18 venture capital investors pushing Houston companies in 2026

Houston raised $4.1B across 380+ deals in 2025. Energy tech took 40% of that capital, healthcare another 25%. The ecosystem is dominated by enterprise and B2B plays. Consumer startups rarely get funded here. You won't close a Houston round without understanding oil and gas adjacencies, even if you're not in energy.

Quick list

Why Houston works for B2B and energy tech

Houston has 30+ active institutional investors. Average seed round is $2.2M, Series A is $8-12M. That's lower than SF but higher than most Texas cities. The money here is patient and founder-friendly. Investors expect 18-24 month runways, not the 12-month sprints you see on the coasts.

Energy tech dominates because Houston has the expertise. Every fund here has partners who worked at Shell, Halliburton, or Schlumberger. That means serious technical diligence but also real customer intros. If you're building for oil and gas, you'll meet procurement teams at majors within weeks of funding. Most startups in Houston learn quickly that regional expectations around traction are different from other markets.

Healthcare is the second vertical that works. Texas Medical Center is the world's largest medical complex. Investors here understand MedTech reimbursement and FDA timelines. Consumer startups struggle unless there's a clear enterprise angle. Houston investors don't fund growth-at-all-costs models.

Picking the right Houston investor

Local presence: Houston investors expect quarterly board meetings in person. Remote-only funds rarely win deals here. The city's investor community is tight. Everyone knows who's serious and who's just taking meetings. Physical presence signals commitment. Sending consistent updates with trackable investor-update software keeps engagement strong between meetings.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed Houston companies in your sector. Mercury Fund's energy portfolio opens doors at Chevron and ConocoPhillips. Artemis connects founders to clean tech engineers leaving traditional energy. These networks matter more than check size for early traction.

Check sizes: Seed rounds are $1-3M, usually led by local funds with coastal participation. Series A is $8-15M, often co-led by Austin or Dallas funds. Growth rounds require out-of-state capital. Plan for that. Houston has limited Series B+ capacity outside energy and healthcare.

Industry expertise: Houston investors are technical. They'll understand your unit economics for industrial processes or complex B2B sales cycles. Don't pitch like you're in SF. Revenue and customer acquisition cost matter more than total addressable market slides here. A tight, well-structured pitch deck often determines whether you get a second meeting.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. Houston investors typically review materials within 72 hours. You'll see if they're actually reading your tech specs or just skimming the executive summary. That tells you if they understand your space.

Follow-on capacity: Most Houston funds reserve 50% for follow-on rounds. Ask explicitly about Series A and B capacity. If they can't follow on, you'll need to build relationships with Austin, Dallas, or coastal funds before you need them. That takes 6-9 months.

How to find and approach Houston investors

Research energy deals: Check PitchBook for recent Houston energy tech investments. Mercury Fund, Artemis, and Energy Innovation Capital announce deals publicly. Read their portfolio pages. Look for companies at your stage. That tells you if they're actually writing checks right now or just maintaining existing investments.

Leverage Ion: Ion is Houston's startup hub in the old Sears building. Most local investors have office hours there. Artemis, Mercury Fund, and Goose Capital all host events. Show up to demo days and pitch competitions. Deals get sourced there more than anywhere else in Houston.

Build relationships at TMC: Texas Medical Center Innovation runs accelerator programs. If you're in healthcare, this is your entry point. Investors scout there for medtech and digital health deals. TMC connections lead to both funding and first customers at Houston Methodist or MD Anderson.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send unique links to each Houston investor. You'll see exactly which funds open your deck versus which ignore it. Houston investors spend heavy time on team and market slides. If they skip your financials, they're not serious.

Attend local events: Houston Tech Rodeo in October and Ion's Demo Day twice a year are where deals happen. Energy Tech Nexus hosts monthly meetups with actual investors, not just founders. Skip general networking events. Go where capital shows up.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders in Mercury Fund's or Artemis's portfolio on LinkedIn. Ask about their fundraising process and investor experience. Houston founders are direct about which funds actually help versus which just show up for board meetings.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. Houston investors move fast once they decide but want organized materials. Your cap table, financial model, customer contracts, and technical specs in one place shows you've raised before or learned from founders who have.

Understand local pace: Houston deals take 3-4 months from first meeting to wire. That's faster than NYC, slower than Austin. Investors here want to meet your team, see customer traction, and talk to references. They won't skip steps. Budget time for thorough diligence.

Houston-specific considerations

Houston investors want B2B revenue before Series A. $500K ARR minimum, ideally $1-2M. They're skeptical of pure software plays without industry-specific expertise. If you're not in energy or healthcare, you'll need customer logos from Houston-based enterprises. Shell, ConocoPhillips, or TMC affiliations matter.

Rounds close slower than coastal markets but faster than other Texas cities. Investors here have seen boom and bust cycles. They'll stress test your unit economics hard. Be ready to defend gross margins and payback periods. Profitability paths matter more than growth rates.

