A Houston-based medtech startup with an innovative tool that's aiming to transform lung cancer intervention has closed its series A extension round.| InnovationMap
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Japan’s TOPPAN Holdings Inc. have formed a joint venture to co-develop TOPPAN Holdings’ 3D cell culture, or organoid, technology known as invivoid.| InnovationMap
Three companies based in the Houston area appear on Fortune’s inaugural list of the top adopters of AI among Fortune 500 companies. The three companies are: No. 7 energy company ExxonMobil, based in Spring No. 7 tech company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, based in Spring No. 47 energy company Chevron, based in Houston All three companies have taken a big dive into the AI pool. In 2024, ExxonMobil’s executive chairman and CEO, Darren Woods, explained that AI would play a key role in achieving...| InnovationMap
Two University of Houston science projects have been selected as finalists for the Gulf Futures Challenge, which will award a total of $50 million to develop ideas that help benefit the Gulf Coast. Sponsored by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Gulf Coast Research Program and Lever for Change, the competition is designed to spark innovation around problems in the Gulf Coast, such as rising sea levels, pollution, energy security, and community resiliency. The two ...| InnovationMap
For soccer mom Lana Chase, weekends were a whirlwind of cleats, carpooling, and cheering from the sidelines. Now that her daughter Miah graduated high school in May, the Chase Family’s love for the game hasn't stopped. It's shifted to their living room, where Comcast’s new Xfinity streaming platform brings the global game home. “We’re a soccer family through and through,” says Chase. “Miah played soccer from about age 8 until 16, and we love the World Cup! Xfinity makes it easy fo...| InnovationMap
Houston-based digital advance care planning company Koda Health has closed an oversubscribed $7 million series A funding round. The round, led by Evidenced, with participation from Mudita Venture Partners, Techstars and Texas Medical Center, will allow the company to scale operations and expand engineering, clinical strategy and customer success, according to a news release. “This funding allows us to create more goals-of-care product lines, expand our national footprint, and bring goal-con...| InnovationMap
Several prominent cancer researchers are coming to the Houston area thanks to $22 million in grants recently awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).| InnovationMap
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has given the go-ahead to the Dallas-based Texas Stock Exchange to operate as a national securities exchange, clearing the way for the TXSE to begin trading stocks and exchange-traded products by early 2026. TXSE is the first fully integrated national securities exchange to receive SEC approval in decades. A release calls it "a milestone decision" that restores competition in America's public markets. The organization has already laid the groundwork...| InnovationMap
Editor's note: Houston's October calendar is packed with informative and impactful events—plus a few fun ones, too. From the fourth annual Tejano Tech Summit to the first-ever Ion Family Tech Festival, here's what not to miss and how to register. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional event listings. Oct. 3 — Houston Methodist Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium The Houston Methodist Joy in Medicine Initiative Symposium will explore the power of connection in enha...| InnovationMap
AI investments are booming in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott says. And Houston is poised to benefit from this surge. At a recent Texas Economic Development Corp. gathering in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Abbott said AI projects on the horizon in the Lone Star State would be bigger than the $500 billion multistate Project Stargate, according to the Dallas Business Journal. So far, Stargate includes three AI data centers in Texas. Stargate, a new partnership among OpenAI, Oracle, Softbank, and the fede...| InnovationMap
Editor's note: We're looking back at the top Houston innovation news for the second half of September. Catch up on the latest from the Ion District, Oxy, Eli Lilly, and more. Here are the five most-read InnovationMap stories from September 15-30: 1. Houston's Ion District to expand with new research and tech space, The Arc Houston's Ion District is set to expand with the addition of a nearly 200,000-square-foot research and technology facility, The Arc at the Ion District. Rice Real Estate Co...| InnovationMap
NASA has selected 10 new astronaut candidates, including one whose hometown is Houston, for its 2025 training class. The candidates will undergo nearly two years of training before they can assume flight assignments. The 10 future astronauts were introduced during a recent ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, whose facilities include an astronaut training center. NASA received more than 8,000 applications for the 10 slots. “Representing America’s best and brightest, this astronaut c...| InnovationMap
