[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6520873,"mediaKeyId","5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc","parentId",5118037,"title","SBA district director in Houston outlines SBIC, SBIR and STTR support for local startups","audioSeconds",236,"startMs",1249000,"endMs",1485000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc&start=1249&end=1485","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc/thumbnail_1249000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6520873/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/SBA-district-director-in-Houston-outlines-SBIC-SBIR-and-STTR-support-for-local-startups","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520873-aedca44e61752a8199cc0db05145c1bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180228&Signature=gVpWCiQhbrXJ068Ho2hoHIL~UW17u8~A9PTs4PjhignIxchkcqna9ZGsb19DuoxXgFhrswyDz9gtWBqFwRz-t-3JCspud8pohWg4bhZ3jKLlmk1ubaFHJZaQMElCp0fqmXnnjbonvbp3lZe30T~dZx1Fh9nI2FpFruakTfeCBmY7sB8qkkqu4jnYFD7fXlHzYuux6Ry81QWTwGw1kHP1OHaAJ0h3evujnrgrdgmpZHkraRxWuNHZKDLrnItACzzeh4rmqlmePRei~tsO0EryDYPZJFj0w2jVwYt8nV3KlowHeNUcG09PB39M79vRDSlztMZzzxnkD2v6oPxg5cN9Iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","On the SCORE Houston podcast, Mark Winchester, district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Houston District Office, walked through three federal programs entrepreneurs commonly reference: Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.

Winchester said SBICs provide equity-style investment capital through funds that may borrow from the SBA. “SBA lends up to a $175,000,000 at a very low interest, to these SBICs,” he said, describing how that leverage enables private investment funds to raise larger pools for startup investment. He added that more than 300 SBICs operate nationally and that approximately $8 billion is deployed annually through that channel.

On SBIR and STTR, Winchester described those programs as grant and contract opportunities supporting research and development. He said nearly $5 billion in SBIR/STTR funding is available to small businesses engaged in R&D and noted the STTR requirement that at least 30 percent of project work be completed by a nonprofit research institution.

Winchester also explained a recent SBIC practice the SBA calls “patient capital,” where principal and interest reimbursement can be structured on an accrual basis to provide longer runway for R&D and equity-backed businesses.

Why it matters: these federal programs are significant capital sources for technology-focused startups. Winchester and other panelists said founders should understand program eligibility and use mentorship networks (SCORE, local accelerators, angel groups) to prepare competitive applications or to connect with licensed SBIC fund managers.

Speakers from the recorded episode provided the explanations quoted above.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - SCORE Houston (#11): “Fueling the Dream” - Jul 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Mark Winchester, director of the U.S. Small Business Administration Houston District Office, explained SBIC leverage, SBIR/STTR grants and SBIC 'patient capital' features; SCORE mentoring and investor networks were described as pathways to those federal programs.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520879,"University of Houston’s RedLabs accelerator offers 12‑week stipend and mentorship for student founders",97,799000,896000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc&start=799&end=896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc/thumbnail_799000.jpg","/articles/6520879/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/University-of-Houstons-RedLabs-accelerator-offers-12week-stipend-and-mentorship-for-student-founders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520879-875c5671afb99b28d26e564f5130d010/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180228&Signature=oJbBXaJweh0LB21eoMKtmqgqPYea2c-d7mSnY28i8c-CJLbPcdqf5O4kTPf08nIgWd-aJIoujAAUYr0qO6ekI0G4wrz4NJmxojyAixEtiO6r0aJG1r5Ch68VoU4MP1UsL5G4VlxEITnUc6GJXiE9fUNzXI9MickWU6w-AiJPt9ybZKqLsLi5aiWL5wrCmCutvQ07tzQyuwHFJiF~vPLmfiyFQkKPI2JinrNkaNVWWX1LkZ4PUgHyVgCBvuU-WV7wQnSvDQhhrXmIE7W~tr3O5jfXXVp8nGCF0TSRAtdqGg0QgWipEVhIqNnHpEFWOhTxz8lk90AtibzazTKSOwAAtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Liana Gonzalez, director of Lehi Labs and the RedLabs accelerator at the University of Houston, described the program’s structure, eligibility and supports during a SCORE Houston podcast segment about commercializing innovation in Houston.

RedLabs, Gonzalez said, is primarily an educational program intended for University of Houston students, recent alumni or faculty. “We do provide a small stipend, for the teams that get in just to kinda like support them through the summer,” Gonzalez said. She added that the program’s goal is to help teams move from “this is just an idea I had to I now have customers, I'm making revenue.”

Program structure and eligibility

Gonzalez said the program runs roughly 12 weeks, with a two-week boot camp and a focused period of mentoring and demo‑day preparation: “It is 12 week 12 weeks long, but I really like to think of it almost more like 8 weeks because we kinda have, like, a boot camp for 2 weeks, and then we have our demo day that we prep for at the end of the summer.” She said RedLabs looks for teams that have already validated their idea and preferably have some initial customers.

