The Ion Smart Cities Accelerator in Houston is changing part of its focus to resiliency to respond to difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Now renamed the Ion Smart & Resilient Cities Accelerator, it was launched in September 2019 to address the needs of Houston, and cities across America, by deploying technology into existing civic infrastructure.
 
Supported by technology powerhouses Microsoft and Intel, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office and other city of Houston stakeholders, and TXRX, a local, non-profit maker space, the accelerator provides start-ups with access to customised and needs-based programming; mentorship from academic, industry and community experts; and a prototyping lab.
 
As towns and cities across America navigate a health care crisis unlike anything this generation has experienced, and business leaders contend with economic volatility and uncertainty, the need to emphasise resiliency as a core pillar of a smart city is even greater.
 
During a crisis, cities must be prepared to solve problems, from ensuring healthcare providers have personal protective equipment, to providing businesses reliably and quickly with a safe supply chain and economic resources to survive an economic downturn.
 
To meet these needs, the accelerator will now deliver more robust approaches and opportunities to ensure that entrepreneurs, innovators and start-ups tackling these challenges have access to the support they need to help maintain a thriving state of living for residents in Houston and beyond, no matter the conditions.
 
The accelerator’s first cohort is an example of a group combatting these challenges. Umanity, a Cohort 1 start-up, is a digital tool connecting community needs and resources in real time, reducing waste, learning cycles and duplicate efforts by over 90%. It is onboarding partners to identify the nearest Covid-19 screening facilities and locations of essential items such as food or toiletries, and coordinating volunteer and donation efforts for numerous local organisations.
 
Additional local organisations, including TXRX, the Texas Medical Center (TMC) and Houston Methodist, have rolled up their sleeves to address resiliency with respect to Covid-19. The Ion has also created a dedicated online resources and updates site for business owners, entrepreneurs and local residents.
 
In watching these efforts spring up, the accelerator’s leadership sought to ensure the accelerator embedded and showcased this level of resiliency. By adding “Resilient” to its name, the accelerator aims to emphasise more formally its mission to enable start-ups to create and deploy ways to help Houstonians thrive not only in their everyday lives, but also in situations that require urgency. This addition complements the city of Houston’s Resilient Houston strategy, released earlier this year by Marissa Aho, Houston’s chief resilience officer, and her team.
 
“By harnessing smart technologies, cities become more resilient in the face of crises,” said Gaby Rowe, executive director of the Ion. “The innovation of the Ion Smart & Resilient Cities Accelerator will empower and create the smart technology we need to keep our city’s operations moving and our residents safe as we inevitably face sociological challenges and natural disasters. We are excited to play a role in improving
our city’s fabric and quality of life.”
 
In addition to its new name, the accelerator is preparing to launch a programme for distance learning and online education-related technologies. As schools, higher education institutions and workplaces shift to and increasingly rely on remote learning, administrators, teachers, professors, students, families and corporate trainers have very acutely experienced the challenges related to deploying and integrating educational technology, as well as managing student data and information securely.
 
“We decided to launch this initiative to better source and streamline the integration of remote learning platforms and edtech that truly serve our students, schools and communities,” said Christine Galib, senior director of accelerator programmes and director of the Ion Smart & Resilient Cities Accelerator.
 
This initiative not only broadens the base of start-ups supported by the accelerator, but also enables the accelerator to apply resiliency-focused efforts directly to Houston’s schools systems and tackle digital learning needs. A call for applications will be launched in the upcoming weeks.
 
Applications for Cohort 2, which focuses on air quality, water purification and clean tech, recently closed. Selected start-ups will be announced later this spring, and the accelerator will offer Cohort 2’s programming online. The goal of Cohort 2 remains the same as Cohort 1, to position start-ups to secure the opportunity to earn pilots with the city of Houston.
 
Currently in the second phase of their accelerator participation, Cohort 1 start-ups are piloting a collective fifteen projects. Participating start-ups include Aatonomy, AeoShape, GoKid, Kriterion, Sensytec, Slide X, Umanity, Wyzerr and Reality IMT.
 
“With its diverse and innovative industries and people, Houston is in a position to become America’s leading creator of scalable technology that specifically meets resiliency needs,” said Galib. “With the city of Houston’s, Microsoft’s, Intel’s and TXRX’s support, we are prepared to address the challenges Houston and America will face in a post Covid-19 world.”