Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition | HETI + Rice Alliance + TEX-E

The Rice Alliance, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and TEX-E are partnering for the annual Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek, set to take place in the Innovation Agora in the George R. Brown Convention Center on March 12, 2025 with a special Pitch Preview event (free to attend) on March 11 at the Ion Houston. 

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Energy Venture Day features two days of presentations by energy tech ventures driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transistion.

On Tuesday, March 11, the Pitch Preview at the Ion will feature over 50 companies presenting in front of Rice Alliance's robust network of investors and industry partners. The pitches are followed by private, investor-led, one on one meetings to connect tech companies with venture capitalists, corporate innovation groups, industry leaders, and tech scouts.

The following day, Wednesday, March 12, the Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek will showcase 36 ventures in front of the Agora audience. This fast-paced competition is divided into three industry tracks spanning advanced materials to clean energy. Industry experts and investors will judge the pitches. The top three ventures from each track will be named in an awards ceremony at the end of the program.

Both events will include a university track, the TEX-E prize, highlighting the innovations of five Texas student-led energy startups. With mentorship leading up to the competition, these student startups will compete for $50K in cash prizes. 

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The winner of the Pitch Competition at CERAWeek will also have the chance to advance and compete for the $1Million Startup World Cup investment prize in October 2025. This is your opportunity to showcase groundbreaking solutions, gain expert mentorship and build connections that could transform your venture’s trajectory.

Pitch Preview: Energy Venture Day at the Ion:

• Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
• Ion Houston
• 3.5-minute pitches from 40+ energy ventures 

Invite- Only, Office Hours Between Investors and Energy Ventures: 

• Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 2:30 pm - Registration, 3:00 to 5:30 pm - Meetings
• Ion Houston 

Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek:

• Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Agora at CERAWeek; George R Brown Convention Center, 3rd Floor
• Hosted by Rice Alliance, HETI and TEX-E
• Agora pass needed 
• 3.5-minute pitches from up to 40 energy ventures 
• 4 tracks for energy transition ventures
  • 3 tracks for early to late-stage ventures 
  • 1 track for student-led ventures: the TEX-E Prize