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CHARTING THE INNOVATION LANDSCAPE The Tech REport OF AMERICA’S FOURTH LARGEST . HOUSTON: A CITY OF INNOVATION

The nation’s fourth largest city is one of the youngest, fastest Houston’s economy, the region has become a thriving hub of ACCELERATING CHANGE growing, and most diverse populations anywhere in the world. digital technology talent and companies thanks to our access This global diversity creates a genuine cultural identity and way to customers and expertise. Long known and admired as the energy capital of the world and and the Mayor’s Task Force on Innovation, HX is a non-profit of life that is uniquely Houston and world class. the most diverse city in the , with a broad STEM- organization created to accelerate the growth of Houston’s innovation A strong educational system with nationally ranked trained workforce and a robust corporate presence, Houston’s tech ecosystem. While our shared roots are proudly planted in , Houston’s universities, graduate schools, and community innovation potential lagged— until recently. reach and influence is truly global. Not only because of the produces a large supply of young talent. Our exceptional Over the past four years, HX has helped unlock the collaborative substantial foreign investment in our region or the logistics quality of life offers the cultural, recreational and entertainment Four years ago, recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on its potential of founders and investors in the startup scene, local capabilities that provide unparalleled access to foreign markets, amenities of a modern, cosmopolitan city, but at a cost of living cultural and economic strengths, and the need to develop its startup government, academic institutions, and the corporate sector to but also the groundbreaking innovation that is helping solve the well below the national average. ecosystem and infrastructure to drive a 21st century economy, civic connect, promote and to attract talent and capital. Houston’s size, world’s greatest challenges. leaders acted, with the founding of Houston Exponential (HX). Born economic strength, and diverse and collaborative culture make one It is no surprise that some of the most important corporations from the Innovation Task Force of the Partnership of the most promising such efforts in the world. Houston has been a center for world-changing innovations in in the world are run out of Houston. But we are also disruptive energy, life sciences and aerospace for over a century. With entrepreneurs, tireless innovators, and bold creatives. science and engineering breakthroughs ingrained in the fabric of HOUSTON’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

In the last four years, startup development organizations (SDOs), the HTXTechList.com database to further facilitate these connections. including workspaces, incubators and accelerators have emerged As a result of these and other efforts, venture capital investment has throughout the city. These key institutions create density and increased 250% over the past four years to $753 million in 2020, one drive collisions among founders, investors and talent, significantly of many signs that Houston has reached an inflection point in the increasing the rate of startup formation and growth. development of its tech economy.

As the ecosystem has grown, it has benefitted from increased venture Large tech firms have taken notice of this growth, with Microsoft, capital investment from both inside and outside the region, thanks Google and increasing their presence in the region, while to the creation of the $50 million HX Venture Fund, and to the work others including Bill.com, Nuro and Hewlett Packard Enterprises of Houston Exponential and Houston’s SDOs to curate connections relocating or expanding here. between startups and sources of capital. In late 2020, HX launched

TRACKING HOUSTON’S TECH ECONOMY

BY THE NUMBERS $28 B 235,800 700+ $753 M Impact to Metro GDP (5.8%) Net Tech Employment VC-backed Tech Startups Total Venture Capital in ’20

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 4 HOUSTON’S BUSINESS CLIMATE AT A GLANCE

Houston is well-positioned to become a national leader in tech Technological cluster strengths across the energy, life sciences STRONG, DIVERSE ECONOMY BUSINESS CLIMATE innovation. It possesses the corporate, workforce, and infrastructural and healthcare, , logistics, and aerospace industries requirements, including innovation-minded companies, a vast present immediate opportunities for investing in scalable companies support system of business professionals and corporate decision- that enable digital transformation, while the heavy corporate and NO personal & corporate makers, and business and quality of life amenities necessary to industry presence in the city make Houston a natural place for support a robust tech ecosystem. industrial IOT, logistics, robotics, and cyber security concentrations. income tax Largest #4 U.S. City 3 M Jobs Low cost of living

Global City of the Future (fDi $478.8 B GDP #3 Intelligence)