Editor's note: Judging is now underway for the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards, and before we reveal this year's finalists, it's time to meet the decision makers. Our 2025 judging panel comprises past award winners who represent a variety of industries and areas of expertise. They are joined by InnovationMap's editorial leaders, past and present. All are deeply engaged in the Houston innovation ecosystem. Our judging panel will review all nominee applications submitted across 10 prestigious ca...| InnovationMap
Editor's note: Houston innovators made headlines this month with carbon capture breakthroughs, a cost-effective Parkinson's treatment, and workspace wellness products. Read more about these recent breakthroughs, developments, and launches — and the innovators behind them — below. Emmie Casey and Tomi Kuye, Rice University Two Rice University undergraduate engineering students have developed a non-invasive vibrotactile glove that aims to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease thro...| InnovationMap
A team of Rice University scientists has developed a new drug delivery platform that researchers say can slow the rate of drug release, which has major implications for drug efficacy and potentially cancer immunotherapy. The research was published in Nature Nanotechnology, and supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and the Welch Foundation. In the study, the team demonstrated how a peptide hydrogel...| InnovationMap
Two of Houston's biggest medical institutions – Houston Methodist and MD Anderson Cancer Center – have just landed top-50 spots on Forbes' new ranking of "America's Best Employers for Company Culture." The report highlighted eight more Houston-area companies for their inspiring company culture. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey over 218,000 workers at companies with at least 1,000 employees throughout the U.S, and relied on data from the past three years of emp...| InnovationMap
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. plans to build a $6.5 billion manufacturing plant at Houston’s Generation Park. More than 300 locations in the U.S. competed for the factory. The Houston site will be the first major pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Texas, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. Lilly said it plans to hire 615 full-time workers for the 236-acre plant, including engineers, scientists and lab technicians. The company will collaborate with local colleges and un...| InnovationMap
NASA has granted Houston-based Bastion Technologies Inc. the Safety and Mission Assurance II (SMAS II) award with a maximum potential value of $400 million. The award stipulates that the engineering and technical services company provide safety and mission services for the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, according to a release from NASA. In the deal, Bastion’s services include system safety, reliability, maintainability, software assurance, quality engineerin...| InnovationMap
A team from the University of Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center is working to find early markers for ovarian cancer. Backed by a $1.2 million Department of Defense grant, a team led by Tianfu Wu, associate professor of biomedical engineering at UH, is studying autoantibodies that target a tumor suppressor gene that's often mutated in cancers and serves as an early marker of ovarian cancer development. According to UH, the majority of women with ovarian cancer (70 percent and 75 percent) a...| InnovationMap
A team of researchers at the University of Houston has made two breakthroughs in addressing climate change and potentially reducing the cost of capturing harmful emissions from power plants. Led by Professor Mim Rahimi at UH’s Cullen College of Engineering, the team released two significant publications that made significant strides relating to carbon capture processes. The first, published in Nature Communications, introduced a membraneless electrochemical process that cuts energy requirem...| InnovationMap
CNSide Diagnostic's CSF assay tests cerebrospinal fluid for cancers that have metastasized to the spine or brain.| InnovationMap
Houston-based Bot Auto, an autonomous trucking company, has completed its first test run without human assistance. Bot Auto conducted the test in Houston. “The truck operated seamlessly within its defined operational domain with no one in the cab or remote assistance, navigating real-world traffic conditions,” the company said in a news release. “The run was executed at sunset, successfully navigating day and night operations.” Bot Auto, a transportation-as-a-service startup, added th...| InnovationMap
Houston's William P. Hobby Airport is generating its own clean energy. Houston Aiports 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 dire...| InnovationMap
Seven institutions in the Houston area have lost nearly $60 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that were aimed at funding health research. The Science & Community Impacts Mapping Project identified 37 cancelled or frozen NIH grants worth $58.7 million that were awarded to seven Houston-area institutions. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston suffered the biggest loss — five grants totaling nearly $44.8 million. The Harvard University T.H. Chan Schoo...| InnovationMap
