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Dear Friends of Greentown Houston,

Happy new year! 2026 is a special year for us—it marks both our 15-year anniversary as an organization and the five-year anniversary of Greentown Houston.

Throughout the year, we’ll celebrate the people whose innovations and collaborative spirit are driving the energy transition forward—from entrepreneurs and industry executives to investors, philanthropic partners, and regional leaders.

Let’s start with the startups that are innovating in this year’s most critical areas. Data-center powering and cooling, geothermal energy, supply-chain visibility, and more: these are the startups to know.

We have plenty of upcoming opportunities to meet these members and see how you can get involved in their work, including our first Transition On Tap of the year and a special networking event during CERAWeek. Read on for more details!

Warmly,
The Greentown Team

Meet Our Newest Members

KonsciousPlanet develops and delivers next-generation eFuel projects that transform renewable power and captured CO₂ into clean, scalable molecules, such as e-methanol and e-SAF.

Nebumi is an environmental-custodianship and emissions-intelligence platform based on satellite data worldwide.

RIVSAL’s breakthrough in sustainable power delivers 4,000 watts of stable, zero-emission power using only 2.5 gallons of water per day.

Open Applications

Greentown Go Make 2026 with Shell and Technip Energies

WHO: Startups at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3-8 that are developing process technology and catalytic innovations for low-carbon fuels, low-carbon gases, CO2 removal, and sustainable chemical manufacturing.

WHAT: An open-innovation program that will give selected startups a structured platform to engage leadership from Shell and Technip Energies and explore potential partnership outcomes, including pilots and demonstrations. See more detailed benefits here.

WHEN: Apply by March 10!

Rice Business Plan Competition

WHO: Graduate-student-led startups from any university.

WHAT: The Rice Business Plan Competition gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company.

WHEN: Apply by Jan. 31.

TEX-E Fellowship

WHO: Undergraduate or graduate students at Rice University, Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Houston, The University of Texas at Austin, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

WHAT: This year-long fellowship strengthens students’ classroom learning with real-world experience, a powerful network, and the business-building skills needed to stand out in the energy-transition job market.

WHEN: Apply by Feb. 10.

Mark Your Calendar For These Upcoming Events

Feb. 10-11: Decarb Connect North America [Ecosystem Event]
Decarb Connect North America brings together the companies leading the charge in building resilient, cost-competitive, and future-ready industrial operations. The 2026 agenda is focused on linking emissions reduction with commercial value. Use the code GREENTOWNLABS25 for a 25 percent discount!

Feb. 11: In-Space Physical AI Workshop [Ecosystem Event]
Check out our member Torres Orbital Mining’s first public tech demo during this workshop at the Ion! The startup’s autonomous excavation rover is designed for extreme environments, bringing sustainability across space exploration and terrestrial mining.

Feb. 26: Transition On Tap [Greentown Houston]
The Greentown Houston community is bigger than ever before—with dozens of new startups welcomed in late 2025, it’s time to meet these entrepreneurs! Join us to network with these founders and connect with the ecosystem at this Transition On Tap, in collaboration with Greentown partner TotalEnergies.

March 10-12: World Hydrogen & Carbon Americas [Ecosystem Event]
Greentown is excited to be an association partner for this conference, which will bring together more than 800 senior professionals from across the hydrogen, carbon, feedstock, and fuels industries! Get ready for three dynamic days of high-level discussions, real-world case studies, and targeted networking. Receive a 20 percent discount on delegate passes using the code GREENTOWN20, and download the event brochure here.

March 26: CERAWeek Networking [Greentown Houston]
Celebrate CERAWeek—the world's foremost energy gathering—with the best and brightest in climate and energy entrepreneurship at Greentown Houston!

You’ll be able to catch the Greentown team and our startups at the official conference as well, and our CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter will be speaking—more details coming soon.
Make sure to catch the 2026 Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition from the Rice Alliance, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), and TEX-E on March 24-25—two days of presentations by energy tech ventures driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition.

Startup News

Helix Earth Technologies received a $1.2M SBIR grant for its high-efficiency retrofit dehumidification system that reduces the energy consumption of commercial AC units.
Mars Materials successfully completed a joint-validation study for its CO2-derived carbon fiber precursor.
Candid Intelligence received an investment from SE Ventures for its agentic AI system that compresses months of pre-construction engineering into hours.
Haffner Energy kicked off "AeroVerde," a bio/e-SAF project in Spain with renewable-energy project developer IGNIS P2X.
GeoKiln partnered with Chiyoda Corporation to conduct a conceptual study on hydrogen-recovery and -purification facilities using its stimulated-natural hydrogen-generation technology.

Recent Reads

Water use and efficiency will be a major topic in 2026.

In our most recent iteration of The Forum (in partnership with Lux Research), experts from startups, corporates, and academia explored the biggest topics in balancing operational reliability with innovation to close loops, treat contaminants, minimize discharge, and recover value from wastewater. Find a recap here.

Many corporates know the importance of working with startups—but what about operating like one?

Our Chief Growth Officer’s latest Leaders in Innovation piece dives into how Greentown partner GE Vernova prioritizes agility and organizational plasticity.

Peek at Greentown Boston

Longtime Greentown team member Julia Travaglini has been named Greentown’s Head of Boston! Learn more.
Check out upcoming Greentown Boston events, including our first EnergyBar of the year, a showcase featuring renewable-energy startups, and our annual intern fair.

Top 2026 Climatetech Areas, Open Applications, + More Innovation News

News

Top 2026 Climatetech Areas, Open Applications, + More Innovation News