Name: Energy Tech Market
Start: 2026-03-26T12:30:00.000-05:00
End: 2026-03-26T16:00:00.000-05:00
Location: 801 Travis St

Energytech Cypher

 is a keystone ETN event that brings together founders, stakeholders, investors, and corporates at the intersection of energy innovation and technology. 

Don’t miss the Energytech Cypher Matchmaking Session!

 Looking for direct connections? Join us from 

 (just before the main ETM program) for our AI-backed matchmaking event. This curated session connects founders, investors, and corporates for high-value, one-on-one conversations tailored to your industry and stage.

1:00 - 2:00 - Startup Pitches from our Accelerator Program

 ​Presented by Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) 

2:00 - 3:00 - PANEL: Powering the Future: Meeting Surging Global Energy Demand in an Age of AI 

As AI data centers, EVs, and domestic manufacturing drive U.S. load growth toward 3% annually for the first time in decades, the energy industry faces a defining challenge: how to scale reliable, affordable energy infrastructure at unprecedented speed. This panel explores capital deployment opportunities across the full energy value chain, from generation and storage to grid infrastructure and emerging technologies, and how global energy leaders are positioning for a demand supercycle.

3:00 - 4:00 - Panel 2: FOAK Manufacturing

Reshoring America's clean energy supply chain depends on getting first-of-a-kind manufacturing facilities across the finish line — but rebuilding our manufacturing capabilities is anything but straightforward. This panel cuts through the complexity of managing workforce, financing new facilities, and navigating pre-purchase orders and offtake structures to ask: what will next gen manufacturing look like and what needs to improve to revitalize manufacturing in the US?

The event will also mark the conclusion of the COPILOT Program: The 

 is a partnership with Browning the Green Space and supported by the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR). It is an eight-month accelerator that provides participating startups mentorship from industry leaders, culminating in a showcase of pilot projects around the Gulf Coast. 

Scott Craig is an emerging companies partner in Latham & Watkins' Austin and Houston offices. He provides legal and business guidance to venture and private capital-backed energy technology companies, helping bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and investors and reducing transactional friction in the energy tech space.

Latham & Watkins' unique combination of market-leading Emerging Companies & Growth and Energy & Infrastructure practices positions the firm as an ideal legal platform for high-growth energy tech companies. The firm supports clients through every stage of development, from securing initial capital and commercializing products and services to facilitating strategic acquisitions and overseeing project development and funding. Scott and his colleagues ensure a seamless transition through to exit, whether by acquisition or initial public offering.

Liang Downey, Global Industry Blackbelt, Microsoft

Liang Downey is a Global Industry Blackbelt in Microsoft’s Energy &amp; Resources Industry, bringing over 20+ years of technology leadership to the forefront of digital transformation. She spearheads AI- driven innovation for power and utility companies, advancing capabilities across planning, operations, and renewable energy integration—all with the goal of lowering customer energy costs and enhancing grid reliability.  Liang is a passionate practitioner of Design Thinking, leveraging inspiration, divergent and convergent thinking, and end-user empowerment. Her expertise spans demand forecasting, renewable energy forecasting, and decision optimization through machine learning, artificial intelligence, and intelligent agents. She has led several high-impact initiatives, including Advising the front-end data strategy for a major Independent System Operator to support future transmission growth. Advising a leading power plant operator on a real-time IoT initiative to reduce generation downtime. Orchestrating a multi-year customer transformation program for a major energy provider. Advancing microgrid solutions to strengthen community resilience. 

Liang is a Senior Member of IEEE, WIE Regional subcommittee chair, a former advisor to the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society, and an active member of both the IEEE Energy Policy Committee and the Power &amp; Energy Society. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Microsoft Champion Award and 1st Place in the Microsoft Energy Industry Customer Pitch Contest (2021). She has also received multi-year recognition for her leadership of the Global Power Utility Community. Liang holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in Finance, blending deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen.

Laureen Meroueh, Founder & CEO, Hertha Metals

Dr. Laureen Meroueh is the Founder and CEO of Hertha Metals. She's the first woman inventor in steelmaking history to build a company around her breakthrough: the world's first single-step, coal-free steelmaking process. Hertha’s furnace uses electric power and natural gas and/or hydrogen to slash emissions while reducing production costs: proving the world’s most essential material can be both radically cleaner and more cost competitive.

