HOUSTON – The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and TEX-E have opened applications for their Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek, set to take place in the Agora program on March 20.
The pitch day will feature more than 40 energy ventures driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition showcasing their companies. The fast-paced competition is designed to connect energy startups with venture capitalists, corporate innovation groups, industry leaders, academics and service providers.
Ventures will be showcased across three industry tracks, spanning materials to clean energy. Industry experts and investors will judge the pitches, and the top three ventures from each track will be named at the conclusion of the event. The pitches from energy ventures will include a university track, the TEX-E Prize, highlighting the innovation of five Texas student-led energy startups. With mentorship leading up to the competition, these student startups will compete for $50,000 in cash prizes.
“The goal of the TEX-E Prize is to support, encourage and inspire students across the state of Texas to pursue entrepreneurship as a means of reducing emissions and building a healthier, more resilient society,” said David Pruner, executive director at TEX-E.
Energy ventures for all tracks of the competition are asked to apply by Feb. 9. More details about eligibility can be found at alliance.rice.edu/EVD.
“The Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek bring together key members of the energy ecosystem, investors and startups to showcase innovations and emerging technologies that create value from the world’s transition to low-carbon energy systems,” said Jane Stricker, senior vice president at the Greater Houston Partnership and executive director of HETI. “We are thrilled to partner with our ecosystem partner, Rice Alliance, on this exciting event at CERAWeek and build on the momentum of the last few years.”
Learn more about this year’s pitch day here.
“In addition to the access to investors and awareness at CERAWeek, this is an invaluable opportunity to pitch in front of active investors, corporates and key players in the energy industry,” said Brad Burke, executive director of the Rice Alliance and vice president for industry and new ventures in Rice’s Office of Innovation. “The Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek is a platform designed to foster innovation, collaboration and investment in the ever-evolving energy landscape.”
About Rice
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,574 undergraduates and 3,982 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction, No. 2 for best-run colleges and No. 12 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
About Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship:
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University’s flagship initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education and the launch of technology companies. Connecting startups to capital, networks and success, the Rice Alliance is a catalyst for building successful ventures through education, guidance and connections. Since inception in 2000, more than 3,355 companies have participated in over 300 Rice Alliance programs and have raised more than $25.88 billion in early stage capital.
About Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI):
The Greater Houston Partnership is dedicated to strengthening Houston’s position as the Energy Capital of the World. The economic vitality and growth of our region’s economy is inextricably tied to the energy industry. The Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) builds on the best of traditional energy skills and systems to leverage Houston’s industry leadership to accelerate global solutions for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future. HETI is a coalition of industry, academic and community partners working together to ensure the long-term economic competitiveness and advancement of the Houston region as leaders of the global energy transition.
About TEX-E:
TEX-E is a first-of-a-kind collaboration among the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, Rice University and Prairie View A&M University—powered by Greentown Labs and MIT’s Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship—to create a powerful student-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem in Texas.
