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Hey Rocket Networkers,

Last week, I asked what you wanted to see more of.

Two things crushed it: deeper Houston & Texas Tech news and curated events worth your time.

So I spent the week digging into what Texas companies did at CES. Full disclosure: I didn't go…But I tracked down what our state brought to Vegas, and we showed up…

The big picture:

CES 2026 was about physical AI. Humanoid robots. Industrial operating systems. Boston Dynamics showed off a production-ready Atlas heading to Hyundai factory floors by 2028. Siemens and NVIDIA announced an industrial AI OS.

Cool stuff. But here's what got my attention: Texas companies brought solutions that work today.

Texas Instruments: The Quiet Giant

TI showcased automotive semiconductors for autonomous driving up to SAE Level 3. They unveiled the TDA5 chip family delivering 10 to 1,200 TOPS of edge AI compute. They partnered with BLUETTI on the Apex 300 home battery backup hitting 20W AC idle power consumption. Best in the industry.

This is boring innovation that prints money.

Dell: Back in the Game

Dell (Round Rock) announced its return to consumer products. New XPS laptops with best battery life in class. Expanded Alienware gaming lineup. World's first 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor.

Not bad for a company everyone wrote off.

Saltgator: The $299 Disruptor

This Dickinson, Texas startup (founded in 2025 with Hong Kong operations) unveiled the world's first desktop soft gel injection molding machine for $299. Smaller than a coffeemaker. Takes 10 minutes to produce rubbery, flexible items. Works with 3D-printed molds.

RobotLAB: Texas’s Robotics Play

RobotLAB (based in Southlake) opened in Houston July 2024 under U.S. Army vet Keith Edwards. Eight food delivery robots across four Houston locations. Run from their Westchase office.

Why they matter: Only franchised robotics integrator in the U.S. They don't sell robots. They make them work. Custom programming. Integration. Training. Support.

Thousands of robots deployed. Restaurants. Hotels. Hospitals. Schools. They partner with two-thirds of school districts teaching robotics and AI.

Top 3 Franchise Brand for 2025 (up from Top 10).

The genius: They integrate robots, not build them. The hard part nobody wants to do. And they've franchised it.

Check them out: linkedin.com/company/robotlabinc/about/

Starling Medical: Houston's Dark Horse

Starling Medical is a Houston-based company building medical devices that solve problems, not pitch decks full of buzzwords.

I'm hoping to dig into their story at one of our future newsletters. If you're in healthtech, follow them now: linkedin.com/company/starling-medical

More Texas tech deep-dives coming. More founder stories. More events worth your time.

Keep the feedback coming. I'll buy you tacos.

Seriously…

Here are the top 5 taco 🌮 spots in Houston (according to GPT and me). Which one is your favorite? Vote for one of these or reply with your own pick. I'll randomly select one subscriber and we'll grab tacos together (or I'll send you a gift card).

- Oleg👊

P.S. 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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_{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}.