10 Houston startups start 2023 with fresh venture capital funding - InnovationMap

Houston-based virtual world startup raises $3.2M successful archetypal extracurricular superior round

VR grooming startup, HTX Labs, has raised backing from an extracurricular capitalist for the archetypal time. Courtesy of HTX Labs

HTX Labs, a Houston-based institution that designs extended world grooming for subject and concern purposes, announced past week that it has raised its archetypal extracurricular capital.

The institution has received a $3.2 cardinal concern from Cypress Growth Capital. Founded successful 2017, HTX Labs — developer of the EMPACT Immersive Learning Platform — has been granted backing from the Department of Defense arsenic good arsenic grown its lawsuit basal of commercialized Enterprises. The level uses virtual and extended world that "enables organizations to rapidly create, deploy, measure, and prolong cost-effective, secure, and centralized immersive grooming programs, each wrong engaging, afloat interactive virtual environments," per a quality release.

“We person been looking to unafraid extracurricular superior to accelerate the maturation of our EMPACT level and lawsuit basal but we hadn’t recovered the close spouse who provided an concern conveyance that matched our needs,“ says HTX Labs CEO Scott Schneider successful the release. “We recovered everything we were looking for successful Cypress Growth Capital. They person a non-dilutive backing exemplary that aligns with our superior expectations and person the level of acquisition that truly makes this astute money." Read more.

Houston-based question tech startup raises astir $1M to proceed expansion

A Houston institution has raised further backing arsenic it grows its encrypted lodging booking platform. Photo via Gustavo Fring/Pexels

A question booking exertion institution that's looking to alleviate immoderate of the stresses of uncovering and making edifice reservations has raised further effect funding.

Houston-based Pinktada has raised further backing to the tune of $975,000. Ireland-based Selenean Capital contributed to the effect backing round, joining the company's erstwhile capitalist True Global Ventures 4 Plus, which has invested $2 cardinal to date. According to Crunchbase data, the latest concern brings the company's full to $3.9 million.

“Selenean Capital’s attack to concern is identifying existent satellite aboriginal needs and past moving relentlessly to execute those goals," says Davin Browne, Selenean’s CEO, successful a quality release. "Pinktada encapsulates this perfectly with a transformational attack to the edifice booking exemplary built astir a superb team. We look guardant to the concern and travel with them." Read more.

Houston microgrid tech institution announces $150 investment

Houston-based VoltaGrid provides small-scale, self-contained microgrids that tin run independently of large powerfulness grids oregon successful tandem with different microgrids. Photo via voltagrid.com

VoltaGrid, a Bellaire-based startup that specializes successful distributed powerfulness procreation via microgrids, has hauled successful $150 cardinal successful equity funding.

Founded successful 2020, VoltaGrid provides small-scale, self-contained microgrids that tin run independently of large powerfulness grids oregon successful tandem with different microgrids. VoltaGrid’s merchandise consists of earthy state engines, portable vigor storage, earthy state processing and grid powerfulness connectivity.

Investors successful the $150 cardinal circular see the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), Longbow Capital, Walter Ventures, and Pilot Company (operator of much than 800 retail and fueling locations successful the U.S. and Canada). The $150 cardinal circular comes little than a twelvemonth aft VoltaGrid announced a $100 cardinal circular featuring the aforesaid investors.Read more.

Houston SaaS institution raises $15M bid B, announces latest release

Houston-based GoCo.io has raised caller backing and launched the latest mentation of its platform. Courtesy of GoCo

A Houston startup that is optimizing quality assets operations for tiny businesses has raised caller backing from an Austin-based task superior investor.

GoCo.io raised $15 cardinal successful September successful a backing circular led by ATX Venture Partners. Founded successful 2015, the institution has raised $27.5 cardinal to date, including its $7 cardinal bid A successful 2019.

The caller backing volition beryllium utilized to proceed expanding connected the company's bundle services operations and upgrades to its product, which is is modernizing HR, benefits, and payroll.

“We judge that GoCo is the institution champion positioned to supply HR departments astatine SMBs with the astir flexible worker absorption software,” says Chris Shonk, wide spouse astatine ATX Venture Partners, successful a quality release. “In a crowded marketplace, GoCo intelligibly rises to the apical with its ease-of-use, flexibility and unparalleled customization. Read more.

Houston tech startup raises $3.5M pursuing manufacture expansion

Rivalry Tech's co-founders — Marshall Law and Aaron Knape — stock quality of the company's latest circular of investment. Photo courtesy of Rivalry Tech

A Houston-based institution that optimizes mobile ordering for ample venues has closed its latest circular of funding.

Rivalry Tech, primitively founded arsenic sEATz and tackling mobile ordering successful sports venues, has raised $3.5 cardinal pursuing expanding with a caller product, myEATz, that targets the wellness care, leisure, and concern industries. The circular was led by Houston-based Sightcast, with information from Houston-based Softeq Venture Studio, Rice University’s Valhalla Investment Group, and more.

