Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter #079

Marc Nathan

8 min readFeb 19, 2017

Texas Startup News, Opinions & Events in the Lone Star State SUBSCRIBE View this email in your browser

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Big Texas News

TMCx Brings On Largest Class, HealthIT Startups from US & Abroad — Link — Xconomy’s Angela Shah

The Texas Medical Center’s TMCx accelerator announced its fourth cohort and largest class of 24 health IT startups.

San Antonio Startup Week is a five day celebration of your community that begins with Startup Weekend and culminates at the RealCo Launch Party. Join your community in a new type of conference that builds momentum and opportunity around entrepreneurship, led by entrepreneurs and hosted in the entrepreneurial spaces you love.

Austin Area

Savills Interactive Tech Map Austin
Five Questions For … Joseph Kopser, Ex-Army Officer, RideScout founder — Link
- Xconomy’s Angela Shah
Loom helps entrepreneurs lure freelance developers with equity — Link
Techcrunch’s Anthony Ha
Investor Spotlight: For Vista Equity Partners, a narrow focus yielding vast returns — Link
- Pitchbook
Austin Tech Industry Worries Obamacare Repeal Could Stymie Innovation — Link
- KUT.com’s Ashley Lopez
SXSW Finalists for 2017 Accelerator Pitch Announced — Link
- Austin Pulse
An Austin couple who have run a business together for 16 years say the best part of working with your spouse is also the worst — Link
- Business Insiders Áine Cain
Thoma Bravo-Backed SailPoint Lays the Groundwork for Future IPO — Link
No, Really, That’s a Travel Agency — Link
- Wall Street Journal
Top 5 things we learned from our first million RideAustin rideshare trips — Link
- RideAustin’s Andy Tryba
Indeed to Add 500 Jobs in Ireland — Link
Spredfast Lays Off 47 Employees and Closes its Wisconsin Office — Link
- Silicon Hills News
Why didn’t I think of that? 8 Austin startups turning simple ideas into big business — Link
How 5 sets of Austin co-founders met, and their advice for making it work — Link
This Austin startup brings easy, online check-in to local urgent care centers — Link
These 4 companies have groups dedicated to improving the culture at work — Link
Searching for love? There are plenty of apps for that — Link
This Austin startup just introduced “The New Internet” to fight fake accounts — Link
- BuiltinAustin’s Kelly Black
Office Envy: Inside ShopGate’s Congress Avenue Digs — Link
Report: 3 ‘Mega Trends’ Shaping Entrepreneurship’s Future — Link
Political Future Uncertain for Tech’s Beloved H-1B Visa Program — Link
An Inside Look at What Austin Coding Bootcamps Offer — Link
- Austin Inno
Austin startup lures users to overhauled music news app with free concert tickets — Link
With $130M in annual revenue, next step for Austin’s SailPoint could be IPO — Link
HEB leader’s education foundation to build 44-acre HQ on Lake Austin — Link
Austin’s housing shortage spreading to suburbs — Link
Keller Williams now has 2 CEOs to lead its 154,000-plus agents around the globe — Link
Why shares of RetailMeNot jumped more than 15 percent — Link
In the Office: As Austin buzzes with growth, execs who live downtown offer a wish list of amenities (Video) — Link
Here’s a sign that the shortage of women in tech startups is getting worse — Link
Alphabet restructures Google Fiber, names new head of internet access division — Link
RetailMeNot’s surprise Q4 results lead to stock market rollercoaster ride — Link
Austin’s music industry czar quits, citing growing bureaucracy — Link
How Expedia changed HomeAway’s business model to take on Airbnb — Link
With Uber gone, a smaller ridesharing company earns key contract as SXSW’s choice — Link
Austin’s most embattled resident, Lance Armstrong, dealt another big blow — Link
Austin ranked №2 among healthiest Texas cities — Link
Tech giants struggle with diversity despite throwing more than $1B at problem, report says — Link
Why it’s hard to be a woman in Texas — Link
- The Austin Business Journal
New-to-Austin nonprofit surpasses million-pound produce donation — Link
Austin job site Indeed doubles down on Dublin with plans to add 500 jobs — Link
Austin startup wants to end fake news — and fake everything else — on the internet — Link
Austin’s RetailMeNot beats the Street, and its stock soars — Link
Austin’s uShip lands $25 million for expansion push — Link
Bots 101: What you need to know about chatbots, AI and digital assistants — Link
SXSW gets more transparent about its politics in 2017 — Link
Tech Crawl: Google staffers leave self-driving car project because they were paid too much — Link
Tech crawl: Passenger-carrying drones and new features from Google Maps — Link
What’s the deal with that ‘Halo Wars 2’ mural in downtown Austin? — Link
Yahoo issues new warning of potential email account breach — Link
- Austin-American Statesman

Dallas / Ft. Worth / North Texas Area

Rebirth of The West End Historic District — Link
The DEC’s Trey Bowles
From couches to tuxedos, Addison startup Pickup delivers — Link
- Dallas Morning News’ Melissa Repko
Here’s how Project Oaken nabbed a hundred thousand dollars -
Link
- LaunchDFW
7-Eleven, Wal-Mart Beefing Up Convenience — Link
Stand-Up Company: Coppell’s Varidesk Continues to Grow — Link
Could Improv be Key to Effective Communication in Business? — Link
Local Companies Named to ‘World’s Most Innovative’ List — Link
NorthPark Microsoft Store Hosts Entrepreneurship Week Events — Link
Medical Shirts Give Hospitalized Children ‘Comfort’ in Their Fight — Link
Industrious Moving into Downtown Dallas’ One Arts Plaza — Link
With Vinyl Records Making Their Comeback, Addison Company Debuts Modernized Press — Link
Life as a Serial Entrepreneur: The World of Ben Lamm — Link
Fort Worth Cancer Center Wins Innovator Award — Link
Benchmarking Dallas: Initiative to Boost DFW as International Business Destination — Link

