Houston's Startup Scene: Three Stories You Need to Know

1/26/26 - 2/1/26

Author

Oleg Lysiak
January 25, 2026

In partnership with

Hey Rocket Networkers,

How about some stories from H-town you actually need to know about?

Houston-Based - PraxisPro Closes $6M to Fix Life Sciences' Data Nightmare

Life Sciences sales teams operate in the dark… Their customer data? Fragmented. Incomplete. Sometimes it doesn't exist at all. Yet they're expected to make critical commercial decisions that determine whether breakthrough therapies reach patients or gather dust in warehouses.

That's the problem Cameron Badger, Dr. Benjamin A., and Bhrugu G. set out to solve with PraxisPro.

Their pitch is simple: better-prepared salespeople get more treatments into doctors' hands, which means more patients get help. The Techstars 2024 alum just closed an oversubscribed $6M seed round to make that happen.

"If we can give commercial teams the ability to prepare, practice, and engage at a higher level, consistently and responsibly, then we're not just improving commercial operations—we're helping ensure that innovative therapies reach the patients who need them most," says Badger.

Translation? They're rebuilding the broken infrastructure that keeps life-saving drugs from reaching the people who need them.

This team is closing the gap between innovation and impact in one of the most regulated, highest-stakes industries in the world.

Read the full story: TechCrunch

Screen Skinz Lands Shark Tank Deal with Alexis Ohanian and Mr. Wonderful

Wayne Pfeffer, Clay Canning, and Houston-based RaShaun Brown walked into the Tank with a wild idea: screen protectors that turn your phone into art when it's off and disappear when it's on.

They asked for $300K at a 7.5% stake.

They walked out with a deal from Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Kevin O'Leary.

Screen Skinz is making something boring (screen protectors) unexpectedly cool. The kind of product people show their friends. The kind of product that spreads.

That's the genius of it. They took a commoditized product category and added personality.

Now they've got two investors who understand platform thinking, virality, and how to scale consumer brands. This could get interesting fast.

Credit - ABC

Watch the pitch: Unofficial YouTube clip
Order one yourself: Screen Skinz on Instagram

Brad Burke's Retirement Marks the End of an Era (and the Start of a New One)

After 25 years at Rice, Brad Burke is stepping down this summer.

If you're in Houston's startup ecosystem, you know his work: the Rice Alliance, the Rice Business Plan Competition (now the world's largest student startup competition), and the Ion — a hub that's become essential infrastructure for founders, investors, and operators.

But here's what matters more than the titles: Brad showed up.

Biketoberfest 2024

He even rode with us during Biketoberfest. He supported entrepreneurs in real, tangible ways. Brad was able to build trust, culture, and a platform that founders rely on.

That's rare. Leadership that sticks around. Leadership that gives a damn.

The good news? JR's stepping in, and the foundation is solid. Burke's legacy is built to last.

Read the full story by Innovation Map - LINK

Don’t miss Founders & Funders Happy Hour | Houston

on THURSDAY!

Cheers,
- oleg 👊

P.S. Know a Texas company doing something insane? hit reply.
Got a founder friend who needs to hear this? forward them this email. let's raise Houston's tech game together.

At Rocket Network, we do the dirty work for you, curating Houston's tech scene so you spend less time scrolling and more time building. Want to be featured or sponsor? Hit reply.




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