HOUSTON—A tech accelerator and incubator is soon to arrive at Houston's Republic Square, a 35-acre campus formerly occupied by ExxonMobil. Nonprofit Houston Technology Center, the largest technology business incubator and accelerator in Texas, now has a key presence in Republic Square on Houston's west side, according to building owner, Third Palm Capital. The move is the culmination of extensive discussions, with Third Palm Capital initially contacting the tech center earlier this year.

“Houston Technology Center is delighted to bring to Republic Square all the resources and the full suite of services available through HTC,” says Walter Ulrich, president and CEO of the tech center. “We have worked with entrepreneurs in energy, medicine and IT that have enjoyed over $2.8-billion in funding and financial transactions, and this special location in Houston's Energy Corridor is ideal for creating new companies, driving job growth and changing the world for the better.”

Focusing on energy technology innovation, Houston Technology Center West will host its first Republic Square open house event next month, bringing together clients and professional advisors, along with individuals and small businesses looking to pitch ideas. The center will serve as a nexus for new ideas, technological innovation and entrepreneurship in the West Houston area.

Working closely with entrepreneurs and startup companies, Houston Technology Center provides in-depth strategic and tactical business guidance, fundraising advice, opportunity connections, allies and capital. In addition to daily office hours and meetings by appointment, a variety of regularly scheduled programming and special events will be hosted at the Republic Square campus.

“We're thrilled to bring Houston's startup ecosystem west to Republic Square,” said Mike Mueller, director of Houston Technology Center West and a former 29-year employee at the BP US headquarters, which is located immediately adjacent to the wooded campus with central lake. “With thousands of white collar workers laid off in this current oil and gas cycle–many living in close proximity to this site– we see tremendous potential with entrepreneurs in waiting.”

Republic Square is a community gathering place for flexible work space. The campus is being transformed into a business, leisure, intellectual and creative hub for the Energy Corridor District located at 13501 Katy Freeway. Located just west of Eldridge Road at the western gateway to Terry Hershey Park, the wooded campus has frontage along Memorial Drive and Interstate 10.

Current amenities include a central lake, 11-acre festival field, 20,000-square-foot meeting and event center, and Republic Square I, a 320,000-square-foot office building with commissary kitchen. Future plans call for hotel, office, multifamily and retail development, GlobeSt.com learns.

“We're incredibly excited about the community that we are curating at Republic Square,” according to Randall Tuller, executive manager for Third Palm Capital. “From start-ups to established firms in all fields, the winners in this evolving marketplace will be those that adopt and drive innovation.”

Tuller emphasizes that this will escalate with Houston Technology Center West in-house and as 20,000-square feet of Workstyle, Boxer Property's signature collaborative office space complemented by an array of amenities, including common area lounges, meeting spaces and enhanced WiFi, opens in early 2017.

“Our goal at Republic Square is to be a driver of the Energy Corridor's evolution into the city's innovation corridor,” Tuller tells GlobeSt.com.

Houston Technology Center has a headquarters in Midtown along with satellite offices at Johnson Space Center to the south of the city and at HARC in The Woodlands to the north.

“Our goal at Republic Square is to be a driver of the Energy Corridor's evolution into the city's innovation corridor,” Tuller tells GlobeSt.com.

Houston Technology Center has a headquarters in Midtown along with satellite offices at Johnson Space Center to the south of the city and at HARC in The Woodlands to the north.

Instant Insights /

Center Has Potential with Entrepreneurs in Waiting

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