Houston / South Texas Area

The Sky’s the Limit Station Houston Puts High-Tech In A High-Rise -
Link
- Local Magazine
Rice, UH Libraries to Host Data Rescue Project Next Month — Link
TMCx Brings On Largest Class, HealthIT Startups from US & Abroad — Link
- Xconomy’s Angela Shah
Saint Arnold moves forward with ‘Saint Arnoldville’ beer garden, restaurant — Link
3 mega trends shaping entrepreneurship’s future — Link
Two longtime Houston nonprofits merge — Link
16 Texans gain new position of influence at Texas Lyceum — Link
Houston encryption company raises first capital — Link
CultureMap acquired by another Houston media company — Link
Another healthy meal company will accept My Fit Food offers, gift cards — Link
Replacement named for Meghan Trainor’s canceled Rodeo Houston performance — Link
Texas bullet train could cost taxpayers $21.5 billion, new report concludes — Link
NRG shakes up board of directors on activist investment, chairman resigns — Link
Houston’s Super Bowl set NFL record for concession sales — Link
Texas Medical Center launches largest accelerator class so far — Link
Healthy meal company My Fit Foods abruptly shuts all stores — Link
- Houston Business Journal
Startup aims to add more power to choosing electric plans — Link
Capital One unveils new loan to assist small business owners in Houston — Link
Q&A: Bank of America chief on technology, Trump — Link
TechConnect offers entrepreneurs a one-stop shop for resources — Link
Muscle Maker Grill to help customers abandoned by My Fit Foods — Link
Tech to improve bathroom cleanliness at Houston airports — Link
Women, African-Americans paid less in Houston technology sector — Link
Sudden demise of My Fit Foods a shock to customers, employees — Link
United president shows support for privatizing air traffic control — Link
- Houston Chronicle’s Andrea Rumbaugh

San Antonio / West Texas Area

EO2 Concepts Aims to Impress CME With Med Device Study, Gain Funding — Link
Starting a Medtech Company? Try Skipping Venture Capital, VCs Say — Link
- Xconomy’s David Holley
Building SA’s Ecosystem One STEM Entrepreneur at a Time — Link
Local Health Professionals Develop App to Manage Bipolar Disorder — Link
- The Rivard Report
See SABJ’s 2017 Top 40 Under 40 honorees — Link
San Antonio ranked among least healthy cities in America — Link
UTSA President Romo placed on administrative leave — Link
Wells Fargo looking to develop its own Siri-like virtual assistant — Link
San Antonio gets small cut of $34 million in new cancer funding — Link
- San Antonio Business Journal’s Kristen Mosbrucker

Not exactly Texas, but still worth a look

UT alumnus fights for local film funds — Daily Texan — Link
Apple puts on its grey suit: Firm, 40, keen to meet corporate types — The Register — Link
The State of Cannabis Entrepreneurship — Youngry’s Eric Rice — Link
Houston (Restaurants), We Have a Problem — Houston Press’ Thomas Nguyen — Link
Freelancers: Scams on Upwork, other job sites could cost you — Link — The American Genius
4 things to remember when things look bad for you as an entrepreneur — Link — The American Genius
16 Rookie Errors Founders Make Pitching to VCs — And Passing the “20 Minute” Test — Link — SaaStr’s Jason Lemkin
11 Fundraising Secrets from 1600 Startups — my SaaStr talk — Link — Elizabeth Yin
Raise the Bar — Automating Prospecting Research, Epic Guide to Customer Interviews, and more — Link — Mattermark’s Nick Frost
2017 YC Annual Letter — YCombinator’s Sam Altman
Alexa, what is the Alexa Accelerator? — TechStars’ David Cohen

Upcoming Texas Startup Events

Austin | Dallas | Houston | San Antonio — Powered by Tech Events Network

Pitch-a-Kid: Where entrepreneurs pitch to kids!
Sunday, February 19, 2017, from 1pm to 3pm
Norris Conference Center
2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 365
Austin, Texas 78757

2017 Startup Career Fair
Friday, March 24, 2017
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
TMCx 2450 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77021

My Idea(s) Unlocking the Next Greatest Thing
Hosted by Fruition Technology Labs

Perfect for entrepreneurs who are preparing to start a business, enter an accelerator program, or would like to launch a new product.

10 Week course on Saturdays beginning March 18th
Fruition Technology Labs
7505 South Freeway Suite A
Houston, TX 77021
Submit application for the first two sessions due March 8th
Tuition for the entire 10-week program is $1399 — $1699, with flex-pay options available.

Digital Dallas — StartUp Comedy Roast

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 06:00 PM · $20.00 USD
Dallas Comedy House
3025 Main St. Dallas, TX 75226

Pitch With Purpose

Pitch With Purpose is a pitch competition for women entrepreneurs leading high-growth, scalable businesses that support the resolution of the world’s most pressing problems, presented in partnership with United Nations Foundation. The final deadline to apply is February 15, 2017. The competition will be held at the Circular Summit, March 30–31, 2017 in Houston.

Galvanize February Marketing Madness Series

Every Wednesday in February from 6:30pm — 8:30pm
Topics: Branding & Engagement, SEO & Analytics, Growth and PR.

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T-Squared Agency

7108 Villa Maria Lane

Austin, Texas 78759

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