Home to: POPULATION World’s largest medical center NASA’s () and Houston Spaceport #1 U.S. port () 22 Fortune 500 headquarters 7.1 M Residents Industry Convergence:

Energy 2.0 Advanced Manufacturing 1 in 4 Houstonians is Foreign-born

Fastest growing major metro

Foreign Metro Exporter International Most Diverse City in America 90+ #1 in the U.S. 2 Airports Life Sciences Aerospace

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 6 GROWTH FUNDING AND EXITS

VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDING

Despite all of Houston’s economic strengths, in ’17, the City ranked 19th Houston companies have received VC DEAL VOLUME IN HOUSTON ($, MILLION) VC DEAL COUNT IN HOUSTON nationally in total Venture Capital Investment. A citywide effort in recent Growth in later stage deals has Though overall deal count peaked in ’16 during a wave of years has transformed the tech innovation $2.6 billion in venture capital spurred a nearly three-fold increase early stage fundings, the share of deals has shifted toward scene and helped to channel investment in overall VC funding since ’16 later stage companies in the last five years. capital into tech startups like never before. funding over the last five years, 752.6 184 VC Investment has grown from $284 702.2 including $753 million in ’20, a 398.0 million in ’16 to $753 million in ’20, a nearly 23 394.4 170 three-fold increase and an unprecedented 175 66% growth rate per year. record high for the region. 12 154 28 21 22 148 26 24 132 46 HX VENTURE FUND 476.4 137 139 450.7 24 163.6 38 One catalyst for this activity was the creating of the HX Venture Fund in 2017, a $50 million fund of funds model designed to attract 20 224.6 419.7 117 investment activity in Houston. The Fund attracted marquee corporate Limited Partners and has made several investment in leading 106 funds across the country. This activity has spurred new interest in Houston’s recent success as a startup ecosystem and has been a 253.7 27 21 catalyst for exponential growth. 351 19 104

190.6 101 81 90 286.4 283.8 18 87 197.8 275.5 270 214.7 21 25 254.7 69 69.5 168.1 171.5 223.6 133.3 16 69

182.2 156.8 116.6 51 22 65 12 11 92.9 126.8 42 17 38 65.8 63.2 115.0 73.4 100.3 93.0 22 69.3 73.1 10.9 55.5 52.5 79.1 33.7 25.1 30.5

‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 ‘20* ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 ‘20*

Later Stage (Series B+, After 5 yrs) Later Stage (Series B+, After 5 yrs) Early Stage (Series A & B) Early Stage (Series A & B) Entry Stage (Angel & Seed) Entry Stage (Angel & Seed)

Venture Capital investment surpassed On average, Houston startups have $753 million in ’20, a record for Houston. closed 156 VC deals per year since ’16.

Source: Partnership Analysis of PitchBook Data Source: Partnership Analysis of PitchBook Data Updated: 3/1/2021 Updated: 3/1/2021

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 8 INDUSTRIES AND VERTICALS

INDUSTRIES AND VERTICALS

TOP INDUSTRIES RECEIVING VENTURE CAPITAL Maturing tech startups in the Houston ecosystem HOUSTON VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDING ($ MILLION) are receiving more lucrative deals than ever before. Houston-based companies generated $2.63 billion in total venture capital funding from ’16 to ’20. The PRIMARY SECTOR '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 TOTAL region’s annual VC haul nearly tripled in that time with the average deal size increasing from $1.6 million to $6.4 million. HEALTH CARE 124.1 206.7 192.7 262.3 256.0 1,041.8

Growth reached across all industries of Houston’s INFORMATION 79.4 156.0 121.6 168.2 201.7 727.0 innovation economy, but the trend is most TECHNOLOGY pronounced in the region’s top three sectors for BUSINESS VC funding. PRODUCTS AND 32.1 35.6 62.1 54.7 150.1 334.5 1 HEALTH CARE jumped from the third highest SERVICES (B2B) funded industry in ’15 to the top funded 271.4 industry for the last four years. Heath tech, ENERGY 27.7 12.1 63.3 128.5 39.9 life science, and biotechnology companies CONSUMER have thrived in recent years, anchored by the PRODUCTS AND 18.1 7.6 7.9 54.0 45.1 132.6 Texas Medical Center and the TMC Innovation SERVICES (B2C) Institute. Health Care companies accounted MATERIALS AND for 37 percent of all VC funding in ’19. 0.1 1.7 27.3 32.4 34.3 95.8 RESOURCES 2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY more FINANCIAL than doubled from $73 million in ’15 to 2.4 — 1.5 2.2 25.5 31.6 $177 million in ’19. SERVICES

