Plugging in From the cover
Meet the first cohort
The gist
3 Sigmatic AI provides insights for health centers. Location : Round Rock, TX 4 ClassVI.AI creates permitting tools to accelerate approvals for carbon sequestration. Location: Houston, TX 5 ByteTrail enhances security for infrastructure. Location: Plano, TX 6 Facilis AI transforms manufacturing data into actionable insights. Location: Sunnyvale, CA 7 Tappy Guide is a navigation app for seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. Location: Austin, TX 8 Improving Aviation is a tool for wildfire prediction and disaster-resilient airspace management. Location: Tampa, FL 9 Kausalyze optimizes process manufacturing. Location: Manchester, UK 10 Solidec turns air and water into fuels and chemicals without fossil emissions. Location: Houston, TX
Each year, Plug and Play will host two cohorts of 10 to 20 small business startups at its o ce in Sugar Land. The cohorts will focus on problem-solving solutions in the “smart city” realm, meaning digital technologies in the energy, mobility and health sectors, Hu said. “We get a say in the types of companies that come to Sugar Land as a part of the board,” she said. “We make sure they match our targeted industries.” The mentorship program will take place at the agship location in Sugar Land Town Square at 16205 City Walk, and will last 10 to 12 weeks. Prandtl Dynamics is now developing its anti-drone technology for military, prison, law enforcement and city use. Not only is the team looking to gain mentorship from Plug and Play, but it is also looking to relocate from Canada to Texas to nd better weather to test its products, Mahendru said. Ascent Integrated Tech is also participating in the rst cohort—showcasing a smart watch add-on aimed at tracking the wellness and location of re ghters and law enforcement. The product was initially designed for the military, although company o cials want to sell the product to municipalities to keep rst responders safe, co-founder and CEO Paul Couston said.
1 Prandtl Dynamics builds acoustic defense systems and is known for its drone destruction platform. Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada COURTESY PRANDTL DYNAMICS
2 Ascent Integrated Tech of fers wearable real-time health and location tracking for field teams. Location: Chicago, IL COURTESY ASCENT INTEGRATED TECH
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SOURCES: PLUG AND PLAY, SUGAR LAND, © GOOGLE MAPSCOMMUNITY IMPACT
The cost
Will pay $4.5M to Plug and Play over 3 years Made nearly $17.5M in sales tax revenue in 2024 The Sugar Land Development Corp. used sales tax revenue to incentivize Plug and Play. The entity:
milestones are met—such as cohort comple- tions—and progress reports are shared with the city, Molpus said. The development corporation is funded by a voter-approved $0.25 sales tax rate to fund business promotion and development, and isn’t part of the city’s general fund budget.
The Sugar Land Development Corp. will provide Plug and Play with a $4.5 million investment to help launch this program in the Greater Houston area over three years, said Chandler Molpus, Sugar Land economic development coordinator. Payments will be made three times a year as
SOURCE: SUGAR LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP./COMMUNITY IMPACT
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