Dr. Meroueh holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from MIT with a graduate minor in Entrepreneurship and Business, plus dual bachelor's degrees in civil and mechanical engineering. She is widely recognized for her leadership and technical innovation, having received honors such as Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Energy Initiative Fellow sponsored by ExxonMobil, Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow, and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.

Dev Motiram, Founder, The Dragonfly Ventures 

Dev Motiram has spent two decades doing the work that most people only advise on, running plants, managing billion-dollar assets, scaling teams, and building operating systems inside companies that were growing faster than their infrastructure. A former Executive-in-Residence at the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator and Climate Drift Founding Fellow, his journey took him from Dow Chemical and Ecolab to Solugen, where he helped drive one of the most dramatic valuation runs in recent Houston startup history. His roots in real estate run just as deep, from growing up in a hospitality family to overseeing the development of hotel and senior living projects across the Southeast. Today, as Founder of The Dragonfly Ventures and an active investor and advisor in energy, AI, and real estate, Dev brings an operator’s instinct to every deal and every conversation. He’s less interested in talking points and more interested in what’s actually.

Christopher Spears, Managing Director, EIC

Chris is the Managing Director of EIC Heritage, a venture fund backed by leading operators and service companies, focused on emerging upstream technologies that unlock efficient and reliable hydrocarbon supply. He started his career in BP's Upstream Technology organization, working across gas-to-power, robotics, and novel offshore architectures, before joining BP Ventures where he led upstream technology investments. He lives with his wife in Dallas and has maintained unreasonably high hopes for Gator football since 2008.

Andy Roehr, Managing Director, Baker Tilly's US

Andy Roehr is a Houston, Texas–based professional specializing in energy at scale.   With deep experience in technology and capital projects as well as serving as a strategic advisor to countries and companies around the globe, he supports energy investors, innovators and project stakeholders in navigating the complex technical, regulatory and financial challenges that underpin major infrastructure and development initiatives. His expertise includes working across the energy landscape from Oil and Gas to large scale power, distributed and microgrid platforms and nuclear, aligning energy resources with large scale projects including regional development, data centers and heavy industrialization.  Known for his analytical rigor and practical approach grounded in years of making things work, Andy focuses on the development of project strategies and transaction support to create sustainable projects. His background allows him to bring clarity and innovative thinking to complex energy challenges in an industry surrounded by ever changing technology, increasingly global and dynamic markets and regulatory action.  

Andy is currently a Managing Director with Baker Tilly’s Energy and Natural Resources team.  He is an entrepreneur with several exists including an IPO, the Chairman of the Houston Angel Network Energy Committee, one of the nation’s leading investor vehicles for early stage energy innovation, and the Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Energy Committee where he works across Houston, the nation and the global energy industry to mobilize innovation, capital and the workforce, and an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 641 in Houston. Andy lives in Houston with his wife, Mitra Miller and is father of two great Aggies, Jack and Will.  He is a graduate of Tufts University.

William Ewing, Venture Lead,  Naviscale by Halliburton Labs 

William Ewing has over 26 years of professional experience that spans roles within NASA and Halliburton that includes Technology Global Assembly and Test Manager, Brussels Manufacturing Center Manager, and Global Manufacturing Strategy Manager.  As part of Will’s current Global Strategy role he is leading an amazing team that works with select companies and provides access to Halliburton’s vast experience and global presence to develop and execute manufacturing and supply chain scale up strategies.   Will and his NaviScale team helps startups identify their biggest scale up risks, develop executable strategies to mitigate the risks, and utilize Halliburton’s experts and global presence to execute the mitigation strategies.  As a personal passion project for the last 6 years, Will also volunteers in the local music education community by building props for underfunded local high schools and musical groups to help them execute their vision and give the students access to items that they normally wouldn’t be able to afford.

Reach out if you would like to pitch or speak at the event.

 We are at 801 Travis Street on the 17th floor. You can enter the building from Travis Street (see image below) or by using the parking garage. The garage has

 limited parking spots and is on Rusk Street. We recommend Uber-ing and arriving early. 

There are several lots and garages in the area, and street parking

. To ensure you are in the correct garage, navigate to 909 Rusk St., Houston, TX 77002

: look for the blue 'P' sign on the right-hand side of Rusk St between Travis and Main. 