3 ENERGY , the top industry for funding in TOTAL 283.8 419.7 476.4 702.2 753.6 2,634.6 ’15, fell to third in ’19 with $131 million, a 58 Source: Partnership Analysis of PitchBook data percent increase.

AVERAGE VENTURE CAPITAL DEAL VALUE IN HOUSTON (12-MONTH AVG) $ MILLIONS 8 6.4 VC Raised 6 in Houston $2.6 B since ’15 5 4 3 2 2.9x 1 in 3 1.6 1 Information Technology VC Dollars funding nearly tripled went to Health 0 from ’16 to ’20. Care in ’20 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 ‘20 ‘21 Texas Medical Center Demo Day 2019 Source: Partnership Analysis of Pitchbook Data

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 10 INDUSTRIES AND VERTICALS

HOUSTON’S TECH STRENGTHS

Emerging technologies don’t Oil & Gas Technology On average, 17 out of 100 VC deals always conform to standard industry in Houston goes to a life science TECH VERTICALS PER 100 VC DEALS classifications. In order to gauge Life Sciences company. That’s up from the national Energy and Life Science startups are the Houston’s strengths across overlapping average for Life Science of 10 out of 20 Oncology largest recipients of venture capital funding tech fields, we turn to tech verticals, a 100 deals. On average, 17 out of 100 VC CleanTech in Houston. In recent years, Houston has more granular classification system for deals goes to Oil and Gas technology in 17.6 17.0 emerged as a national leader in Oncology the markets that venture capitalists most Advanced Manufacturing Houston. Nationally, the O&G average is 15 and Clean Technology. commonly target. Tech verticals include more like 1 out of 100 deals. Space Technology 14.0 dozens of specialties, and a single 13.0 promising company might operate in FemTech Houston is also above average in Clean Energy deals, which overtook 10 10.7 several vertical markets at once. B2B Payments 10.2 10.1 Oil and Gas in ‘19 to be Houston’s 9.1 In Houston, certain niche markets In particular, Oil and Gas, Oncology third most commonly funded tech show special promise and are and Life Science startups enjoy unique vertical. Houston’s top vertical by deal 5 6.6 6.5 overrepresented in the region’s advantages because of the energy frequency, Software-as-a-service, has PREVALENCE PER 100 VC DEALS PER 100 VC PREVALENCE ecosystem compared to the and medical institutions that have been on the rise, moving up from fifth national average. planted such roots in Houston. place 10 years ago. 0 Oil & Gas Life Sciences SaaS Industrials CleanTech Manufacturing Oncology Mobile AI & Machine HealthTech Learning

Source: Partnership Analysis of PitchBook data

TECH VERTICALS PER 100 VC DEALS 10-YR TECH TRENDS Oil & Gas 25 SaaS, 26 17.6 Oncology Life Sciences 17.0 20 Life Sciences, 20

10.1 CleanTech, 16 15 Oil & Gas, 15 Oncology, 14 10.2 14.0 Manufacturing SaaS 10 VC DEALS VC 10.7 Industrials, 8 13.0 5

CleanTech Industrials 0 US Houston Austin ‘10 ‘14 ‘19

Houston’s tech footprint stands apart from other Texas . Over the last decade, SaaS startups have gained ground in Houston’s ecosystem, rising from the No. 5 most prevalent In Houston, startup founders focus on the fundamental VC target in ’10 to the No. 1 vertical in ’19. challenges of our time. Energy, life science and industrial technologies dominate Houston’s tech scene. Life Science Also in ’19, CleanTech eclipsed Oil & Gas as the top energy- deals are twice as concentrated in Houston as they are related technology vertical by deal count. in the U.S. overall. SaaS companies are also prevalent, and growing… Source: Partnership Analysis of PitchBook data

