of both the Antwerp and Houston ecosystem at the Antwerp-Houston Innovation Mission: Cleantech Pitching Event on Tuesday, December 3, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Ion.
• On December 4-5, Reuters is hosting its Energy Transition North America 2024, for key decision makers in the industry wanting to learn how to build collaborative pathways to modernize infrastructure, futureproof assets, and more.
• The Greater Houston Partnership is putting on its Upskill Works: Energy & Energy Transition in its workforce-focused series on Wednesday, December 4. It's open to both members and non-members.
• On December 9, a uniquely Houston event — Pumps & Pipes — will pull together experts across Houston's core industries, including energy, health care, and aerospace, for a one-day symposium.
• Energy Tech Nexus and its partners are putting on its Jingle Mingle and the Houston Tech & Energytech Extravaganza on Dec. 11. Tickets are available online.

Big deal: Houston energy transition SPAC goes public

Houston-based CO2 Energy Transition Corp. — a “blank check” company initially targeting the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) sector — closed November 22 on its IPO, selling 6 million units at $10 apiece.

“Blank check” companies are formally known as special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). A SPAC aims to complete a merger, acquisition, share exchange, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination in certain business sectors. CO2 Energy Transition will target companies valued at $150 million to $250 million. Read more.

Houston group secures contract for major clean ammonia project in Louisiana

Houston-headquartered McDermott has received a new contract on a Louisiana clean ammonia project.

Clean energy development company Clean Hydrogen Works tapped McDermott for the front-end engineering and design contract for the Ascension Clean Energy Project. ACE — located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana — is jointly developed by CHW with strategic shareholders ExxonMobil, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Hafnia and is expected to initially produce 2.4 million metric tons per annum of clean ammonia and expand to total 7.2 million metric tons per annum production down the road.

"This collaboration further strengthens key competitive advantages of our project, including being a mega module capable site with ready infrastructure access to gas, shipping and CCS, an unmatched shareholder base with expertise in CCS and maritime transport, and an experienced team with demonstrated success in executing mega module projects,” Johnny Cook, CHW senior vice president of engineering, procurement, and construction, says. Read more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

• On December 4-5, Reuters is hosting its Energy Transition North America 2024, for key decision makers in the industry wanting to learn how to build collaborative pathways to modernize infrastructure, futureproof assets, and more.
• The Greater Houston Partnership is putting on its Upskill Works: Energy & Energy Transition in its workforce-focused series on Wednesday, December 4. It's open to both members and non-members.
• On December 9, a uniquely Houston event — Pumps & Pipes — will pull together experts across Houston's core industries, including energy, health care, and aerospace, for a one-day symposium.
• Energy Tech Nexus and its partners are putting on its Jingle Mingle and the Houston Tech & Energytech Extravaganza on Dec. 11. Tickets are available online.

Who's who: 3 Houstonians named to Time Magazine's list of climate leaders

Three Houston executives — Andrew Chang, Tim Latimer, and Cindy Taff — have been named to Time magazine’s prestigious list of the 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business for 2024.

Read more about what these innovators are doing across geothermal energy, sustainable fuels, and energy storage. Click here.

From Houston to India: Rice University's newest global partnership

Rice University is launching Rice Global India, which is a strategic initiative to expand India’s rapidly growing education and technology sectors.

The new hub is expected to help advance research initiatives, student and faculty exchanges and collaborations in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and sustainable energy.

“India is a country of tremendous opportunity, one where we see the potential to make a meaningful impact through collaboration in research, innovation and education,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches says. Read more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

• Taking place in Downtown Houston November 19 to 20, the Global Clean Hydrogen Summit will provide project developers, buyers, and financiers with the information they need to establish winning strategies for global clean hydrogen markets.
• The Ion is hosting Dan Ammann, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions for a fireside chat on November 21.
• On December 4-5, Reuters is hosting its Energy Transition North America 2024, for key decision makers in the industry wanting to learn how to build collaborative pathways to modernize infrastructure, futureproof assets, and more.
• The Greater Houston Partnership is putting on its Upskill Works: Energy & Energy Transition in its workforce-focused series on Wednesday, December 4. It's open to both members and non-members.
• Energy Tech Nexus and its partners are putting on its Jingle Mingle and the Houston Tech & Energytech Extravaganza on Dec. 11. Tickets are available online.

Big raise: Helix Earth secures $5.6M seed led by local investor

A Houston startup with clean tech originating out of NASA has secured millions in funding.

Helix Earth Technologies closed an oversubscribed $5.6 million seed funding led by Houston-based research and investment firm Veriten. Anthropocene Ventures, Semilla Capital, and others including individual investors also participated in the round.

“This investment will empower the Helix Earth team to accelerate the development and deployment of our first groundbreaking hardware technology designed to disrupt a significant portion of the commercial air conditioning market, an industry that is ready for innovation,” Rawand Rasheed, Helix Earth co-founder and CEO, says in a news release. Continue reading.

Podcast: Sujatha Kumar of Dsider on helping startups bridge the critical gap between vision and execution

What if the future of clean energy wasn’t just about invention, but execution? For Sujatha Kumar, CEO of Dsider, success in clean tech hinges on more than groundbreaking technology—it’s about empowering founders with the tools to make their innovations viable, scalable, and economically sound.

Through Dsider’s techno-economic analysis (TEA) platform, Kumar is helping startups bridge the critical gap between vision and execution, ensuring they can navigate complex markets with confidence.

In a recent episode of the Energy Tech Startups Podcast, Kumar shared her insights on the growing importance of TEA in the hard tech space. While clean energy innovation promises transformative solutions, the challenge lies in proving both technical feasibility and economic sustainability. Kumar argues that many early-stage founders, especially in fields like carbon capture, microgrids, and renewable energy, lack the necessary financial tools to assess market fit and long-term profitability—a gap Dsider aims to fill. Read more and listen to the episode.