Competition is lower than Austin or Dallas for non-energy deals. You'll get more investor attention but fewer options if your round doesn't come together. Most Houston funds collaborate rather than compete. If two funds pass, word spreads. Fix what's broken before approaching others.

18 top investors in Houston

1. Mercury Fund

Houston's most active seed and Series A fund, focused on enterprise software and energy tech with serious technical diligence.

• Recent Deals: SparkCognition $123M Series C (2025), BrainBox AI $24M Series B (2024), SparkCognition Government Systems $20M Series A (2025)
• LinkedIn: Adrian Fortino
• Sector Focus: energy tech, enterprise software, industrial IoT, AI/ML for energy
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1221 Lamar Street, Houston
• Website: mercuryfund.com

2. Artemis Fund

Women-led fund backing climate tech and energy transition companies with technical operators as partners.

• Recent Deals: Syzygy Plasmonics $76M Series C (2025), Electric Hydrogen $198M Series C (2024), LanzaTech $400M+ in various rounds
• LinkedIn: Stephanie Campbell
• Sector Focus: climate tech, clean energy, hydrogen, carbon capture, materials science
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1200 Smith Street, Houston
• Website: artemis.fund

3. Energy Innovation Capital

Early-stage fund exclusively focused on energy transition technologies with deep technical expertise.

• Recent Deals: Lyten $200M Series B (2025), Twelve $130M Series B (2024), Fervo Energy $244M Series C (2024)
• LinkedIn: Ravi Chiruvolu
• Sector Focus: energy storage, clean hydrogen, carbon utilization, geothermal, grid optimization
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1330 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston
• Website: energyinnovationcapital.com

4. Goose Capital

Seed-stage fund focused on B2B software and energy data platforms with Houston market access.

• Recent Deals: Quiddity $30M Series A (2025), Amperon $20M Series A (2024), Enverus $550M growth equity (2023)
• LinkedIn: Matt Clifford
• Sector Focus: energy software, B2B SaaS, data analytics, industrial automation
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 3730 Kirby Drive, Houston
• Website: goosecap.com

5. Cottonwood Venture Partners

Multi-stage fund backing industrial and infrastructure tech with focus on asset-heavy industries.

• Recent Deals: Verv $45M Series B (2025), Gecko Robotics $73M Series C (2024), Dusty Robotics $45M Series B (2023)
• LinkedIn: Matt Brennan
• Sector Focus: industrial IoT, robotics, construction tech, supply chain software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 845 Texas Avenue, Houston
• Website: cottonwoodvp.com

6. Cathexis Ventures

Technical fund focused on frontier energy and industrial technologies with Houston operator network.

• Recent Deals: Revterra $11M Series A (2025), Molten Industries $8M Series A (2024), Antora Energy $50M Series B (2024)
• LinkedIn: Carrie Brownstein
• Sector Focus: energy storage, thermal tech, industrial decarbonization, materials science
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1155 Dairy Ashford Road, Houston
• Website: cathexisventures.com

7. Blue Bear Capital

Early-stage fund backing software for energy and industrial markets with strong customer intro network.

• Recent Deals: Amperon $20M Series A (2024), Energo $12M Series A (2025), ndustrial $13M Series A (2023)
• LinkedIn: Brian Sikes
• Sector Focus: energy software, industrial SaaS, predictive analytics, trading platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston
• Website: bluebearcap.com

8. Seed Round Capital

Seed-stage fund exclusively for Houston-based startups with focus on B2B and enterprise.

• Recent Deals: Aveni $15M Series A (2025), Kalibrate $18M Series B (2024), Synapticure $18M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Lance Ignon
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, healthcare IT, energy software
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: 5847 San Felipe Street, Houston
• Website: seedround.com

9. NextWave Partners

Growth-stage fund backing energy transition and industrial tech with corporate venture connections.

• Recent Deals: Cemvita Factory $25M Series B (2025), LanzaTech $72M Series D (2024), Solugen $357M Series C (2021)
• LinkedIn: Tim Fenn
• Sector Focus: synthetic biology, carbon tech, industrial biotech, chemicals
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1360 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston
• Website: nextwavepartners.com

10. Texas HALO Fund

Statewide angel network with strong Houston chapter backing healthcare and B2B.

• Recent Deals: Synapticure $18M Series A (2024), Phunware $10M round (2025), ForceMetrics $6M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Mario Ricciardelli
• Sector Focus: healthcare IT, digital health, enterprise software, fintech
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: Multiple Houston locations
• Website: texashalofund.com

11. Houston Angel Network

Houston's oldest angel group with 100+ members and focus on Texas companies.

