Houston
INVESTOR HIGHLIGHT:
Launching and Scaling Softeq Venture Studio with Texas Entrepreneur, Chris Howard
Startup Scene
As the largest city in Texas and fourth largest in the country, as well as one of the most diverse cities in the nation, Houston offers a strong startup economy that attracts innovative corporations, sophisticated venture capitalists, and top-tier founders alike.
The city is now considered the third fastest growing tech ecosystem for early-stage companies in the country. Houston startups collected over $2 Billion in funding in 2021, with an emphasis on energy transition, life sciences, aerospace and aviation, and B:B software related startups.
Venture Community
Houston’s venture community is growing at a rapid pace with over 150 investors across accelerators, incubators, early-stage capital, growth capital, and corporate venture capital. Large corporations such as LyondellBasell, Shell Ventures, Insperity, and NRG are contributing to an ever-growing Houston tech ecosystem through their venture capital strategies. These and other innovative corporate and financial investors focus on investing in startups addressing the energy transition, healthcare, and broad B2B software opportunities among many others.
The highly anticipated Venture Houston conference is an annual experience hosted by HX Venture Fund intending to connect innovative corporates, VC investors, startups and others in the tech ecosystem and is not to be missed.
And of course the Texas Venture Crawl, the largest Texas event featuring the greater venture capital community of startup support, is hosted by the Ion in Houston. From their website: Located at 4201 Main St. in the heart of Ion District, the Ion building is the namesake centerpiece of Houston’s innovation corridor, bringing our city’s entrepreneurial, corporate, and academic communities into collaborative spaces and programs where ideas go to grow.
Business Environment
As the energy capital of the world, Houston has the opportunity to lead the energy transition and is forging a path for the future of energy through collaborative efforts such as the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and housing the second location of Greentown Labs.
The city is also home to the world’s largest medical center, the Texas Medical Center, attracting startups, investors, and other world class experts addressing innovation in medical technology. Additionally, Houston’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico has allowed it to become a major player in international trade and drawn hundreds of foreign-owned companies to relocate.
Culture
With over 6 million residents from all over the country and the world, the culture of Houston comprises about 90 languages, a multicultural and innovative food landscape, a rich artistic scene (art, music, dance, theatre etc.), multiple museums, and remarkable architecture.
The rich sports culture of Houston stems from the different professional teams like baseball, football, basketball, and more. A true cultural hub, Houston boasts some of the best restaurants, shops, neighborhoods and festivals that reflect its global community.
Co-authored by Aleece Hobson, Venture Partner from HX Venture Fund, and Louisa McCartney, Chief of Staff at Venture Dallas
Texas Spotlight:
Adrianne Stone, founder of the Bayou City Startups Happy Hour, recently began organizing regular get togethers in Houston’s venture and founder community. She tells us about a few early success stories with these gatherings, and shares her unique professional background:
"We had an investor from out of state come last month specifically just to meet Houston founders-- he'd heard about the event from someone local and wanted to get plugged into the ecosystem. Also, a founder who has been coming to the last few events was introduced to a potential lead investor for her pre-seed round.”
Read more here.
“Houston is a city powered by an ethos of innovation and a culture of collaboration. It is a city where no matter who you are or where you are from, you can be someone. And more than that, you can be part of something: you can meet other creatives, across many different sectors, who come together to build not just a different future, but a better one. Every better way needs a place to begin, and what better place to begin than here!”
Dr. Christine Galib, Senior Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at The Ion; Author