IES 2021 will be held on July 14-15, 2021 at the Norris Center City Centre in Houston, TX. 

With the pandemic front and center, 2020 was anything but a normal year. Companies that failed to adapt fast enough were forced to close their doors and the energy industry was no exception:  jobs were lost, business strategies were shattered, and budgets were eliminated.  

The need for resiliency in the rough seas of the energy industry has never been greater. The ability to not only weather, but thrive, in the face of major disruptions will be fueled by Resilient Innovation. Smooth seas never made a skillful sailor, and this pandemic provides opportunity to those who commit to and successfully execute on significant innovation.   

Innovation based on new customer needs and changing industry patterns will be even more important for business growth and, potentially, for survival. The collaboration between entrepreneurs and the energy industry provides additional innovative ideas, allowing the industry to meet the challenges of disruptive change.

To realize the positive benefits of disruption and change in our industry, the SPE-Gulf Coast Section is proud to host our 3rd annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit in Houston. Our strategic theme this year is "Resilient Innovation”, focused on providing connections and insights that will enable you to weather the storms of the energy industry.

The summit is your curated platform to exchange experiences and opportunities, connecting global Innovators and Investors, Technologists and Entrepreneurs, Subject-Matter Experts and Corporate Leaders in an exclusive two-day experience. 

Our program addresses how firms are navigating the current economics of the energy industry, alternative energy partnerships, carbon innovation, resiliency in innovation, and concludes with our interactive and competitive Shark-Tank event, highlighting delivery of the next entrepreneurial solutions. 

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit is your premier opportunity to build connections and to pursue new solutions within the Energy industry. 

IES 2021 Program

Keynote Address 1 – Resiliency in Innovation
Keynote Address 2 – New Pathways To Energy Entrepreneurship
Keynote Address 3 – Sustainability In Energy Innovation
Keynote Address 4 – Responsibly Sourced Energy
Keynote Address 5 – Alternative Energy Partnerships
Keynote Address 6 – Energy Leadership And Entrepreneurship

Panel Session 1 – Expertise Transfer: Taking Oilfield Expertise To Clean Energy
Panel Session 2 – Delivering An Innovation Culture In An Energy Business
Panel Session 3 – Energy Pivots: How To Adapt
Panel Session 4 – Houston Innovation Ecosystem: Growing Resilience And Capability
Panel Session 5 – How To Scale Up Energy Technology And Innovation

IES Annual Shark-Tank Event!

Every year, IES hosts a Shark-Tank Event where Startups have an interactive opportunity to present their business idea to investors and initiate funding discussions. Our Sharks are selected energy investors and fellow entrepreneurs across PE, VC, and CVC firms who want to realize innovation in our industry. Several Startups pitching at our Shark-Tank event make the critical connection leading to future funding and growth opportunities.

Event Format:

• To participate, startups must be seeking seed or series A funding ($5M-$10MM)
• Startups will have 5 minutes to present their company and funding ask
• Shark will have 10 minutes to ask questions and decide if they are in or out
  • “I’m in” means that investor is interested in investing in your startup and will have another meeting with you to discuss further terms and possibly move forward with due diligence
  • “I’m out” means that shark has decided to pass on your startup and will provide an explanation for the decision

Important dates:

• Deadline for application submission is May 28^th, 2021
  • Download, complete, and email application to ies2021sharktank@gmail.com
• IES committee will contact selected companies by June 11^th, 2021
• Selected companies will be required to submit their final pitch deck to IES by June 25^th, 2021

Download Shark-Tank Application Here

Check out the program from the IES 2019 - IES 2019 Program

Here is the IES 2019 website - https://www.spegcs.org/events/4129/

IES 2019 Shark-Tank Success Story

DCiii sales increase by 600% with leads from IES 2019. New customers are critical for raising funds as well as over coming the start-up death valley a place many start-ups never recover from do to no practical application for pilots. ~ Chad Hammond DC3ogether.

IES 2018 Shark-Tank Success Story

We are very proud of the 2018 SPE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Symposium Shark Tank Participant, Interface Fluidics for making the January 2019 cover of JPT. Here is what Interface Fluidics’ Director, Market Development Kirstie Boyle says about participating in SPE IES

Being selected to participate in the SPE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Symposium was a great experience.  The exposure, coaching, and access to industry decision makers and investors was very valuable and has helped contribute to our most successful year to date.  Thank you to the organizers and volunteers of this important two-day event that brings industry innovators together.

Key Contacts