Over the past 15 years, Houston has secured $104.8 million in early-stage R&D funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), according to the agency. The strategic funding is critical in advancing breakthrough technologies that aim to revolutionize the energy sector.   Since its inception in 2009, ARPA-E has invested $4.07 billion into more than 1,690 projects nationwide. Texas has been a major beneficiary of these funds, receiving $217 million across 80 projects, with Houston playing a leading role in shaping the state’s energy landscape.  While ARPA-E funding has historically been directed toward university-led projects, Houston has demonstrated a unique advantage. Most of the funding has been awarded to private companies, underscoring Houston’s ability to transition groundbreaking energy technologies from the research phase to commercialization.  “Houston has built an unparalleled environment for energy innovation, where companies don’t just develop breakthrough technologies—they scale them,” said Jane Stricker, the Partnership’s senior vice president of energy transition and the executive director of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative. “The significant ARPA-E funding secured by private companies reflects Houston’s unique ability to bridge innovation and commercialization. With a deep talent pool, access to industry expertise, and a collaborative ecosystem, Houston continues to be the place where energy solutions grow from concept to scalable impact.”  Transformative Projects in Houston  Houston’s ability to attract and leverage ARPA-E funding is evident in the success of local companies. A Partnership analysis found that since 2009, 13 Houston-based companies receiving ARPA-E funding have collectively raised $1.3 billion, reached a combined valuation of $1.9 billion, and employ 850 people. These companies are driving transformative projects that are shaping the future of energy. Fervo Energy received a $5.6 million investment from ARPA-E, which became a cornerstone for the company’s rapid growth. With this early support, Fervo has gone on to raise nearly $500 million in additional funding, including a $255 million round in 2023. The company is now at the forefront of geothermal energy innovation, supplying renewable power to high-profile clients like NV Energy and Google, which uses Fervo’s geothermal energy to power its data centers.  With a combined $21.5 million in ARPA-E funding from awards in 2018 and 2022, Quidnet Energy has made significant strides in advancing its grid-scale geomechanical pumped storage technology. By leveraging existing natural resources, the company enables long-duration, high-capacity renewable energy storage. In 2020, Quidnet secured an additional $10 million in Series B funding and is now scaling its groundbreaking system to support CPS Energy in Texas.  In 2019, Syzygy Plasmonics received $836,000 in funding to advance its photocatalysis technology, which uses light instead of heat to drive chemical reactions. This innovation significantly reduces energy consumption and emissions, paving the way for more sustainable industrial processes. The company has since secured $104.8 million in additional funding and recently delivered its first industrial-scale Rigel reactor cells to a demonstration site in South Korea.  Learn more about Houston’s Energy Transition Initiative at the upcoming 2025 CERAWeek. 

Following the success of 2023, the Greater Houston region continued to attract global businesses. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Partnership reported a total of 540 new business announcements, with 379 companies expanding their Houston area operations and 158 establishing new operations. Of the 540 new business announcements, the Partnership and its regional allies assisted 36, creating 5,000 jobs and fueling the regional economy with $1.1 billion total capital investment. Here are a few of the major project wins: Bionova Scientific Bionova Scientific is a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization that focuses on developing and manufacturing recombinant protein products. In 2024, the company expanded its research, development and manufacturing operations in The Woodlands Innovation District, funneling 57 jobs with a $100 million capital investment. Grainger, Inc. Fortune 300 company, Grainger, Inc. is a leading broadline distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products. In 2024, the company broke ground on its 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center. When operational it will be one of the company’s largest facilities to date, will create 300 jobs, and has a capital investment of $225 million. IC Star Solar LLC IC Star Solar LLC, a Cambodian manufacturer of PV power generation products, opened  its new manufacturing facility in Tomball in 2024 focusing on the production of solar cells and modules. The facility employs 348 people and boosted the Houston economy with a capital investment of $30 million. QYK Brands QYK Brands is the largest manufacturer of wet wipes & methyl methacrylate (MAA) and houses a bio-chemical manufacturing plant that produces 7,000 metric tons per year. The company is establishing a manufacturing facility in the Houston area with approximately 1,000 employees and $400 million in capital investment over the next three years. TMEIC Corporation Americas Japanese company, TMEIC Corporation Americas, announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Houston and the expansion of its manufacturing capacity in Brookshire. The state-of-the-art photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing facility will develop PV inverters for the U.S. solar market. This project will create 300 jobs and a capital investment of $300 million. Healgen Scientific LLC Chinese company, Healgen Scientific, is a leading provider of diagnostic and medical testing solutions. Healgen celebrated the grand opening of their first U.S. manufacturing facility and office headquarters location in Houston. The facility will manufacture tests for COVID-19 and influenza and serve as the central hub Healgen's distribution operations. This project will create 200 jobs and a capital investment of $27 million. The Partnership works to ensure Houston is a great city to do business and has become a key partner for companies aiming to relocate or expand in the area. Grow your business in Houston.