Comcast Business (CB) powers businesses of every size with fast and reliable phone, mobile, internet, cybersecurity, and television services. Houston’s local CB team also stands behind entrepreneurs and small businesses, knowing they’re the heart of thriving communities: driving growth, sparking innovation, and creating jobs close to home. Magnolia hometown favorite Chill Milkshake and Waffle Bar was the site of Comcast Business’ latest road trip to treat customers to a cool and refresh...| InnovationMap
Houston- and Boston-based Square Robot Inc.'s newest tank inspection robot is commercially available and certified to operate at extreme temperatures. The new robot, known as the SR-3HT, can operate from 14°F to 131°F, representing a broader temperature range than previous models in the company's portfolio. According to the company, its previous temperature range reached 32°F to 104°F. The new robot has received the NEC/CEC Class I Division 2 (C1D2) certification from FM Approvals, allowi...| InnovationMap
Houston's Ion District is set to expand with the addition of a nearly 200,000-square-foot research and technology facility, The Arc at the Ion District. Rice Real Estate Company and Lincoln Property Company are expected to break ground on the state-of-the-art facility in Q2 2026 with a completion target set for Q1 2028, according to a news release. Rice University, the new facility's lead tenant, will occupy almost 30,000 square feet of office and lab space in The Arc, which will share a plaz...| InnovationMap
Rice University’s Office of Technology Transfer has signed a subscription agreement with California-based Intel Corp., giving the global company access to Rice’s research portfolio and the opportunity to license select patented innovations. “By partnering with Intel, we are creating opportunities for our research to make a tangible impact in the technology sector,” Patricia Stepp, assistant vice president for technology transfer, said in a news release. Intel will pay Rice an annual s...| InnovationMap
A team of engineers and pediatric surgeons led by Rice University’s Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies has developed a cost-effective treatment for infants born with gastroschisis, a congenital condition in which intestines and other organs are developed outside of the body. The condition can be life-threatening in economically disadvantaged regions without access to equipment. The Rice-developed device, known as SimpleSilo, is “simple, low-cost and locally manufacturable,...| InnovationMap
Editor's note: As we look back at the top Houston innovation news for the first half of September, reports show that Texas is one of the hardest working states, while local startup activity has slowed down. Plus, exciting medical innovation advancements. Here are the most-read InnovationMap stories from September 1-14. 1. Texas is the 4th hardest working state in America, report finds It's no secret that Texans are hardworking people. To align with the recent Labor Day holiday, a new WalletHu...| InnovationMap
Houston-based Occidental Petroleum is gearing up to start removing CO2 from the atmosphere at its $1.3 billion direct air capture (DAC) project in the Midland-Odessa area. Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, said during the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call that the Stratos project — being developed by carbon capture and sequestration subsidiary 1PointFive — is on track to begin capturing CO2 later this year. “We are immensely proud of the achievements to date a...| InnovationMap
A new sports center booking app CatchCorner, powered by Sports Illustrated, enables sports enthusiasts in Houston to seamlessly secure a spot for a quick game without membership fees. It soft-launched in Houston this spring and, according to co-founder and chief operating officer Maya Azouri, has been a huge success. "The Houston expansion has been jaw-dropping," she said. "Up until now, CatchCorner’s launch in New York City had been our most successful market, but Houston has launched on p...| InnovationMap
America's wealthiest billionaires are $1.2 trillion richer in 2025, bringing their collective worth to a staggering $6.6 trillion. And Houston's own Richard Kinder has become the richest billionaire in the city, according to the new Forbes 400. The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian. The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the weal...| InnovationMap
Memberships run $100/month and include 24/7 access.| InnovationMap
Following a “generous philanthropic gift” by Farid and Asha Virani, the undergraduate business program at Rice University will be named after the family. The building where the business program is housed, McNair Hall, will remain unchanged.| InnovationMap
A Houston energy tech startup has raised a $21.5 million series a round of funding to support the advancement of its automated technology that converts field wastes into stable carbon.| InnovationMap
Rice University can barely keep up with the interest of students in entrepreneurial classes and programming — even in the summer.| InnovationMap
Researchers at Rice University are making cleaner water through the use of nanotech.| InnovationMap
Undergraduate students from Rice University were awarded the top prize in a health innovation challenge.| InnovationMap
