Rice Nexus, an office and resource center at The Ion in Midtown Houston, is now open for Rice University students, faculty and alumni to turn their research into startup businesses.

The details

Originally set to debut in fall 2024, Rice Nexus makes space for Rice-founded startups, technologies, research-driven ventures and industry leaders to converge and commercialize, per a Feb. 14 news release on the opening.

The facility at The Ion—which is already home to some technology and artificial intelligence-powered startup companies—spans 10,000-square-feet across two floors of the building, per the release.
Rice University President Reginald DesRoches (center) joined Innovation department staff at the opening of Rice Nexus in February. (Courtesy Rice University via YouTube)
In addition to showcasing technologies, Rice Nexus provides lab space for tech development and free office space for early stage startups, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Diving in deeper


Rice Nexus' suite of resources will include mentorship, commercialization support and access to a network of investors and corporate partners, per the release.

Under the leadership of Sanjoy Paul, an AI expert and entrepreneur, the Nexus aims to be a key driver for innovation across multiple industries—including biotech, energy, climate and health care.