The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship will host the 23rd Annual Energy Tech Venture Forum (ETVF) on Sept. 16–17, bringing founders, investors and corporate innovation leaders to Rice University for two days of pitches, keynotes and panels on the future of energy technology. ETVF anchors the third annual Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week (HECSW), running citywide Sept. 14–18.
Investor and Industry Office Hours open the forum Sept. 16 at the Ion, followed by the main event Sept. 17, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., at Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business (McNair Hall). Fifty energy tech companies, spanning grid modernization, industrial efficiency, autonomous solutions, advanced manufacturing and next-generation fossil energy, will pitch to 600-plus investors and industry leaders. The day closes with the announcement of a "Most Promising Company," chosen by participating experts and investors.
Last year's forum drew 50 ventures from five countries and 19 states, with nearly 100 startups in investor office hours; HECSW 2025 drew 30-plus events, 145-plus speakers, 290-plus startups and 3,900-plus attendees.
Sean Maher, vice president of investor relations and chief economist at Phillips 66, opens with a keynote on the state of the energy market. Ira Ehrenpreis, founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, closes with a conversation on scaling energy assets, moderated by former Rice Alliance former executive director Brad Burke. Additional panels include Corporate Venture Capital, AI Infrastructure, and sessions on grid technology, water infrastructure, autonomous operations and hard-tech commercialization.
By pairing pitches with direct investor access and strategic-investor panels, ETVF gives founders a fast track from early conversation to funded, scalable technology, reinforcing Houston's role as a hub where energy expertise meets emerging innovation.
What: The Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum
When: Sept. 17, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Jones Graduate School of Business’ McNair Hall at Rice University.
General registration is open now at $495 through Monday, Sept. 12, 2026. Details are available at alliance.rice.edu/etvf.
Media who would like to attend must register with Avery Franklin, media relations specialist at Rice, at ar119@rice.edu.