• Sunnova Energy, a Houston-based residential solar and energy storage service provider, raised $168M in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol of NOVA. The company has a $853M market cap as of market close on Wednesday.
• Procyrion, a Houston-based med device company developing a circulatory support pump, raised a $30M Series D round led by new investor Bluebird Ventures. Returning investors included Fannin Partners, Scientific Health Development, and the State of Texas. The company has raised more than $59M in total.
• Grab Application, a Houston-based mobile application designed to help airport travelers to order food on the go, raised a $9.9M Series A from Collinson Group, according to Pitchbook. The company had previously raised $1M in angel funding.
• Munich-based Inveox, a developer of a smart container for human tissue samples, just set up shop in the Texas Medical Center as a part of TMCx's ninth cohort, raised EUR 17 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors.
• Syzygy Plasmonics, a developer of the world’s highest performance photocatalyst, raised $5.8M Series A co-led by The Engine and by The GOOSE Society of Texas. Previous investor Evok Innovations was also a major participant in the round. Other participants include angel investors from the Creative Destruction Lab program and the Houston area.
• Fannin Innovation Studios, a life sciences development group that intends to commercialize innovation developed in the Texas Medical Center institutions, raised $5.25M from Robert Tucci, Houston Angel Network, and other undisclosed investors.
• Spruce, a Houston-based provider of hotel-inspired services to the multifamily industry, closed a $3M funding round led by Fitz Gate Ventures with participation from Mercury Fund, Capital Factory and the Houston Angel Network. The company has raised approx. $8.5M to date.
• iOFFICE, a Houston-based provider of cloud-based workplace management software to corporations, received an undisclosed amount of development capital from Waud Capital Partners.
• Cemvita Factory, a CO2 utilization platform intended to produce nutrients and pharmaceuticals, raised funding of an undisclosed amount from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures.

• Computex Technology Solutions, a provider of IT services including private cloud, public cloud and traditional infrastructure models in Central and Southeastern United States, reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by Pensare Acquisition (NAS: WRLS), a special purpose acquisition company, for approximately $65M in cash, stock, and assumed debt
• PCS Software, a Shenandoah-based transportation management software solution for the inland trucking industry, was acquired by The CapStreet Group for an undisclosed sum.
• Prevalent, a provider of healthcare analytics and revenue cycle management consulting services, was acquired by iMedX, via its financial sponsor RFE Investment Partners, for an undisclosed amount.

• Houston’s Silicon Bayou push picks up momentum with tech hub’s groundbreaking, iconic building takeover
• 2019 Inc. 5000 list includes 119 Houston cos., including a record holder
• Women take the lead in building Houston’s tech ecosystem
• Amazon launches web services hub in Houston
• Inc. magazine named Houston as one of the top hottest startup cities in America
• TMCx announces its next medical device cohort with 5 startups hailing from Houston
• Houston clocks in as No. 2 most overworked city in the nation
• HBJ announces finalists for 2019 top women-owned businesses
• New York-based artificial intelligence unicorn co. hires 71 for Houston office, aims to hire more
• Retailers among 10 largest Houston companies at risk of delisting
• Houston-based Data Gumbo, a blockchain-as-a-service start-up, announced that Antelope Water Management, an Austin-based provider of sustainable water solutions for the oil & gas industry, has adopted its technology. Data Gumbo raised its $6M Series A co-led by Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and Equinor Technology Ventures in May.
• Gecko Robotics Inc., is expanding its Texas presence by adding new jobs and opening an office in Houston
• Texas has become a testing ground for driverless semi-trucks further fueled by the new autonomous trucking route from Dallas to Houston operated by Kodiak Robotics. The CA-based company is focused long-haul trucking autonomous technologies and is opening an office in Dallas to better service this new route.
• Ransomware Attackers Target 23 Texas Towns In One Day