After receiving applications from over 440 startups from around the world, the Rice Business Plan Competition has named 54 startups to compete in the 2021 event.| InnovationMap
SeebeckCell Technologies University of Texas at ArlingtonFor the 20th year, the Rice Business Plan Competition has awarded prizes and investments to student-led startups from around the ward. While this year's competition was postponed and virtually held, the show went on with 42 startups pitching v| InnovationMap
Taking control of your health can be a difficult path to walk on your own. A new startup, created by eight female Rice University students, is aimed at wading through the health care system.| InnovationMap
If you haven't noticed, the moon is having a bit of a moment — and Tim Crain of Intuitive Machines is here for it.| InnovationMap
Houston-based space exploration company Intuitive Machines soon will be the Uber of space.| InnovationMap
A privately owned lunar lander touched down near the moon’s south pole Thursday, but as the minutes ticked by, flight controllers could not confirm its condition or whether it was upright.| InnovationMap
Lively Houston has regained its rightful place among the top 50 best cities in the world, according to a prestigious new report by Resonance Consultancy.| InnovationMap
Houston has received a big thumbs-up in a new study ranking the country’s top metro areas for life sciences companies to launch or grow.| InnovationMap
Flex office space is finding favor with businesses in Houston.| InnovationMap
A major technology solutions company announced its relocating it's Houston-based subsidiary to a bigger space. Fortune 100 company Honeywell has executed a long-term lease at CityWestPlace for Honeywell Process Solutions.| InnovationMap
Of the top 25 United States metros ranked as the best for life science, Houston came in at lucky No. 13.| InnovationMap
Fannin Partners has done it again. The Houston-based life science development group behind medtech companies Procyrion and Allterum Therapeutics announced yesterday that it has launched Radiomer Therapeutics.| InnovationMap
Using technology to solve big problems has always been Kelly Pracht's career, but she never thought she'd be able use her skills for the sports world she's a lifelong fan of.| InnovationMap
Rice University played host this week to the 12th annual Texas Life Science Forum, where life science leaders and startup founders could network, learn and present pitches on their solutions to a wide array of health-related issues.| InnovationMap
A Houston immuno-oncology company has recently made major headway with the FDA, including both a fast track and an orphan drug designation. It will soon start a phase 2 trial of its promising cancer fighting innovation.| InnovationMap
A Houston-headquartered space tech company that's working on technology to enable hypersonic travel has announced a partnership with NASA to test its tech.| InnovationMap
Two astronauts recently received Presidential Medals of Freedom from President Joe Biden for their leadership in space.| InnovationMap
Houston continues to prove it hosts the best of the best employers in Texas as NASA tops Forbes' 2023 list of "America’s Best Employers By State."| InnovationMap
Two Houston space tech companies are suiting up thanks to an expanded relationship with NASA.| InnovationMap
While the world rushes to find a COVID-19 vaccine, scientists from the University of Houston have found a way to trap and kill the virus — instantly.| InnovationMap
Researchers across the country are focusing on all things COVID-19 — from biotherapies and treatment to vaccines and prevention. A handful of researchers based out of the University of Houston are doing their best to move the needle on a cure or reliable vaccine.| InnovationMap
Trending Houston tech and startup articles from InnovationMap and its daily newsletter included a few reports ranking Houston and its influential companies, new funding for a digital health care platform, and more.| InnovationMap
A Houston-born COVID-19 vaccine has gotten the go-ahead to be produced and distributed in Indonesia.| InnovationMap
A vodka distiller based in Austin has sent funds to a Houston research group that's working on a vaccine to fight the coronavirus.| InnovationMap
Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine has received a total of $12 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas to attract two prominent researchers.| InnovationMap
It's 2024 and women are still making less money than men, thus keeping the unfortunate reality of the wage gap alive. But at least in Houston, the wage gap isn't as bad as other Texas cities, according to a new earnings study by Chamber of Commerce.| InnovationMap
Ramanan Krishnamoorti has had a varied career in academia, from an engineering professor to nanotech research. While he never made the transition from researcher to entrepreneur, he managed to snag a CEO title at the university about a decade ago: Chief energy officer.| InnovationMap
In this week's roundup of Houston innovators to know, I'm introducing you to three local innovators across industries — from investment to biodesign — recently making headlines in Houston innovation.| InnovationMap
A Houston organization announced that it plans to launch six more experiments into space next year that look to learn more about everything from motion sickness to genome alterations during space travel.| InnovationMap
