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Sending a huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our sixth annual Summit in Houston this week, in the heart of Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week!

From a morning of conversations on scaling hardtech, powering the AI boom, and the U.S. nuclear renaissance, to an afternoon Open House with 55+ startups and three lightning pitch segments, to our evening Pitch Competition awarding $25k in prizes, this year's event was a deep dive into the innovations and collaborations that are driving transformations across industries for a sustainable, abundant, resilient future.

Three takeaways from Houston Climatetech Summit 2026

1. 'Unlikely friends' will make all the difference

Incumbent industry and breakthrough innovators.
Policymakers and technologists.
Meeting soaring power demand and stewarding our world's resources.
Corporate venture and student entrepreneurship.
Our home turf and ecosystems across borders.

At every turn throughout the day, pairings of 'unlikely friends' were forming to tackle our biggest challenges—and turn them into our greatest opportunities.

2. The thing all successful founders have in common? Persistence.

Founders of Fervo, Armada, Ohmium, and Persona AI all shared tales of when the comeback turned out to matter more than the setback on their entrepreneurial journeys.

"Every problem should be treated as a learning opportunity—each and every one presents a lesson about your customers, your technology, your product, or your team; as a founder, you just need to identify it."
- Prag Mishra, Chief AI Officer, Armada

3. We're already building an energy system that's more reliable, more affordable, and cleaner, all at the same time

Houston's ecosystem is rising to meet surging load demand driven by the AI era.

Combine a region that's no stranger to supplying large industrial power needs, with sources like geothermal and nuclear bolstering the clean energy mix, and responsible partnerships that benefit ratepayers and resources alike, and you get a blueprint for an abundant, resilient, and sustainable energy future.

Check out the full recap & session recordings →

After the speaking program, we headed to Greentown for an Open House featuring:

Spotlight on our Ecosystem Exchange program
Spotlight on TEX-E student ventures
Lightning pitches from six startups competing for $1.5k in prizes
A conversation on the state of corporate venturing

The day wrapped up at the Continental Club for our Pitch Competition—congratulations to all 11 startups who pitched and our two winners!

1st place: Elementium Materials
$10k cash prize from TotalEnergies + $10k in legal support from Foley Hoag

2nd place: Solidec
$5k in legal support from Foley Hoag

Check out the full recap →

6th
Annual Summit

825+
Attendees

55+
Startups Showcasing

$26.5k
In Prizes On The Line

Thank you the sponsors who made Climatetech Summit possible!

The Power of Unlikely Friends: Three Takeaways From Houston Climatetech Summit 2026