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 12 TALENT PIPELINE

TECH WORKFORCE

Much of Houston’s success is driven by a deep bench of talent. The region offers one of the nation’s highest METRO COMPARISON: NET TECH WORKFORCE, ‘19 LARGE TECH EMPLOYERS densities of engineers, corporate and IT workers experienced in designing and managing some of the New York 680,140 COMPANY EMPLOYEES world’s most complex systems. 520,022 With more than 235,000 tech workers, Houston has HP ENTERPRISE Washington DC 448,413 2,600 the 12th largest tech sector in the U.S., according to the Computing Technology Industry Association. 410,635 HP INC. Houston’s tech industry generates $28.1 billion to the 2,000 San Jose 394,376 region’s GDP. IBM 382,821 1,600 Dallas 361,849 SIEMENS 1,600 344,419 BOEING 312,913 1,400 271,039 HONEYWELL 1,100 Detroit 243,648 #12 LOCKHEED MARTIN Houston 235,802 950 Houston has the 12th largest tech 231,207 workforce in the U.S. Nearly two-thirds PROS 700 199,925 of Houston’s technical workers are employed by companies outside of BMC SOFTWARE Phoenix 190,726 computing and software. 560 Source: CompTIA Cyberstates 2020. ORACLE 490 LEADING TECH OCCUPATIONS TECH INDUSTRY JOBS VS. TECH OCCUPATIN JOBS MICROSOFT 480

Software and Web Developers GOOGLE 470

22,982 DELL +3.0% YoY 420

TECH TECH AWS Systems and Cybersecurity Analysts 380 INDUSTRY OCCUPATION 16,216 JOBS JOBS QUORUM SOFTWARE +2.3% YoY 370 140,875 152,788 ION GEOPHYSICAL 310 IT Support Specialists 14,404 HCSS SOFTWARE 300 +2.9% YoY ALERT 270 Network Architects, Admins., and Support Specialists

13,501 41% INTERSECTION = HIGHRADIUS 270 -0.2% YoY 235,802 NET TECH EMPLOYMENT ABB Robotics courtesy of TMC Innovation Source: CompTIA CyberStates 2020

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 14 TALENT PIPELINE

TECH ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT

EDUCATION & TRAINING Among the largest RESEARCH CENTERS A strong university system produce a large supply of As a growing hotbed of digital transformation, Houston has vast network of academic and commercial R&D young talent. 40+ activities. The region is home to more than 40 corporate community research centers, including 24 within the energy sector. and are consistently ranked as two of the nation’s Universities and Colleges Facilities such as BP’s Center for High-Performance top entrepreneurship programs, according to . Computing, home to the world’s most powerful Rice University’s systems in the U.S. commercial super computer; MD Anderson Cancer entrepreneurship program at the Jones Graduate School of Business supports student innovation through Alliance for Technology ( College and Center, with over 120 research labs searching for a cure Nationally-ranked to cancer; and NASA’s Human Health and Performance and Entrepreneurship. The organization sponsors programs involving technology Universities Houston Community College) commercialization, entrepreneurship education and the launch of student-run technology Laboratory, where scientists study the effects of and Graduate prolonged spaceflight on the human body, have given the companies. The Rice Business Plan Competition is the richest pitch competition in the Schools country, with awards in ’19 totaling $3 million. Participating companies in the 19-year 5 city a reputation for innovative breakthroughs in science history of the competition have raised more than $2.3 billion in capital. and technology.

