The team placed second with its acoustic technology in mid-2024, but the idea got the group more than just the prize money, Prandtl Dynamics CEO Parth Mahendru said.
The startup was one of 10 companies chosen for the inaugural Plug and Play cohort with the city of Sugar Land, which invested $4.5 million in the business incubator’s regional flagship location. Plug and Play aims to provide free mentorship, resources and financial assistance to startups.
“We have an incredible ecosystem that’s never been given a platform for success,” said Elizabeth Huff, executive director of economic development for Sugar Land.
The gist
Each year, Plug and Play will host two cohorts of 10 to 20 small business startups at its office in Sugar Land. The cohorts will focus on problem-solving solutions in the “smart city” realm, meaning digital technologies in the energy, mobility and health sectors, Huff said.
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“We get a say in the types of companies that come to Sugar Land as a part of the board,” she said. “We make sure they match our targeted industries.”
The mentorship program will take place at the flagship location in Sugar Land Town Square at 16205 City Walk, and will last 10 to 12 weeks.
Prandtl Dynamics is now developing its anti-drone technology for military, prison, law enforcement and city use. Not only is the team looking to gain mentorship from Plug and Play, but it is also looking to relocate from Canada to Texas to find better weather to test its products, Mahendru said.
Ascent Integrated Tech is also participating in the first cohort—showcasing a smart watch add-on aimed at tracking the wellness and location of firefighters and law enforcement.
The product was initially designed for the military, although company officials want to sell the product to municipalities to keep first responders safe, co-founder and CEO Paul Couston said.
The cost
The Sugar Land Development Corp. will provide Plug and Play with a $4.5 million investment to help launch this program in the Greater Houston area over three years, said Chandler Molpus, Sugar Land economic development coordinator.
Payments will be made three times a year as milestones are met—such as cohort completions—and progress reports are shared with the city, Molpus said. The development corporation is funded by a voter-approved $0.25 sales tax rate to fund business promotion and development, and isn’t part of the city’s general fund budget.
The Sugar Land Development Corp. used sales tax revenue to incentivize Plug and Play. The entity:
- Will pay $4.5 million to Plug and Play over 3 years
- Made nearly $17.5 million in sales tax revenue in 2024
The impact
Huff said city staff have been looking for a business incubator since 2020, although the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the progress. Ultimately, city officials hope some businesses will relocate to the area, spurring job growth as well as property and sales tax revenue.
Additionally, Huff said she believes this will help students at local universities, such as the University of Houston at Sugar Land, to find jobs in the area and stay to invest their talents in Sugar Land.
Jay Neal, associate vice president and chief operating officer for UH at Sugar Land and UH at Katy, said he hopes to prepare and connect students to innovative opportunities such as Plug and Play.
“Part of our academic vision is creating a community where higher education, industry, city/county governments come together to build an ecosystem that advances things like research, technology and innovation,” he said.
Zooming out
Plug and Play has over 60 locations worldwide, with four others that have launched in Texas since early 2024, according to its website. These locations are in Cedar Park, Frisco, McKinney and most recently in the Bryan-College Station area.
“It’s given us a platform to bring people from all over the country to McKinney who want to be part of Plug and Play, and it gives us a platform to be on the radar,” said Michael Kowski, president and CEO of McKinney Economic Development Corp.
Looking at last year, Plug and Play’s impact included:
- 2,300 startups accelerated worldwide in 2024
- 861 startups accelerated in the U.S. in 2024
- 230 investments made to startups in 2024
- $109,570 average check size per startup
Looking ahead
Plug and Play’s first Sugar Land cohort began April 4 and will wrap up in June, Huff said.
The agreement with Plug and Play will last three years but has the opportunity to extend and change with the community’s needs.
“Ultimately, I hope that [Plug and Play] helps to live out our values of being trailblazers but also our mission and vision of making people’s lives better than they imagine,” Huff said.
