Houston-based Fluence Analytics ranked as one of the top-50 private advanced manufacturing companies in the world, according to a report by CB Insights. The annual report also recognized the data firm, which specializes in continuous analytics and process control solutions for polymer and biopharma industries, as a top startup under the Research & Development (R&D) Optimization bracket.  CB Insights analyzed 6,000 companies based on R&D activities, market potential, investor profiles, tech novelty, competitive landscape and other business factors  to develop the list of  50 most promising advanced manufacturing companies in the world. CB insights then segmented companies into cohorts, showcasing the leading companies those specialties. Fluence Analytics obtained an elite ranking under the R&D optimization cohort, alongside Toronto-based BenchSci and San Francisco-based Benchling.  Fluence Analytics CEO Jay Manouchehri told the Partnership his team is thrilled to see the firm’s work recognized on a global scale. "Our team is very excited that our real-time process analytics, optimization and control products for the polymer and biopharma industries are included among such elite startups,” Manouchehri said.  The new rankings come one year after the company relocated its headquarters to the Houston region from New Orleans. The company relocated  to take advantage of Houston’s talent pool and robust energy and petrol industries, which are Fluence Analytics' key customers.  "There are very, very good people in the Houston area with a lot of diverse experience — oil and gas, petrochemicals, all the service companies, a lot of the contractors and fab shops that we would work with," President and CCO Alex Reed told Houston Inno in Aug. 2021.  Fluence’s rankings showcase Houston’s thriving tech industry, consistently attracting notable companies and strong talent to the region. Houston currently houses over 40 corporate R&D centers and 24 major energy R&D centers.  Learn more about Fluence Analytics as well as Houston’s burgeoning digital tech and advanced manufacturing industries.

Houston is a leader in the new frontier of technology manufacturing. Our region has experienced significant growth in high-tech manufacturing as new entrepreneurs have partnered with local universities and existing industries to accelerate the development and deployment of life saving medical technologies, pioneering energy systems and other advancements benefiting all Americans. On Tuesday, August 9, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, a piece of legislation ensuring that the United States remains globally competitive in incubating the next generation of tech startups, ideas, and innovators.  This bipartisan legislation will accelerate American-based semiconductor manufacturing and drive investments in technology innovation, research, and development, with the aim of reducing the United States’ reliance on foreign parties. The Act provides a tax credit for American-based semiconductor chip manufacturing projects and provides significant appropriations for the National Science Foundation, regional technology and innovation hubs, and advanced research programs such as STEM grants. In addition to semiconductor manufacturing incentives, the legislation also authorizes $10 billion over five years to create at least 20 regional technology and innovation hubs across the country. The legislation’s hubs program allows eligible consortia to participate in a competition run by the Department of Commerce to designate these regional technology and innovation hubs, and at least 60 strategy development grants will be awarded to help build regional innovation strategies. This legislation signals a federal investment in regional, technology-forward economic development, and the Houston region stands ready to maximize this opportunity.   The passage of the CHIPS and Science Act offers significant economic opportunities for our state and our region. Texas currently has the infrastructure to support new semiconductor projects, and our region’s experience as a center for world-changing innovations has readied Houston to drive our nation’s capabilities for decades to come.  More on the CHIPS and Science Act available here. Learn more about advanced manufacturing in Houston here.