FAQ

General FAQ

Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week 2026 is bringing together leading energy and climate venture capital investors, industry leaders and startups from around the world to showcase the momentum Houston is building to launch and grow innovative companies and technologies transforming the energy industry while driving a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.

Houston is a natural convening location for these groups to come together as demonstrated by the many successful events happening throughout the year. Events individually organized by flagship support organizations, incubators, startups and, investors, are orienting around this week-long celebration of energy transformation built by Houston’s biggest champions. A series of must-attend experiences will create collisions with energy and climate enthusiasts that will shape the future of energy. See what Houston has to offer!

This community-led effort is organized by a group of regional organizations, academic institutions, and corporations in the Houston ecosystem, including Rice Alliance, Halliburton Labs, Greentown Labs, Activate, Digital Wildcatters, and the Houston Energy Transition Initiative. Individual investors, startups, and organizations are all independently hosting events around the city during the week, that are showcased on the Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week website. 

Many years in the making, Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week was launched in response to the question: Can the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? Traditionally, each of the anchor organizations hosted flagship events throughout the year, inviting investors, startups, and energy enthusiasts to Houston multiple times. The tipping point was in 2023 when many of these events started overlapping, often landing on the same day or week as other city climate and startup weeks.

The organizations came together to coordinate and unify their flagship events into a single, destination week, showcasing what Houston has to offer. The inaugural Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week will build on the momentum already present in the city, providing a platform for groundbreaking technologies and innovations.

Just when you think Houston is slowing down… Startup Energy & Climate Week #HECSW2025 cranked things up a notch! It was “electric”. Meeting so many founders who are pushing the envelope in clean energy, climate tech, and sustainable innovation—it’s inspiring, humbling, and energizing all at once. 

Bob (Baber) Khan

Datronix Solutions LLC

It was so inspiring to get together with other leaders in the industry for a great discussion on climate, carbon, and conservation. Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

Allison Falendar

The Nature Conservancy

 Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week was an incredible showcase of innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions! The week was packed with exciting pitches, cutting-edge technology, startup acceleration, and vibrant networking opportunities.

Ross Blair

Innovation Norway

Houston lives up to its reputation most areas, and pleasantly surprised me in others. In contrast to many startup / VC conferences, Houston Energy And Climate Startup Week felt much more customer focused. The people coming up to the founders after each session not only knew the technicals, but also wanted to test and buy, not just invest – a great thing for international companies trying to break into the US. 

Karl Liapunov

Startuplab

This week demonstrated how #Boston and #Houston ecosystems can work together to make that support all the more effective. Houston’s got the goods – Strong engineering talent, diverse workforce, and direct access to energy customers.

Lawson Gow

Greentown Houston

The conversations reinforced that even the most ambitious founders don’t need to go it alone, and that bringing in the right people at the right time can accelerate innovation and real-world impact. 

Keither Cleland

Aqua-Cell Energy

Getting Involved & Attending

Since all events are being hosted by individual organizers, you can register directly on the organizations’ websites. Each event on our online calendar is linked to the event websites where you can register. Some events are free to attend, and some require payment. Please refer to each individual event site for this information.

It was really important to the initial organizers that the week was built by the community. Invite-only events are included on the week’s schedule so that individual organizers can plan accordingly as they launch their own events for the week. Please respect that these events are invite-only, and do not show up unless you are on the guest list. 

You can see a list of startups who are pitching on each individual event website, which are being announced in the coming weeks. We encourage you to also follow us on LinkedIn, to stay up-to-date as these announcements are made. 

We encourage organizations, startups, investors, corporations, and community leaders to host energy and climate innovation-focused events throughout Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week. To have your event considered for inclusion on the official calendar, please submit it through the event submission form on our website. 

Event submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis and must be received by Monday, August 17, to be considered for inclusion. Please note that submitting an event does not guarantee placement on the calendar, as all submissions are reviewed and vetted by the organizing team. 

Looking for a venue? We encourage event organizers to explore opportunities throughout Houston, including the Ion District and other innovation-focused venues across the region. While the organizing partners cannot plan events on your behalf, we are happy to provide guidance and point you toward helpful venue and vendor resources. 

We also welcome volunteer support throughout the week. Please submit a contact form, and a member of our team will be in touch.

This is a grassroots effort is designed for and led by the community.  There is no “Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week” organizing entity using the entirety of the week to raise funds for their organization.  There are opportunities to support specific events and organizations throughout the week.  If you are interested in supporting a specific organization or event, please reach out to that event organizers to learn more. 

Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week is not affiliated with any other events or organizations not listed on our website.  

This week began with the recognition that Houston is an exciting and growing hub of energy and climatetech innovation and has built a reputation for bringing great investors and innovators throughout the year.  The founding partners saw an opportunity to unify several independent events into a single week and maximize our opportunity to showcase this vibrant ecosystem on a national and global stage.

All organizations involved in Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week are committed to keeping this a true grassroots effort, led by the community and for the community. The essence of the week is to showcase innovative energy and climatetech founders and startups and put them in front of potential investors.

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