Houston's Startup Scene: What You Need to Know

2/9/26 - 2/15/26

Author

Oleg Lysiak
February 08, 2026

Hey Rocket Networkers,

The Business Journal covers the mega-rounds. The Fortune 500 CEOs. The safe bets…

Rocket Network? We cover whatever I'm discovering and excited about.

Could be a Houston-based plumber tool startup nobody's talking about yet. A group travel company quietly solving a problem you didn't know you had. The monthly tech event I get pumped for every single time (and I'm picky).

Oh, and a taco spot serving cactus tacos that'll make you rethink lunch.

We don't discriminate by company size. If it's cool, if it's moving, if it matters - it's in here.

This is where you meet professionals in tech before everyone knows their name. Learn about under-the-radar businesses before they blow up. Find the people and companies that need your help and your shoutouts.

Because the best deals, the best hires, and the best ideas? They're not on the cover of a glossy magazine.

They're right here.

I Took a Subscriber to Lunch. You Should Meet Her Too.

Monica beat everyone to win my "Best Taco in Houston" bracket. Her pick? Not Torchy's (sorry, everyone). Sarita's Taqueria -- this build-your-own spot tucked away that feels like Chipotle had a kid with your abuela's kitchen.

We met there this week. Tacos were insane. One of the interesting ones I got was the Nopales a la Mexicana - cactus with jalapeño, tomato, and onion. Sounds weird. Tastes legendary. 100% recommend the spot. 200% recommend connecting with Monica.

Because here's the thing: Monica is obviously good at finding delicious tacos, but she is also:

Born-and-raised Houstonian who lives at the intersection of cloud, DevOps, AI, Bolivia, and volunteer work. She works for a tech startup and is organizing a golf event in April to inspire the next generation of technologists. She's looking for panelists. She's plugged in. She's the exact kind of person you want in your network.

I asked her for an exclusive quote for Rocket Network. Here it is:

❝

"Howdy everyone! I'm a born and raised Houstonian with a passion for cloud, DevOps, AI, Bolivia, volunteer work with AnitaB.org, and tacos. Hit me up if you are ever interested in talking about any of those. I'm organizing a golf event in April and I'm looking for panelists to inspire the next generation of technologists."

Her links:

Reach out to her on LinkedIn. Or DM me and I'll connect you if you want in on her conference or events.

Why I'm Doing This

I want to know my subscribers. Help them grow. Connect them. That's the goal. Also? I get to try hidden gems in Houston without eating lunch alone.

Next time: Favorite BBQ spot. Get your recommendations ready.

Patent-Pending Plumbing Tool? Yeah, We Got That.

Patent-Pending Plumbing Tool? Yeah, We Got That.

If your Super Bowl party gets out of hand…too many cactus tacos, pipes acting up…you know the drill.

Jokes aside: Master plumber Sebastian Merrell and startup veteran Kieran Skelly built a faster, cleaner way to apply plumbing primer. Patent pending. Already selling through a distributor with rave reviews.

Wild part? They're eyeing an exit in two years.

Right now, they're hunting for a strategic partner to scale injection molding and expand national distribution. If that's you — or you know someone who builds stuff that goes into Home Depot - hit them up.

Because the best businesses don't always look sexy. Sometimes they just solve a real problem plumbers deal with every single day.

My Favorite Software Event in Houston

Рouston is uniquely weird. All energy and healthcare. People complain it's not Austin for software founders.

They're wrong.

My favorite software event in Houston used to be called Software Day at the Ion. Now it's "Mercury Fund Day at the Ion"—and it's still the best monthly spot for software founders to connect with real mentorship.

This month's topic: The New FDE Model: How to Deploy with Scale in Legacy Industries

Moderated by Alex Gras of Mercury Fund. Panelists:

All three are great Houston builders with fresh perspectives you won't hear anywhere else.

If you do anything related to software, AI, or startups, you need to be there.

Meet the Founder Behind JetQuest

Jonathon Lewis isn't your typical travel founder.

He's the true embodiment of Houston hustle. Shows up to every event. Works out. Always grinding to grow himself as a founder.

JetQuest is a group travel community using AI to connect hosts with people who want the right travel crew. Real experiences. Real community. That's the currency now.

The challenges of running a travel club got messy, so they built their own platform.

He tried living in Bali for three months. Amazing place. Terrible time zones for his US team. So he moved to Medellín, Colombia instead. Affordable. Better food. Better views. Better energy. And his team can actually reach him.

Jonathon might be hiring devs for equity or a CTO. Hit him up.

Watch his full story here: LINK
Connect: linkedin.com/in/jonathon-lewis-9b697768

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.

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 9

How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset - Online

Wednesday, February 11

In-Space Physical AI Workshop

AI in HR? It’s happening now.

Deel's free 2026 trends report cuts through all the hype and lays out what HR teams can really expect in 2026. You’ll learn about the shifts happening now, the skill gaps you can't ignore, and resilience strategies that aren't just buzzwords. Plus you’ll get a practical toolkit that helps you implement it all without another costly and time-consuming transformation project.

Thursday, February 12

🦄💰Angel Investing 101

🏥Pints & Prototypes

Saturday, February 14

👉📅ROCKET NETWORK HTX CALENDAR 📅👈

👉ROCKET NETWORK DEALS👈

⚠️Hosting a tech meetup or startup event? Submit it via the RocketNetwork Event Submission Form to boost your visibility!

👉Entry Level Tech Jobs - LINK

👉Energy Community and Energy Tech Jobs - LINK

👉The Biggest Free Remote Job Board in North America - LINK

👉Soft Skills-Focused Interviews for Better Hiring Decisions - LINK

👉Start your targeted job search today with AI - LINK

That’s a wrap for now, RocketNetworkers,

Stay tuned, and keep grinding!

❤️ - ROCKET NETWORK TEAM

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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