A groundbreaking new institution is coming to Houston Methodist.| InnovationMap
Eight Houston companies have been named to Fortune’s third annual list of America’s Most Innovative Companies, joining another 16 from the state of Texas.| InnovationMap
Dozens of Houston-based companies have undergone explosive growth in revenue over the last few years, with one such business landing near the top of the prestigious 2023 Inc. 5000 list.| InnovationMap
by the numbers| InnovationMap
One hundred businesses in the Houston area — including the top-ranked company in Texas — have been named to the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of the country’s fastest-growing private companies.| InnovationMap
Dozens of Houston-area businesses appear in this year’s Inc. 5000 ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., with a security software provider capturing the region’s No. 1 spot on the list.| InnovationMap
Rice University and Houston Methodist have established through a multi-year joint effort the Digital Health Institute, which aims to transform healthcare through advanced technology and the collaborative expertises of the university and hospital.| InnovationMap
Bioengineers at Rice University have developed a “new construction kit” for building custom sense-and-respond circuits in human cells, representing a major breakthrough in the field of synthetic biology, which could "revolutionize" autoimmune disease and cancer therapeutics.| InnovationMap
Houston Methodist Academic Institute has named cancer clinician and scientist Dr. Jenny Chang as its new executive vice president, president, CEO, and chief academic officer.| InnovationMap
Houston-based nonprofit The Duncan Fund has awarded a $25 million gift to Houston Methodist's department of medicine to establish new endowed fellowships, streamline complex care and bring artificial intelligence into the fold to develop more personalized treatment plans.| InnovationMap
Houston Methodist is once again the top hospital in Texas.| InnovationMap
After raising a seed round of funding, an alternative materials startup is gearing up to move into its new facility.| InnovationMap
Not many adages stand the test of time quite like this one: to be the best, learn from the best.| InnovationMap
11 Houston companies have been named to the 2025 OwlSpark accelerator, which is hosted in tandem with the University of Houston’s RED Labs.| InnovationMap
Google Public Sector is teaming up with Rice University to drive early-stage artificial intelligence innovation and commercialization via the new Rice AI Venture Accelerator, or RAVA.| InnovationMap
What do labs do when faced with large amounts of imaging data? Powerful cloud computing systems have long been the answer to that question, but a new riposte comes from SPACe.| InnovationMap
A team at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, led by Dr. Kenneth Liao, successfully performed the first fully robotic heart transplant in the United States earlier this year, the Houston hospital recently shared.| InnovationMap
Here are five Houston innovators to know right now.| InnovationMap
Imagine being able to predict the future of retail sales with real-time digital breadcrumbs left behind by consumers.| InnovationMap
Pothik Chatterjee was named executive director of Rice University's and Houston Methodist's Digital Health Institute, effective May 1.| InnovationMap
Two companies known for innovation in energy and home automation, Reliant and Vivint, have teamed up to launch the Smarter Home Bundle: a powerful new offering that simplifies home energy management and enhances everyday living for Texans.With smart technology, seamless app integration, and added en...| InnovationMap
Three Houston startups were granted awards from NASA this month to develop new technologies for the space agency.| InnovationMap
Molecule has completed a successful series B round for an undisclosed amount.| InnovationMap
Innovators from the University of Houston and Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine were selected to join the prestigious National Academy of Inventors.| InnovationMap
An educational technology company based out of Rice University has received $90 million to create and lead a research and development hub for inclusive learning and education research. It's the largest research award in the history of the university.| InnovationMap
An assistant professor at Rice University has won one of the highly competitive National Science Foundation's CAREER Awards.| InnovationMap
Another Houston scientist has won one of the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Awards.| InnovationMap
Since the Houston Spaceport secured the 10th FAA-Licensed commercial spaceport designation in 2015, the development's tenants have gone on to secure billions in NASA contracts. Now, the Houston Spaceport is on to its next phase of growth.| InnovationMap
Intuitive Machines is expanding its presence at Houston Spaceport.| InnovationMap
Last month, the Ion Houston welcomed in the greater Houston community to showcase the programs and companies operating within the Ion Innovation District — and the week-long Ion Activation Festival spotlighted just the beginning.| InnovationMap
It's time to look at what's on the agenda for May for Houston innovators — from pitch competitions to networking events.| InnovationMap
