Fintech
Houston Fintech Offers New Grants, Chemist Weighs Cancer Treatment Funding, and Other Top Stories
Editor’s Note:We round up the week’s most read Houston innovation stories. Trending articles on Houston tech and startups from InnovationMap and its daily newsletter included a Rice professor securing support for his cancer treatment, an energy company raising funds, and more.
Houston-based fair entrepreneurship tech platform expands programs
In partnership with leading organizations like Progressive, Antares Capital, Wells Fargo, and FedEx, Hello Alice has added new offerings for its 2024 Boost Camp programs. Photo via Pexels
Just got out of the party for the filing of a case With the help of former Trump administration officials, Hello Alice is expanding some of its offerings for entrepreneurs.
In partnership with leading organizations including Progressive, Antares Capital, Wells Fargo, and FedEx, Hello Alice has added new offerings to its Boost Camp 2024 programs, a mix of skills development support and grant opportunities.
“We are fortunate to continue working with great corporate partners who share our commitment to supporting Main Street through critical grants and mentorship programs,” says Carolyn Rodz, CEO and co-founder of Hello Alice, in a press release. Keep reading.
Houston Chemist Wins $2 Million NIH Grant for Cancer Cure Research
The funds were awarded to Han Xiao, a scientist at Rice University.
A Rice University chemist has won a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for his work aiming to reprogram the genetic code and explore the role of certain cells in the development of diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders.
The funds were awarded to Han Xiao, Norman Hackerman-Welch Young Investigator, associate professor of chemistry, from the NIH’s Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) program, which supports medically focused laboratories. Keep reading.
Houston-based power grid technology company raises $25M in Series B
Heimdall provides software and sensors for monitoring overhead power lines. Photo via heimdallpower.com
A Norway-based power grid technology provider with U.S. headquarters in Houston has raised $25 million in a Series B funding round.
The venture capital arm of Polish energy giant Orlen, Norwegian cleantech fund NRP Zero and Norway’s Steinsvik Family Office co-led Heimdall Energy’s round. Existing investors including Investinor, Ebony, Hafslund, Lyse and Sarsia Seed contributed $8.5 million of the $25 million round.
“This funding gives us the fuel to grow internationally as we continue to build our organization with the world’s best people and industry experts,” says Jørgen Festervoll, CEO of Heimdall, in a press release.Keep reading.
Houston Engineers Develop Revolutionary Device to Improve Spinal Cord Treatment
The probe or sensor, known as spinalNET, is being used to explore how neurons in the spinal cord process sensation and control movement. Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
A team of Rice University engineers has developed an implantable probe 100 times smaller than a human hair, which aims to develop better treatments for spinal cord diseases and injuries.
Detailed in a recent study published in Cell Reports, the probe or sensor, known as spinalNET, is being used to explore how neurons in the spinal cord process sensation and control movement, according to a statement from Rice. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Rice, the California-based Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and the Oklahoma-based philanthropic Mary K. Chapman Foundation.Keep reading.
Nearby Houston is ranked one of America’s most livable small cities
Missouri City is the fourth most livable city in Texas and ranks 77th nationally. Photo courtesy of Missouri City
Some Houston suburbs stand out from the rest thanks to their affluent residents, and now Missouri City is gaining traction in the spotlight, thanks to its new ranking as the 77th most livable city in the country.
Houston’s small but mighty neighbor, located less than 20 miles southwest of Houston, was among six Texas cities that earned a top-100 ranking in SmartAsset’s 2024 “Most Livable Small Cities” report. It compared 281 U.S. cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000 residents across eight metrics, such as a resident’s housing costs as a percentage of household income, the city’s average commute times and the proportions of entertainment, dining and health care facilities.Keep reading.