Mentorship and connections

RedLabs partners with local mentors and organizations, Gonzalez said, naming SCORE as a regular source of mentors who provide pitch practice and subject-matter expertise. She described mentorship as both encouragement and concrete support: mentors “offer expertise” and “make sure that [pitches] make sense, and are compelling.”

Why it matters: university accelerators can provide early-stage founders with structured curricula, connections to mentors and investors, and modest financial support to pursue product‑market validation during a concentrated program.

The episode noted that RedLabs is restricted to teams with a University of Houston student, recent alumnus or faculty member; other accelerators may offer direct investments in exchange for equity, whereas RedLabs focuses on education, mentoring and a stipend.

","Lehi Labs’ RedLabs at the University of Houston provides a 12‑week accelerator that offers a stipend, mentorship from SCORE volunteers, and a demo day; entry requires at least one UH student, recent alum or faculty member on the team.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6520884,"Houston founders advised to wait for 'hockey-stick' growth before seeking major VC funding",100,213000,313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc&start=213&end=313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118037-0f9613e776d320ccb49fe7a49d42babc/thumbnail_213000.jpg","/articles/6520884/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Houston-founders-advised-to-wait-for-hockey-stick-growth-before-seeking-major-VC-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6520884-a3372806ee363a7e3c0c5a898ab85760/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180228&Signature=RkFBHVqmaZpLstq9kUOxGni42L9F6qMqv40faODkl08nzPVaZabBcURsj6NmTUE~TvCs6bq9KY-KCbLDMdpMAtvTcuvTzt~tNJxAyhHlKMjbd-8-iD5uXzDd3cSjOV7ZdDH6Yp4LrbgjMWQNOsnEQ6p6kMVDjwcE1Ur1tXxVdAJtfnanFxLPe3HTq3KSWfACywUcKQZDbg5tOGglvSefMXF~t3npPJkWuBTfGla4CJQBtjrRwrnV90I6OsT6zivYSufrxIXIuIknCgZ5K95lktuojmSYJAC3OE9gQR6BTSzeOGR~NPDneBvgq9sPzhryVOq6ckWyIiuDRo8UKQUpqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On a SCORE Houston and Houston TV podcast episode about commercializing innovation, venture advisor Jan Odegaard and angel investor Firoz Javer outlined how founders should time fundraising and what early-stage investors typically evaluate.

Odegaard, founder and chief executive of 62x ventures, said significant venture-capital funding is most appropriate when a company has “line of sight in hockey stick growth.” He added, “If you take it much earlier than that, you're risking giving away most of your company.”

The distinction between angels and venture capitalists, the panelists said, centers on timing, check size and investor structure. Firoz Javer, a board member of the Houston Angel Network, described angel investors as individuals — executives, retirees and professionals — “investing their own money into startups, early stage in return for equity.” He contrasted that with venture-capital firms, which raise funds from outside limited partners and typically deploy larger checks at later stages.

Why it matters: founder equity and the company’s long-term control are affected by when and from whom a startup accepts capital. Odegaard urged founders to form a clear, concise narrative that answers three questions investors will ask: what the company does, why people should care and how it makes money.

Practical takeaways from the panel

- What angels look for: Javer said angels seek founding teams with domain expertise, coachability and “grit.” He described investment sizes as ranging broadly “from $5,000 per angel to hundreds of thousands.”

- What VCs look for: Odegaard said venture funds evaluate the same basic elements but place greater emphasis on scalable, repeatable growth and the ability of a founder to “deliver on that” as numbers become larger.

- Pitch preparation: Javer advised founders to present a high-level, compelling message that opens the door to follow-up meetings rather than overwhelming investors with details. Odegaard added that an overemphasis on exits can be a red flag: “It could be a red flag that they're not really committed to their idea.”

The conversation emphasized that early capital sources (friends and family, pre-seed angels) remain appropriate before a company demonstrates the rapid growth venture firms typically seek. SCORE Houston and similar mentorship organizations were presented as resources to prepare pitch materials and connect founders to investors.

Speakers credited in this report spoke during the recorded podcast episode; their remarks are quoted verbatim where noted.

","Investors on a SCORE Houston podcast advised founders that angel investors commonly fund very early stages while venture capital is most appropriate once there is clear, rapid growth potential. Panelists outlined what angels look for, suggested preparation for initial meetings and gave typical investment-size ranges.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

SBA district director in Houston outlines SBIC, SBIR and STTR support for local startups

University of Houston’s RedLabs accelerator offers 12‑week stipend and mentorship for student founders

Houston founders advised to wait for 'hockey-stick' growth before seeking major VC funding