The University of Houston’s Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the Bauer College of Business aims to teach students how to run their own businesses from Tier-One Universities the inception of an idea through its implementation. Students with promising concepts are (Rice University, accepted into Red Labs, the University of Houston’s startup incubator/accelerator program. University of SELECT R&D CENTERS IN HOUSTON At the graduate level, students manage the million-dollar Cougar Venture Fund, working Houston, Texas A&M 444,600+ with an advisory board of entrepreneurs, angel investors and venture capitalists to analyze University) Students Enrolled (Fall ‘19) 3 Accenture Innovation Center and invest in early stage technology companies Center for Technology Innovation

BP Center for High-Performance Computing

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Innovation Lab

Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)

LyondellBasell Houston Technology Center

Microsoft Technology Center

NASA Johnson Space Center

Rice University Welch Institute for Advanced Materials

Rice University Carbon Hub

Shell Technology Center Houston

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

University of

University Students courtesy of Rice University University of Houston courtesy of dabfoto Rice University Students courtesy of Visit Houston

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 16 INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

TECH ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT INVESTORS DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Houston is home to at least 53 Startup Development Houston-based institutional investors have a at least $300 billion under Organizations (SDOs), including non-profits, management. That includes wealth managers, Venture Capital & Private incubators/accelerators, coworking spaces and Equity firms, Foundations, Pensions, Endowments, and investment banks. As the Most Diverse City in America, makerspaces. In a sign of the ecosystem’s frenzied Houston’s global ties are reflected in the growth over the past few years, more than 30 SDOs very people who call Houston home. In have either opened or announced upcoming plans to terms of racial and ethnic composition, the open since January ’17. TOP VC INVESTORS IN HOUSTON Houston of today resembles what America will look like in 40 years. VC DEALS LANDMARK PROJECTS INVESTOR HQ Houstonians have a sense of shared (‘17–’20) community, commitment, and mutual The Ion, a 270,000-square-foot office andcollaboration respect. People of all faiths, cultures, Launchpad courtesy of Central that will house startups,corporations, venture CAPITAL FACTORY Austin, TX 29 backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQ+ capitalists, business acceleratorprograms, academics community find Houston to be an inclusive and others. and welcoming city. TMC INNOVATION Houston, TX 25 The East End Make Hub, a 300,000-plus-square-foot industrial makerspace in Houston’s East End that houses HOUSTON ANGEL Houston, TX 23 startups and the innovation arms of major corporations. NETWORK

JLABS , CA 19

MASSCHALLENGE Boston, MA 15 Best City for Women Entrepreneurs (Inc.) The Ion courtesy of Rice Management Company #11 SELECT INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS MERCURY FUND Houston, TX 12

The Ion Aerospace Innovation GOOSE CAPITAL Houston, TX 10 Accelerator Best City for The Cannon Boulder, CO 10 Diversity in STEM (Smart Asset) Capital Factory #6 SCF VENTURES Houston, TX 8 DivInc

Downtown Launchpad CARNRITE VENTURES Houston, TX 7 East End Maker Hub TMC Innovation Institute courtesy of Texas Medical Center Best State for Black Houston, TX 7 Gener8tor TEXAS HALO FUND Entrepreneurs Greentown Labs #2 (FitSmallBusiness) Mountain View, CA 6 Labs PLUG AND PLAY Ion Smart Cities Accelerator Sunnyvale, CA 5 TECH CENTER Johnson and Johnson Center for Device Innovation SOSV Princeton, NJ 5 in Nation for Minority-Owned Mass Challenge #5 Startups (Self) Plug & Play Technology Center Courtesy of Quy Tran/The Cannon ATX VENTURE PARTNERS Austin, TX 4 Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 18 INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

STARTUPS TO WATCH

Houston is home to 8,800 tech-related firms, including more than 700 venture-backed startups.

Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: FinTech Artificial Intelligence, IT Cyber Security LOgistics Supply chain Mgmt. Biotechnology Manufacturing Machine Learning Automation platform that gives Managed Service Providers E-commerce platform using innovative supply chain model Specialty chemicals company that applies industrial Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company which leverages complete visibility across the IT stack. With a global partner for rapid-delivery of critical parts in the oil and gas industry. biotechnology and green chemistry principles to re-design Artificial Intelligence-based Autonomous Systems to base, Liongard is changing the way MSPs manage and the production of a variety of end-use and novel chemicals. help companies automate Accounts Receivable and protect thousands of businesses worldwide. Founded: Employees: Total Funding: Treasury processes. 2017 51–100 $50.3M Founded: Employees: Total Funding: Founded: Employees: Total Funding: 2016 100–250 $55.2M Founded: Employees: Total Funding: 2015 75 $22.8M 2006 1001–5000 $175M

Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: Main Industry: Related Industries: IT Saas, Energy 2.0/ Sustainability/ Aerospace Space Travel Electronic Equipment Manufacturing Logistics Industrial Technology Clean Energy and Instruments Builder, owner, and operator of the world’s first commercial Software solutions that provide simple access to real-time, A new type of photocatalytic chemical reactor powered space station. Developing an ecosystem of cloud-based subsea robots, mission critical data that is leading the world’s largest brands by light instead of heat, reducing both cost and carbon software, and subsea services delivered in a modern in Oil & Gas, Utilities, Chemicals, Mining, and Manufacturing emissions for the products that are created. Founded: Employees: Total Funding: business model to the offshore industry confidently into the digital revolution. Founded: Employees: Total Funding: 2015 50–100 $150M Founded: Employees: Total Funding: Founded: Employees: Total Funding: 2017 1–10 $5.8M 2014 50–100 $23M 2012 101–250 $17.8M

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 20 YOU ARE HERE

HOUSTON’S TECH ECOSYSTEM

Houston is known for our large geographic footprint with a diversity of 4 EAST END talent and business hubs across the broader region. While innovation activity occurs across the region, there are dense areas of high activity. a g The industrial neighborhood East of Downtown is quickly becoming a hotbed for advanced manufacturing, protoyping and logistics startups. Anchored by the TX/RX makerspace and the 1 TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER Headquarters coworking office, the area will soon be transformed by two new developments the $xx The world’s largest, is at the forefront of advancing life sciences million East End Makespace project, and the East through cross-institutional collaboration, creativity, and innovation. River Development. TMC’s Innovation Institute features over 200K square feet of • TX/RX Labs • East End Maker Hub accelerator and incubator space aimed to help startup companies • The Headquarters • East River commercialize new medical technologies.

• Johnson & Johnson Jlabs • AT&T Foundry c • Johnson & Johnson Center • TMCx 5 for Device Innovation • TMC3 b d 5 ENERGY CORRIDOR f 2 e 4 The beating heart of America’s energy industry, the 3 Energy Corridor is a 7-mile in West Houston that 2 is home to multitude of the world-leading energy 1 companies, including R&D centers, and energy Home to Fortune 500 companies, a dynamic entertainment innovation infrastructure. scene and a growing residential population, Downtown Houston • The Cannon • BP has become one of the most active central business districts in • CityCentre • ConocoPhilips the nation. The Downtown Launchpad is home to global startup (Microsoft, AWS) • BakerHughes accelerators and incubators, and coworking.

• Downton Launchpad • gener8tor • MassChallenge • The Cannon (Downtown) • ImpactHub 6 NASA/ i Home to Houston’s thriving aerospace technology h sector, NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the 6 3 HOUSTON INNOVATION surrounding area host many of the world’s leading aerospace companies, one of the world’s only truly DISTRICT urban commercial spaceports and a burgeoning To view an interactive version of this map, click here. commercial space sector. Houston’s sits in the center of a 4-mile long, MAP LEGEND rail-transit oriented, corridor connecting Houston’s innovation • Boeing, Lockheed • NASA Johnson ecosystem. The Ion, a 270,000-square-foot $100 million Tech Employers Major Companies Infrastructure Martin, SpaceX Space Center innovation district, will serve as the center of Houston’s innovation • Houston Spaceport • Intuitive Machines corridor and be home to academic and corporate R&D centers as > 1,000 200 a Gyrodata f IBM George Bush Intercontinental Airport well as startup accelerators, labs, and coworking space. 700 < 0 b Siemens g Halliburton Labs William P. Hobby Airport 500 • Ion Smart and Resilient • Station Houston c The Cannon h Lockheed Houston Spaceport Cities Accelerator • Greentown Labs d AWS i Boeing • NASA/DivInc Aerospace • Chevron Technology Accelerator Ventures SDOs e BMC Software

