Houston's Startup Scene: What You Need to Know

2/16/26 - 2/21/26

Author

Oleg Lysiak
February 15, 2026

In partnership with

Hey Rocket Networkers,

Do you OpenClaw? If not, you gotta watch this - VIDEO (Credit to This Week in Startups)

Yes, there are safe ways to set it up….

OpenClaw connects LLM agents to real tools (email, databases, GitHub, Slack, etc.) to automate multi-step workflows across your tech stack.

Key Examples in the video:

  • Presh built "Eywa" - an AI agent that manages customer outreach, compiles user data, writes documentation, researches wellness topics, and suggests/creates bug fixes autonomously. Claims he can now run multiple iOS apps with a tiny team instead of the traditional 10-person, $1-3M/year setup.

  • Vishnu is simplifying OpenClaw's setup to make agentic automation accessible to non-technical teams, focusing on companies with complex operations and heavy SaaS tool usage.

  • Sean connected Meta Ray-Ban glasses to Gemini Live + OpenClaw, enabling voice-activated agents with vision (e.g., look at a product, speak a command, agent adds it to your Amazon cart).

Bottom Line (per Jason): Agentic systems enable solo founders or tiny teams to build profitable niche apps that previously required 10+ employees. This means more apps, smaller teams, less VC dependency, and founders keeping more equity—fundamentally changing startup economics.

Houston-based cybersecurity startup Scan Ninja Inc has been selected as a Top 64 company in Startup Mania 2026

Startup Grind’s national, March Madness–style pitch competition featuring leading seed and Series A startups from across the country. The event takes place March 11 in Austin, where Scan Ninja Inc CEO Gary Martin will represent Houston on stage, competing head‑to‑head in front of venture investors and operators. The selection places Scan Ninja Inc among a highly competitive cohort chosen for traction, execution, and growth potential.

DialySafe just took 1st Place at the Rice Business Plan Competition Qualifier and is now headed to the RBPC Global Finals

DialySafe is building a patient-centered solution to make peritoneal dialysis smarter, simpler, and safer — especially for pediatric patients and their families. Their low-cost, capacitance-based sensor enables real-time infection detection at home, removing the guesswork and manual errors that make dialysis so stressful.

This is the kind of tech that brings clinical-grade safety into the living room — and real peace of mind to parents.

Founded at Rice and now part of Rice Nexus at The Ion.

Serious team. Serious mission.

They will be representing Rice University and Houston this April.

GOING TO SXSW? Don’t miss this one

An exclusive one-day matchmaking event connecting founders with investors…

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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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 16

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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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