• Recent Deals: Protenus $12M round (2024), Vesta Healthcare $15M Series A (2025), Caliber Home Loans $8M round (2024)
• LinkedIn: Houston Angel Network
• Sector Focus: healthcare, fintech, enterprise software, consumer services
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: 2777 Allen Parkway, Houston
• Website: houstonangelnetwork.org

12. Thin Air Labs

Venture studio and seed fund building companies from scratch in Houston.

• Recent Deals: Sesh $6M seed (2025), Calibrate $5M seed (2024), Various studio builds
• LinkedIn: Ryan Severance
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, data platforms, workflow automation
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 4200 Montrose Boulevard, Houston
• Website: thinairlabs.com

13. Montrose Lane

Seed fund focused on AI and automation for traditional industries with Houston presence.

• Recent Deals: Entera $5M seed (2025), Homeward $136M Series C (2024), CopperTree $3M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: David Lack
• Sector Focus: proptech, construction tech, AI for enterprise, workflow automation
• Stage Focus: seed, pre-seed
• Office Location: 3331 West Alabama Street, Houston
• Website: montroselane.com

14. GOOSE Society of Texas

Angel group specifically for Houston entrepreneurs with focus on diverse founders.

• Recent Deals: 4Degrees $4M seed (2024), Re:amaze $3M seed (2025), Vayu Robotics $12M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: GOOSE Society of Texas
• Sector Focus: B2B software, healthcare, logistics, consumer tech
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Ion, 4201 Main Street, Houston
• Website: goosesociety.org

15. Live Oak Venture Partners

Austin-based but heavily invested in Houston B2B and enterprise companies.

• Recent Deals: Alert Innovation $42M round (2024), data.world $50M Series C (2021), Dosh $40M Series B (2020)
• LinkedIn: Krishna Srinivasan
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, data platforms, automation
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin (invests heavily in Houston)
• Website: liveoak.vc

16. S3 Ventures

Austin fund with significant Houston portfolio and energy tech focus.

• Recent Deals: Pecan AI $35M Series B (2024), Cloudthread $13M Series A (2024), SailPoint $200M+ over multiple rounds
• LinkedIn: Charlie Plauche
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, cybersecurity, AI/ML, data analytics
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Austin (active in Houston)
• Website: s3vc.com

17. Silverton Partners

Austin-based fund that co-invests frequently with Houston funds on enterprise deals.

• Recent Deals: CloudFactory $27M round (2024), Disco $60M Series B (2023), OJO Labs $77M Series C (2022)
• LinkedIn: Morgan Flager
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, B2B SaaS, AI platforms, data infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin (Houston deals)
• Website: silvertonpartners.com

18. Innova Memphis

Multi-city fund with Houston office backing industrial and manufacturing tech.

• Recent Deals: ADM Tronics $8M round (2025), Proterra $75M Series B (2024), AppHarvest $150M SPAC (2021)
• LinkedIn: David Waddell
• Sector Focus: manufacturing tech, supply chain, logistics, industrial automation
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 5718 Westheimer Road, Houston
• Website: innovamemphis.com

Start tracking your Houston investor outreach

These 18 investors closed Houston deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Houston funds, set up proper tracking. Energy tech and healthcare investors here will ask detailed questions about your tech and customers before committing.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Houston investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. Houston-based investors often skip market size slides but focus heavily on unit economics, technical specifications, and team backgrounds.

When Houston investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, customer contracts, and technical documentation in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Houston to raise from Houston investors?

No, but you'll need Houston customers or clear ties to oil and gas or healthcare. Remote companies rarely get funded unless there's obvious market fit. Plan to spend time in Houston for diligence and board meetings.

How does Houston compare to Austin for fundraising?

Houston has more capital for energy and healthcare, Austin has more for general B2B SaaS. Houston rounds are 20-30% smaller at seed and Series A but investors understand industrial sales cycles better. Austin moves faster but Houston investors write bigger follow-on checks.

What's the average seed round size in Houston?

$2-3M with local lead and coastal participation. Pre-seed rounds are $500K-1M from angels. Houston investors won't lead rounds under $1M. Too small to justify their diligence process.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Raise locally for seed and Series A if you're in energy or healthcare. Houston investors will open more customer doors than coastal funds. For Series B+, you'll need out-of-state capital anyway. Use Houston rounds to build traction for bigger coastal rounds.

Do Houston investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes. Zoom is fine for first calls but diligence requires face time. Expect 2-3 trips to Houston before term sheet. Investors here want to meet your whole team and see how you handle technical questions in real time.

What industries get funded most in Houston?

Energy tech takes 40% of capital, healthcare 25%, B2B enterprise 20%. Consumer and fintech struggle unless there's clear Houston customer base. Industrial and manufacturing tech works if you understand oil and gas or chemical processes.

How long does fundraising take in Houston?

3-4 months from first meeting to close. Diligence takes longer here because investors do deep technical reviews. Budget extra time if you're in energy - they'll want third-party validation of your tech claims from industry experts.