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 22 WELCOME TO HOUSTON

EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE

COST OF LIVING The Houston region offers a low cost of living while maintaining an incredibly Houston is one of the most affordable major cities in the U.S. with overall living costs high quality of life with the amenities 25.4 percent below the average of the nation’s 20 most metropolitan areas. you expect to find in a world-class city. Dallas 108.5 Houston Washington, D.C. New York ARTS & CULTURE 95.8 115.5 159.5 248.6

Houston is one of the few cities in the U.S. with resident companies in all four major performing arts. Houston’s world- renowned cultural scene include more than 500 institutions devoted to the performing and visual arts, science and history. Atlanta Chicago Boston Turrell Skyspace / Photo by dabfoto 95.8 123.8 151.7 Houston’s Theater District, located in downtown Houston, spans 17 blocks, and its four flagship theaters Philadelphia Los Angeles 112.9 146.6 house 13,000 seats. The , Hobby Center for the Source: Council for Community & Economic Research, Q3/2020 Performing Arts, and host seven renowned performing arts organizations as well as many smaller programs. DINING URBAN DEVELOPMENT The is one of the country’s most visited and diverse cultural centers with 19 museums. These Houston restaurants feature outstanding regional dishes as Houston large and growing footprint has led to a resurgence museums provide rich experiences in art, history, culture, nature well as diverse international cuisine. The region’s reputa- in urban living. The city’s signature neighborhoods like and science. The district is divided in four walkable zones, each tion of being a culinary hotspot is recognized by the James Downtown, EaDo, Uptown, Midtown, and Montrose, to of which includes a group of museums. Since 2018, investments Beard Foundation with 13 semifinalist nominations for this name a few, offer residents access to urban living at in the Houston Museum District, including completed projects year’s awards. affordable costs. Projects like the Uptown District, Avenida and some in progress, total more than $800 million. Numerous dining options, and the increasing number of food Houston in Downtown are a few examples of how the city halls in the Houston area, earned the city a spot on “The 20 continues to invest in increasingly walkable dining and Best Places to Travel in 2020,” compiled by Harper’s Bazaar. entertainment districts. courtesy of Visit Houston OUTDOOR RECREATION

Houston is one of America’s greenest cities. The region boasts 500 miles of interconnected bikeways, 380 devel- oped city parks and 170 open spaces. In fact, Houston is home to two of the nation’s 10 largest urban public parks, Cullen Park and . Over the past decade, Houston has seen a nationally recognized green space renaissance. Several of the city’s signature parks including Memorial, Hermann, Buffalo , Levy, and have implemented plans to further expand their offerings to Houston area residents and visitors. The Memorial Park Master Plan is one of the largest and most visionary urban parks projects currently underway in the U.S. Park / Photo by Bryan Malloch Truck Yard / Photo by Bryan Malloch ????

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 24 JOIN HOUSTON’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Houston is a city that has been leading the way for , with breakthrough innovations that have truly changed the world.

Over the past few years, we have been working to transform an already incredible economy into one that competes as a leading digital tech city. HOUSTON.ORG HOUSTONEXPONENTIAL.ORG

Visit us for more information on Houston’s innovation ecosystem, or if you are Since 1840, the Greater Houston Partnership has strived Houston Exponential (HX) is a non-profit organization created to make the region the best place to live, work and build to accelerate the growth of Houston’s innovation ecosystem considering relocating on expanding your business. a business. by creating pathways for innovation to flow at scale. HX aligns ecosystem support around strategic initiatives that Our economic development team can assist in site selection are connecting, attracting, and promoting startups, investors, analysis, incentive evaluation and application, aid in the corporations, government, and universities. HX also maintains permitting process, provide key data on business facilities several online platforms including: and help connect you with civic, industry, and innovation ecosystem leaders. • HTXTechList.com, a searchable database for startups and investors We serve over 1,100 member companies in the 12- • HTXTalent.com, an ecosystem-wide jobs board. Houston region. • Interactive maps and a calendar of events at HoustonExponential.org

THE HOUSTON TECH REPORT | 26