“Sightcast Capital Partners looks to put successful strong, founder-led companies that bring a forward-thinking solution to mundane problems," says Neal Simpson, managing spouse of Sightcast Capital Partners, successful a quality release. "In Rivalry Tech, we saw a squad that recognized an accidental to streamline the mode successful which nutrient and beverage transactions hap successful the healthcare, leisure, sports, and amusement markets. Their two-sided attack of utilizing exertion arsenic a instrumentality to summation vendor profitability and besides positively power user acquisition is what instantly attracted america to this opportunity." Read more.

Houston unicorn chemicals institution raises $200M bid D

Solugen closed its bid D backing circular astatine $200 million. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based Solugen has announced its latest circular of concern to the tune of $200 million. The company, which reached unicorn presumption aft its $357 cardinal bid C circular past year, uses its patented Bioforge processes to nutrient "green" chemicals from bio-based feedstocks.

"Solugen is reimagining the chemistry of mundane beingness with enzymes recovered successful nature. We marque chemicals better, faster, cheaper, and without fossil fuels from close present successful Houston, Texas. Whether you attraction astir the climate, section competitiveness, oregon conscionable plain aged profits, we person bully news: it's working," the institution states successful its quality release. Read more.

Houston institution closes $76M bid C circular to substance its ngo of reducing c emissions

Syzygy Plasmonics has raised a bid C circular of funding. Photo courtesy of Syzygy

A Houston-based institution that is electrifying chemic manufacturing has closed its largest circular of backing to date.

Syzygy Plasmonics closed a $76 million bid C financing circular led by New York-based Carbon Direct Capital. The circular included information from Aramco Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, LOTTE CHEMICAL, and Toyota Ventures. The company's existing investors joining the circular included EVOK Innovations, The Engine, Equinor Ventures, Goose Capital, Horizons Ventures, Pan American Energy, and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas. According to a quality release, Carbon Direct Capital volition articulation Syzygy's committee and service arsenic the bid C director.

"We were precise attracted to the aggregate usage cases for the Syzygy reactor and the lifetime-value of each Syzygy customer," says Jonathan Goldberg, Carbon Direct Capital's CEO, successful the release. "Emissions from hydrogen accumulation full much than 900 cardinal metric tons of c dioxide per year. Syzygy's photocatalysis exertion is simply a cardinal solution to decarbonize hydrogen accumulation arsenic good arsenic different captious industries." Read more.

Houston SaaS startup raises $6M seed

Houston-based SynMax has closed its archetypal circular of funding. Photo via Getty Images

A Houston-based outer information analytics institution is celebrating an oversubscribed circular of caller funding.

SynMax announced this week that it closed its effect circular astatine $6 cardinal with an oversubscription of $2 million. The startup is providing geospatial quality bundle arsenic a work to customers wrong the vigor and maritime industries. The exertion combines world reflection imagery and cardinal information sources for predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.

The institution reports that each of the concern came from SynMax customers. The circular was led by Houston-based Skylar Capital, an concern absorption steadfast focused connected the earthy state market. Read more.

Houston wellness tech startup secures $27M successful financing

A Houston startup that created a distant monitoring and attraction level has raised millions successful financing. Image via michealthcare.com

A virtual wellness attraction and analytics supplier startup has closed its latest circular of backing for a full of $27 cardinal successful financing.

Medical Informatics Corp. closed a $17 cardinal bid B co-led by Maryland-based Catalio Capital Management and California-based Intel Capital. The financing besides includes an further $10 cardinal successful indebtedness led by Catalio done Catalio’s structured equity strategy, according to a quality release.

“We are excited to person had this circular co-led by Catalio and Intel Capital," says Emma Fauss, CEO and co-founder of MIC, successful the release. "Catalio brings important fiscal and method resources, portion Intel Capital possesses beardown operational and manufacture experience, and we look guardant to continuing to leverage some firms’ expertise arsenic we proceed to scale.” Read more.

Houston sportstech level raises $1.3M effect round

This Houston startup has caller backing to physique retired its information quality platform. Photo via aim7.com

How galore times person you forced yourself to bash an arduous workout erstwhile you conscionable weren’t feeling it? Despite what immoderate trainers volition archer you, you astir apt didn’t consciousness immoderate amended after. Sports idiosyncratic Dr. Erik Korem could person told you that, but much importantly, truthful could his creation, AIM7.

Marketed arsenic “the fastest, easiest mode to alteration your habits and amended your health,” Korem conscionable raised a $1.3 cardinal effect circular that volition bring his ambitious app to consumers successful its beta signifier aboriginal adjacent month.

The information quality level would cognize that connected a time that you’re stressed, that Peloton tabata thrust mightiness not beryllium successful your champion interest. How? “The information from your Apple Watch oregon your Fitbit is conscionable data. ‘I walked 7000 steps oregon I slept 8 hours,’” explains Korem. “We are the proposal motor that makes this usable for you.” Read more.