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- Houston's Startup Scene: What You Need to Know
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Hey Rocket Networkers,
How about some stories from H-town you actually need to know about?
Houston's TrueLeap just closed an oversubscribed $3.3M seed.
They're building last-mile AI infrastructure in places everyone else ignores.
Led by Joe Swinbank Family Limited Partnership, with participation from additional strategic partners that think in decades, not quarters.
Here's what matters: TrueLeap makes enterprise knowledge actually work at the last mile. Where everything usually falls apart.
Co-founders are Dr. Sunny Zhang and Dr. Sandip Bordolo.
Sunny also founded Born Global, backing early-stage tech startups led by immigrant and foreign-born founders. Born Global combines three pieces: a VC fund, a venture builder studio, and a global network. They provide capital, connections, and the kind of support that matters when you're building from scratch in a new country.
She only backs cockroach founders. The ones who don't fold when it gets ugly.
Sunny connects Houston to the world and knows survival isn't optional.
Dr. Bordolo brings the technical depth to turn vision into working systems.
Together they're building infrastructure that lasts. Pipes, not pitch decks.
We are lucky to have them here in Texas!
Exclusive for Rocket Network subscribers:
“Our work at TrueLeap Inc. has always been about people. This round allows us to build last-mile AI and knowledge infrastructure that meets communities where they are — and grows with them.” - Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang
Read the full story: LINK
FluxWorks just raised $5 million seed to bring Celestial Gear to market.
Scout Ventures led the round.
Here's why this matters: FluxWorks is solving real hardware bottlenecks in robotics and automation. Not incremental fixes. Ground-up reimagining.
They've got backing from the Office of Strategic Capital and Michigan Capital Network. That tells you something about what they're building.
Not only do they make better gears, but they are also rebuilding critical pieces of US industrial infrastructure.
Shoutouts to Bryton Praslicka, PhD and the entire FluxWorks team.
I met Bryton in 2023. He was grinding through prep for the Rice Business Plan competition.
Super smart guy. Also, he is a RocketNetwork subscriber. Lives in the neighborhood.
Now he just closed $5M seed for FluxWorks.
This is how it works. You put in the work when nobody's watching. You don't quit…Then you win.
Exclusive for Rocket Network subscribers:
“This raise is about launching our products commercially. We are excited to turn our pilots to stories that set a precedent for our impact in robotics and automation.” - Bryton Praslicka, PhD
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.
But seriously, AI agents now have their own Reddit-style social network, and it’s getting weird fast…
Read more here - LINK
LET'S ROCKET NETWORK!
We are using emojis to guide subscribers in our event list 📅📍
🚀 - must attend
🔥🌶️ - something hot
🤓💻 - good for developers and other technical folks
🦄💰- venture capital and investing-related
⚡- energy-related
♻️- renewable energy and sustainability-related
🏥 - health care related
🎖️🪖 - veteran or military related
🏅 - sports tech related
₿ - web3 related
HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR HTX THIS WEEK
Monday, February 2
Entrepreneurship Roundtable
🤓💻AI Tools & Real-World Comparisons
🚀SOLIDWORKS HARD-TECH MEETUP
Tuesday, February 3
🚀Tech+Tequila Talk
SheMeansBusiness
₿Token Talk: Houston - Tokenizing Real World Assets
VDW 7 | Solutions to Storytelling: Marketing Yourself and Your Venture
🦄💰ACCAP Monthly Investor Networking
Wednesday, February 4
AI Demo Day Q1 - Online
Want to get the most out of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly.
Discover how HubSpot's guide to AI can elevate both your productivity and creativity to get more things done.
Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI.
Thursday, February 5
🚀Ion Block Party
invincible Cafecito Open House
🚀Houston AI Club February Meetup (February 5th - 801 Travis St)
Side Project Society - February Meetup
Friday, February 6
🚀Cup of Joey
Welcome to the Ion
🚀Startup Circle
⚠️Hosting a tech meetup or startup event? Submit it via the RocketNetwork Event Submission Form to boost your visibility!
FEATURED EVENTS
Looking to launch a startup in the Houston area or SE Texas? the Final Application Deadline for the Houston Spring 2026 Founder Institute accelerator is on Sunday (Jan 25, 2026).
🚀 I'm proud to support the Houston Founder Institute, a program designed to provide structure, feedback, and supportive networks for the next generation of entrepreneurs. The Houston Spring 2026 program is accepting applications and kicks off in February 2026. You can apply using my referral link for priority access with the global admissions office: https://fi.co/apply/houston/mentor-2511431
FEATURED JOBS
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That’s a wrap for now, RocketNetworkers,
Stay tuned, and keep grinding!
Disclaimer: The content in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by any sponsors. All opinions and information are those of the author and not of the sponsors or affiliated organizations.
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