26 high-impact companies represent the top startup applicants from around the world who will participate in the not-for-profits first Houston-based program. The addition of the Houston program startups extends MassChallenge Texas’ support to 100 startups this year.

Houston, Texas, July 10, 2019 – MassChallenge Texas, part of MassChallenge’s global network of zero-equity startup accelerators, today announced the 26 early-stage startups invited to participate in the first MassChallenge Texas in Houston 2019 accelerator program. The selected startups range in discipline from high tech and medical devices to sustainable energy and agriculture. Industry professionals and community members are invited to support the cohort and join the MassChallenge expert program to work directly with the Houston-based accelerator program. 

The Houston-based cohort represents the top 9% of the applicant pool from around the world, the most competitive MassChallenge Texas-based cohort to date. Selected startups will travel from 3 continents and represent: 

3 Countries 

6 US States 

5 Industries 

• 30.77% High Tech
• 30.77% Healthcare/Life Science   
• 26.92% General  
• 7.69% Energy/Clean Tech
• 3.85% Social Impact

50% Female Founded

“We have an incredibly diverse cohort of startups for our first MassChallenge Texas in Houston program. The startups cross five industries, where 50 percent of the startups come from outside of Houston bringing talent from innovation hubs like New York, San Francisco, and Switzerland. Proving that Houston’s global reach is not just for the Fortune 500 and that startups are looking for their place in the global economy, something that Houston is uniquely suited to offer,” said Jon Nordby, Managing Director of MassChallenge Texas in Houston. 

The 26 startups will join MassChallenge’s six-week accelerator program in Houston, Texas where they will receive world-class mentoring from industry experts all over the world, tailored programming, more than $250K in deals and discounts, unrivaled access to corporate partners, and  six months of complimentary office space at the MassChallenge Texas in Houston office. The accelerator will kick off on July 22 and culminates with a private event in September 2019 at the MassChallenge Texas in Houston Closing Ceremony.

“When we set out to find a partner to support our innovation initiatives, we were seeking a catalyst for Houston’s innovation ecosystem. We knew we needed an organization that matched Houston’s global reach and our passion for bringing creative ideas to life through business,” said Robert Pieroni, Director of Economic Development for Central Houston. “The more than 280 applicants that put their name in the ring for this competition represent 32 countries. The data is evidence of what we already knew to be true; Houston has all of the right ingredients to be a global innovation leader.”

MassChallenge Texas is proud to introduce Reliant, an NRG company, a nationally recognized leader for innovation in home and commercial energy, to the region’s partner network. Reliant joins the ranks of the founding, civic, and corporate partners Southwest Airlines, TMAC, WeWork, USAA, Upstream, Central Houston, the City of Houston, Lionstone, Midway, BAE Systems, BHP, Ingram Micro, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Houston Texans.

Together, MassChallenge Texas and its partners will strengthen and grow the innovation ecosystem across the state and connect the Houston ecosystem to MassChallenge’s global network of programs in Austin, Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, and Switzerland.

In 2018, MassChallenge Texas ran its first program in Austin and accelerated 84 companies that have raised more than $30M in funding, generated $20M in revenue, and created 524 jobs. In 2019, the Austin-based accelerator welcomed 74 startups to their second program and expanded to Houston where they named Jon Nordby the Managing Director. The addition of the 26 startups to the Houston program means that MassChallenge Texas will support 100 startups this year.

MassChallenge Texas will host a series of public events throughout the accelerator to directly connect the startups across the two programs with the Texas and Global community. Visit the MassChallenge Texas Facebook events page for more information about upcoming events and opportunities to meet the 2019 cohort.

MASSCHALLENGE TEXAS IN HOUSTON 2019 STARTUPS

AeroGenics (Iowa, USA) 

AeroMINE (Texas, USA): AeroMINE is a motionless wind turbine created for the building environment. It installs like solar panels but is more cost effective.

Animatus Biosciences, LLC (Texas, USA): Animatus Biosciences is an R&D company focusing on the development of unique regenerative therapeutics based on our modified mRNA platform.

Ask Doss (Texas, USA): DOSS is a Real Estate Operations System (ReOS) that will radically simplify how people search (voice activated) and transact real estate.

Bell Analytics (Texas, USA)

Bright Angle (Texas, USA): Bright Angle is a Pinterest style activity platform for teachers, students, parents, and admins that is the “chalkboard” of the 21st century

Camppedia, Inc. (Texas, USA): Camppedia plans to disrupt the $18B children’s camps industry and in the process improve the lives of millions of working parents.

Captain (Texas, USA): Captain is a user-friendly, multi-sided platform that connects outdoor sports adventurers and guides.

Celise (Virginia, USA): Celise is a compostable disposables company in the foodservice industry that aims to replace and eliminate single-use plastic waste.

Combined Arms [CAX-X] (Texas, USA): Combined Arms is a forward-thinking nonprofit that is committed to unleashing the impact of veterans on Houston.

DoBrain (Republic of Korea): DoBrain is a children’s diagnosis app that detects neuropsychological markers indicative of developmental delays.

Door Space, Inc. (Texas, USA): Door Space built a cloud-based platform that automates professional credential management and verification for clinicians and their employers.

ElecTrip (Texas, USA): ElecTrip offers city-to-city, door-to-door transportation services in private-professionally driven Teslas with Wi-Fi and laptop charging. Book online to any major Texas-based city.

FloodFrame (Texas, USA): FloodFrame is a concealed flood protection system that utilizes the natural buoyant force of water to deploy and protect your home.

Māk Studio (Texas, USA): Māk Studio is a fabrication studio in the heart of Houston.  We design and fabricate custom walls and furniture for commercial interiors.

NeuroRescue (Ohio, USA): NeuroRescue improves the standard of care used to treat stroke, brain injury, and cardiac arrest to increase neurological outcome by up to forty-percent.

Noleus Technologies, Inc. (Texas, USA): Noleus is a novel medical device that reduces post op ileus, saves post op hospital days and accelerates patient recovery

ORDRS (Texas, USA)

PTC Wizard (New York, USA): PTC Wizard helps K-12 schools streamline their scheduling and sign-up process thereby improving parent involvement and decreasing overhead.

RehabMaker Corporation (California, USA): Rehabmaker is a manufacturer of exercise equipment that attaches to wheelchairs and allows people to move their legs. 

Reveal Technologies (Texas, USA)

Sensytec, Inc. (Texas, USA): Sensytec is revolutionizing the oil & gas, and construction industries by bringing smart cement technologies and real-time data collection.

Swoovy (Texas, USA): Swoovy is a mobile app that connects single people and volunteer opportunities with nonprofits, as a date.

Waterdata (Ticino, Switzerland): Waterdata offers Liquidprice, an Intelligent pricing software that optimizes prices with AI by adapting to customers, competitors and market behavior quickly.

WellWorth (Texas, USA)

Zero5 (California, USA)

 

About MassChallenge 

MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 2,300 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $5 billion in funding, generated more than $2.7 billion in revenue, and created more than 136,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.