Xplorobot named one of the 10 Most Promising Companies at Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum

HOUSTON – October 29th, 2025 – Out of 97 energy tech ventures, Xplorobot was selected by investors as one of the “10 Most Promising Companies” at the 22nd Annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship.

The event was a key part of the Second Annual Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, drawing global attendees to Houston. More than 70 investor groups participated in one-on-one meetings with companies during Office Hours, resulting in nearly 730 meetings. From those discussions, investors chose 10 companies that represented the most promise based on having technology that addresses a large-scale problem, proven customer demand, and a strong team positioned for growth.

The Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum featured interactive panels, three keynote sessions, and 50 venture pitches, spotlighting breakthrough technologies across critical minerals, cybersecurity, grid modernization, energy storage, fossil energy and carbon management, fusion, geothermal, hydrogen, decarbonization, renewables, robotics and AI, sustainable aviation fuel, and more.

About Xplorobot
Xplorobot delivers AI-powered field intelligence through cost-effective smart sensors deployed by hand, drone, or robot. The system detects anomalies, drives predictive insights, and strengthens asset performance using real-world data verified through human-in-the-loop validation.

To overcome the high cost of retrofitting legacy infrastructure, Xplorobot uses smartphone-based sensors that create structured asset maps and localized multi-sensor data for predictive maintenance, emissions detection, and infrastructure analytics.

Validated by the EPA and DOE, Xplorobot operates at more than 4,000 sites across 16 countries with clients including ExxonMobil, Shell, and Waste Management. The company combines hardware sales and rentals with SaaS subscriptions. It targets the $240B inspection market, beginning with the $15B emissions detection segment and expanding into thermal, efficiency, and structural analysis.

About The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice Alliance) is Rice University’s globally recognized entrepreneurship initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship education, technology commercialization, and the launch of technology companies. Since its inception, over 3,526 startups have raised more than $27.8 billion in funding. The Rice Alliance leads programming and activation for the Ion, Houston’s innovation hub powered by Rice University.